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> Illegal fishing is a global business estimated at $10 billion in annual sales, and one that is thriving as improved technology has enabled fishing vessels to
by mullen 11y ago
> Illegal fishing is a global business estimated at $10 billion in annual sales, and one that is thriving as improved technology has enabled fishing vessels to plunder the oceans with greater efficiency.
Not sound like a First-Worlder, but so much environmental destruction by sweeping the seas clean of life and helping destroy the planet for so little money. I would have guessed that illegal fishing netted (No pun intended) a lot more than that.
- richdougherty 11y agoIllegal fishing is bad, but it's probably dwarfed by the environmental impact of legal fishing. Interesting discussion about governance over the oceans: http://www.economist.com/news/international/21596990-humans-are-damaging-high-seas-now-oceans-are-doing-harm-back-deep-water http://www.economist.com/news/international/21596990-humans-...
- mullen 11y agoYes, but legal fishing can be regulated. We can setup manageable and productive fisheries that not only can sustain populations but also continue to reproduce and be healthy. With illegal fishing, we can't do that.
- justizin 11y ago> We can setup manageable and productive fisheries that not only can sustain populations but also continue to reproduce and be healthy. We're not, really, though. :/ As long as the demand is highest for the least sustainable fish, someone will haul out and net it for us.
- pstuart 11y agoYe olde tragedy of the commons.
- mikeyouse 11y agoThere are numerous success stories about managed fisheries bringing back stocks, a good example is the Red Snapper catch share that was setup in the Gulf of Mexico; http://www.noaa.gov/features/01_economic/catchshares.html http://www.noaa.gov/features/01_economic/catchshares.html
- dghughes 11y agoThe Turbot War off the southeast coast of Canada (Newfoundland) is a good example. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbot_War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbot_War Canada almost went to war with Spain over it and German and Spanish military ships were patrolling off the Canadian coast. The Spanish fleet were scooping up whatever they wanted and the smug hypocritical EU claimed it was superior to Canada regarding the environment.
- sliverstorm 11y agoSame deal with trees. As far as I understand, the trees holding back the advance of the Sahara are being cut down for cooking firewood, and the rainforests are being deforested for ordinary farmland.
- x0054 11y agoThis is in general true about most criminal activity. Most crimes net very little profit.
- coldtea 11y agoExcept white collar and government crime, from the Wall Street deregulation abuses to colonialism. Those net trillions....
- TeMPOraL 11y agoThat sounds good. The less profit there is in illegal activities, the less reasons there are to undertake them. I just hope it's general unprofitability and not the fierce competition bringing down margins.