Overfishing.

The issue of overfishing is identified as one of the ten stories the world should hear more about--a UN effort to shine a spotlight on some important international issues and developments that often do not get sufficient media attention.

A threat to marine biodiversity, overfishing refers to the practice of commercial and non-commercial fishing which depletes a fishery by catching so many adult fish that not enough remain to breed and replenish the population. Yet, fishing is central to the livelihood and food security of some 200 million people, especially in the developing world, while one out of five depends on fish as the primary source of protein.

Concerns regarding overfishing were addressed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2002, and the importance of restoring depleted fisheries was stressed. It was acknowledged that sustainable fishing requires partnerships between Governments, fishermen, communities and industry. The implementation plan that emerged from the Summit called for the establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs), which experts believe may hold the key to conserving and boosting fish stocks. Yet, according to the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, less than I per cent of the world's oceans and seas are currently in MPAs.

With the competing claims of deforestation, desertification, energy resource exploitation and other biodiversity depletion dilemmas, the magnitude of the problem of overfishing is sadly overlooked. In the last decade, commercial fish populations of cod, hake, haddock and flounder in the north Atlantic region have fallen by as much as 95 per cent, prompting calls for urgent measures. Some even recommend zero catches to allow for regeneration of stocks.

Studies conducted by national organizations, in collaboration with UNEP, examined developing countries such as Senegal and Argentina, which have opened up their waters to foreign fishing fleets and found that these fleets may lose far more than they gain. The research indicates that the eventual costs, in terms of loss of income for local fishermen, environmental damage and the depletion of native fish stocks, can far outweigh the short-term financial gains generated from foreign Governments and fleets. Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director of UNEP, said: "Many local people rely on fish for their livelihoods and as a key source of protein needed for health and well-being. Overexploitation by foreign fleets can drive these people into even greater poverty, as well as robbing the marine environment of a key link in the food chain upon which creatures like whales, dolphins and seals depend."

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Overfishing also has a direct effect on marine biodiversity, and this should not be underestimated. FAO has calculated that over 70 per cent of the world's fish species are either fully exploited or depleted. The dramatic increase of destructive fishing techniques destroys marine mammals and entire ecosystems. Thus, marine life that rely on fish as their main source of food, and marine life that fishing fleets may catch accidentally, are often thrown back into the sea, many of which are already dead. FAO stated that illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing worldwide appears to be increasing as fishermen seek to avoid stricter rules in response to shrinking catches and declining fish stocks. Some developing and developed countries are on track to put into effect by 2004 the International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing. Despite the fact that each region has its sea convention, and some 108 Governments and the European Commission have adopted the UNEP Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities, oceans are cleared at twice the rate of forests. To remedy the overfishing issue, nations have been urged to ratify the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea and other instruments that promote maritime safety and protect the environment from marine pollution and environmental damage by ships. Only a multilateral approach can counterbalance the rate of depletion of the world's fisheries, which has increased more than four times in the past forty years.