The Elimination of IUU Fishing in the Southern Ocean

Abstract

At the start of the new millennium, fisheries statistics reported that around 70 % of the world's fisheries were severely overexploited (Crothers, 1998). After centuries Of fishing in local coastal waters, an eventual reduction in fish stocks forced nations such as Britain, Iceland, Norway, Spain and France to seek new fishing grounds. The advancement of navigation and materials technology, allowed fishing fleets to explore further and further afield, and the rich cod grounds of North America's Grand Banks and Newfoundland were discovered. As the magnitude of the fishing industry increased, whole populations of fish species were wiped out, and fishlng fleets were forced to move into other unexplored areas. Target fish species successively became "economically extinct", and in due course it became financially worthwhile to open up areas such as the Southern Ocean, that had previously been considered too remote, and too inhospitable. As in the Northern Hemisphere, the 'Gold Rush" mentality prevailed in the South, and overexploitation was the inevitable result It is unknown where this overexploitation of fish stocks will lead us. History has shown that Overexploitation of other marine species in the Southern Ocean has lead to dramatic crashes within their populations. Some people believe that the Southern Ocean ecosystem and its complex interlinking strands will be progressively fatigued, until there is no remaining resilience. At the start of the new millennium, fisheries statistics reported that around 70 % of the world's fisheries were severely overexploited (Crothers, 1998). After centuries Of fishing in local coastal waters, an eventual reduction in fish stocks forced nations such as Britain, Iceland, Norway, Spain and France to seek new fishing grounds. The advancement of navigation and materials technology, allowed fishing fleets to explore further and further afield, and the rich cod grounds of North America's Grand Banks and Newfoundland were discovered. As the magnitude of the fishing industry increased, whole populations of fish species were wiped out, and fishlng fleets were forced to move into other unexplored areas. Target fish species successively became "economically extinct", and in due course it became financially worthwhile to open up areas such as the Southern Ocean, that had previously been considered too remote, and too inhospitable. As in the Northern Hemisphere, the 'Gold Rush" mentality prevailed in the South, and overexploitation was the inevitable result It is unknown where this overexploitation of fish stocks will lead us. History has shown that Overexploitation of other marine species in the Southern Ocean has lead to dramatic crashes within their populations. Some people believe that the Southern Ocean ecosystem and its complex interlinking strands will be progressively fatigued, until there is no remaining resilience.