New Zealand’s efforts to ban harmful fishing subsidies are to be praised, writes Mark Peart. Supported by the NGO community, they have tenaciously led international efforts to ban harmful fishing subsidies which critics have long argued exacerbate overcapacity in global fishing fleets and encourage overfishing. The subsidies are a development issue, particularly in the Pacific, with subsidies contributing to there being too many vessels, depleting one of the most significant resources available to many Pacific Islands. The WTO, having spent a lot of time working out which subsidies contribute to harmful fishing practices, puts the figure at 60%. A freelance writer, former ODT journalist Mark Peart reported on the fishing subsidies issue in the 2000s.

Source: Otago Daily Times December 13, 2017 16:18 UTC