International Fisheries: How do We get There from Here?

Abstract

"The oceans are being emptied and, while there is no shortage of ideal solutions to the problem of overfishing, the reality is that fisheries management fails much more often than it succeeds. The recent nomination of nine large marine predators for endangered species status--including several species of shark and the exceptionally valuable bluefin tuna--highlights the severity of the situation. The rejection or delay of all of these nominations highlights the nature of the problem: fisheries management is a matter of political strategy rather than either biological or economic science. Given the critical nature of the problem, we believe that it is time to examine the potential for success in the current system and explore possible steps to a better system; one that combines ideals and incentives."