permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/05/05/oceans.trawling.ap/index.html
Nations seek end to trawling seas
POSTED: 2:08 a.m. EDT, May 5, 2007


WASHINGTON (AP) -- More than 20 nations agreed Friday to discourage unregulated and destructive bottom trawling on the 
South Pacific high seas, a victory for environmental groups.

The agreement, which takes effect September 30, is intended to protect about a quarter of the world's high seas, a vast 
area extending roughly from the Equator to the Antarctic Circle and from Australia and New Zealand to the west coast of 
South America.

Observers and ship locator monitoring systems are to be used, and vessels must remain at least five nautical miles 
(9,260 meters) from deep-water corals and other vulnerable marine ecosystems.

The agreement reached in Renaca, Chile, follows a U.N. General Assembly resolution in December aimed at getting tough on 
high-seas bottom trawling, which involves fishing boats that drag giant nets along the sea floor.

Enormously effective at catching fish, the nets also wipe out almost everything in their path, smash coral and stir 
clouds of sediment that smother sea life, marine experts say.

Orange roughy is the main commercial fish in the South Pacific high seas, mainly caught by New Zealand fishing vessels. 
Estimates of the fishing trade range up to about $10 million (euro7.4 million).

New Zealand officials agreed to the voluntary restrictions in the South Pacific high seas, but they said the 
restrictions could "severely constrain" its fishing vessels. The ecological costs of the huge nets are far higher, 
environmental groups said.

"This area contains thousands of these underwater sea mountains, or seamounts, that are considered to be some of the 
most ecologically rich habitats in the world," said Joshua Reichert, director of the private Pew Charitable Trusts' 
environment division, which coordinated the groups' campaign. "For all of us, this really represents a major step 
forward for marine conservation."