Introduction:
This paper will examine legal frameworks utilized by Australia to address overfishing in the Southern Ocean, specifically the Patagonian toothfish fishery around Heard Island and McDonald Islands, which is expected to potentially collapse within several years because of illegal fishing. This area is within Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone but is more than 4,000 kilometers from the nearest port, thus placing it far beyond the range of regulators and law enforcement. The area is also within the Southern Ocean, which falls under international legal frameworks, specifically the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas. The Heard and McDonald Islands area is a unique ecosystem, recognized as relatively untouched by human development. However, the amount of illegal fishing for toothfish in this area is estimated to equal the amount of legal fishing for toothfish. The market for the illegal catch is estimated at $1 billion. The size of this illegal fishing industry is believed to be due in large part to lack of regulation or even collusion by countries that lack legal frameworks and competent governance. In addition, the illegal fishing vessels use a complex legal arrangement to avoid detection and prosecution, including the use of front companies and registering in countries that are not signatories to international agreements.
Other barriers to protecting the biodiversity of the Heard Island and McDonald Islands toothfish fishery include Australia’s apparent lack of urgency about this effort. For example, there is a lack of law enforcement support to enforce domestic and international legal frameworks, with only one patrol vessel de...
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... for signatory 5 May 1980, 19 I.L.M. 841 (entered into force 7 April 1982).
Others
- Australian Fisheries Management Authority, Annual Status Report: Heard Island and McDonald Islands Fishery, 21 May 2010.
- Australian Fisheries Management Authority, Ecosystem-based Fishery Management, 21 May 2010
- Australian Fisheries Management Authority, Illegal Foreign Fishing, 27April 2010.
- Australian Fisheries Management Authority, Australian Fisheries National Compliance Strategy , 27April 2010
- Australian Fisheries Management Authority ‘Managing Bycatch and Discarding’ 21 May 2010
- Australian Fisheries Management Authority , Strategic Assessment, 21 May 2010
- Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Australia’s Oceans Policy , 21 May 2010.
- Madrid Protocol, Australian Antarctic Division, Department of the Environment, 1 November 2009.
Fishery Scientist are constantly working on ways to protect shark species and reduce shark bite incidences. Others have proposed that sonar waves are placed on nets to try and keep sharks away. Researchers are also collecting data from the sharks that are caught by the fishermen to be in a position to better understand sharks, and how we can live in unity with them. A shark tagging programme to try to better understand shark movements and patterns could also assist instead of culling. Statistics show us that there have been drastic reductions in fatal shark bites since nets have been installed in NSW and Qld.
Climate change and Global Warming are out of control. This means that, no matter what policies, processes or actions are implemented, the Earth as we know it will never be the same again. There is significant evidence to support this hypothesis. The dilemma becomes whether we can limit the damage and adapt to a new status quo or not. Rising sea levels and the damage caused by this phenomenon has irreversible impacts on coastlines worldwide. Damage to sensitive reef systems cannot be fixed. This also has permanent impacts of the ecology not just of those immediate areas but also the ocean as a whole.
United Nations , "United Nations and Convention on the Law of the Sea:Division for Ocean Affairs and the LAw of the Sea." Accessed November 27, 2013. http://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/UNCLOS-TOC.htm.
Due to the demand many packaging for the fish can find its was back to sea, or when fishermen are out at sea they can leave their garbage. Many nets from the boats and gears can also be found in the water, that fish can later see as food, eat it, and die; this ties back to extinction in fish. There is much pollution and decline stocks in fish because it is very hard to regulate the seas. To fulfill the growing demand for seafood, many companies are forced to fish beyond areas that are supposed to be non-fishing zones. This is because there are hardly any laws or restrictions telling them where they can and cannot fish. Sally Driscoll and Tom Warhol report in, ‘Overfishing’, that itt wasn’t until 1956 where we saw our first regulation, the United Nations organized the first UN Convention of the Law of the Sea or the NCLOS which helped promote rights of all countries by establishing boundaries off shore. Meaning that some seafood fished in certain areas of the ocean cannot be sold in certain countries, and in some areas it is illegal to fish unless you have a permit from that country. Economy also helps make it harder to regulate the seas, in ‘Overfishing’ it is explained that Preisdent Barack Obama brought up Antiquities Act of 1906, that let fishermen expand their fishing areas. The United Nations FAO estimates that 25 percent of all fish trapped in nets are labeled unusable or not licensed for fishing by the
Earth, an endless source of wonder and beauty, produced the Great Barrier Reef. Hustling and bustling, the Reef thrives like a busy city, teeming with life. Sheltering thousands, corals, maintain the well-being of the Reef; however, the world threatens its nature and delicacy. Populations growing and technological advances increasing, the world becomes more and more disconnected with the natural world, posing an alarming risk for the planet we live on. Although many organizations try to keep the oceans clean, because of human interference and unnatural occurrences, the Great Barrier Reef needs scientific help to adapt corals to new conditions for means of survival, putting pressure on the Australian government to save their ocean environment.
