Scientists are calling for a 20 year fishing ban on 1/3rd of the world's oceans. Callum Roberts, professor of marine conservation in the University of York, says that 100 scientific papers support this view. We need Marine Preservation Areas (MPAs), which presently cover only 0.8% of the world's oceans.
This is already Green Party Policy:
FI403 Marine Protected Areas around our coastline should be designated with the involvement of all local user groups. The sea-bed and the wild-life in, over and around the areas will be able to regenerate. Diversity of the bio-system will be safeguarded and fish stocks will recover, allowing larger catches of useful species to be taken ultimately. This action will also contribute to our commitment to the EU Habitats and Species Directive. Scientific assessment will be used to decide the priority areas, but 10 to 20% of the total length could be designated eventually.
The EU Commission is still chuntering on about cutting the fishing fleet, but this has been policy for years, and fish stocks are still dwindling.
The science is clear. I recommend the Marinet site as a good entry point. The Green Party should run this in the euro Election on june 4th, as it has an EU connection.
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