Monday, September 01, 2003

Ban Fishing in Third of All Seas, Scientists Say: "All fishing should be banned in a third of the world's oceans to reverse a catastrophic decline in fish stocks such as cod and tuna, British scientists have warned. In a new study, they recommend that large areas of ocean, including the North Sea, around the Falklands, and the Gulf of California, should be made into legally protected marine reserves, policed by naval patrols and satellites... Closing 10-15 per cent of a fishing ground for at least five years, they found, would preserve local marine life. But closing off 30-40 per cent of that area would allow fish stocks to recover to commercial levels, spilling over into the surrounding area." Leases should be temporary and offered at full market rates.

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