Einarsson S. M. & Gudbergsson G. (2013). The effects of the net fishery closure on angling
Government of South Australia, 2005. Adelaide's Living Beaches. A Strategy for 2005 - 2025, December, pp. 5-27.
It only takes one person to start a domino effect which can end up possibly saving the reef, and then when David Attenborough wisely speaks of the great barrier reef it will be how amazing it looks and how we saved it from total destruction instead of how damaged and destroyed and in danger it
With a coastline of over 202,000 km and over a fourth of the world’s freshwater resources, it is no wonder why Canada’s fishing industry is a huge part of its economy.1 Canada exports more than 75% of its fish to over 130 countries worldwide. Many of the 7 million people who reside on the coast depend on the ocean’s resources. In total, Canada’s entire fishing industry is worth around $5 billion a year, being one of the world’s most valuable. However, the coasts have not been treated with respect; overfishing, over consumption, and wasteful practices have deteriorated, not only the industry, but the ecosystems and fish populations. This is a huge global issue; the worldwide collapse of fisheries is projected for 2048.
...d the economic, ethical, and practical aspects of international regulation. Different views of ecology, culture, and legitimacy as they pertain to a valued resource and its exploitation for human purposes. While it is safe to say one must preserve the historical and cultural value of whaling nations and nations around the world, it can also be said of animals. While many nations continue to cling to their cultural ancestry background of whaling and the right for scientific research, it is proven that such human endeavors must be carefully and faithfully regulated. Commercial whaling has essentially seized to exist in the clear claims of such, but Japan and other nations are ever so slightly getting closer to that boundary. “We should remember in our dealings with animals that they are a sacred trust to us…[They] cannot speak for themselves” (Harriet Beecher Stowe).
"Oceans." Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2014. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 8 May 2014.
The government's Ocean Dumping Regulation of 1989 severely limits what can be disposed of in the oceans. The...
Oceans are such so vast that people underestimate the impact their actions —seeming so insignificant— have on them. Humans have by and large taken the oceans for granted; not considering how important a healthy ocean is to our survival. A popular mind-set is that the oceans are a bottomless supply of fish, natural resources, and an infinite waste dump. There are myriad reasons why the oceans should be saved and the most obvious one is marine life. With 71% of the Earth being covered by water, it is obvious that sea creatures are predominant form of life, making up 80% of the species of life on Earth. However, as important as marine life is, that is not the only reason why saving the oceans is crucial. The ocean floor provides natural resources such as, oil, natural gas, petroleum, minerals, medications, and ingredients for foods and products. The economic benefits of the oceans are huge and significant, as well. Fishing and fish products have provided employment to 38 million people and have generated about $124 billion in economic benefits. However, oceans are on the verge of crisis, marine life, natural resources, transportation, the economy, and important ingredients are at risk due to overfishing, pollution, and acidification. Thus, in this essay I will argue that, oceans are not impervious to human activity and threatening the health of the ocean threatens the health of humanity, since oceans key to our survival.
1989 United Nations moratorium on high seas large-scale driftnets is passed. 1990 Greenpeace Australia's Clean Waters campaign exposes coastal water pollution.
Bowermaster, Jon. Oceans: The Threats to Our Seas and What You Can Do to Turn the Tide: A Participant Media Guide. New York: PublicAffairs, 2010. Print.