Foxy and others
Absolutely

Consider this perspective.
If we restricted the industry i.e. limit the numbers, the long-line and humongous nets the price of the fish would go up; fishermen would still make a living; more stocks because we'd take less.
We in the spoilt west would need to either catch our own or alter our diets;less obesity etc. Consider the mentioned thousands of tons of dead fish being discarded both at the trawler and in wastage for efficiency and at the retail and consumer end.

Now if we did this with everything more employment elsewhere making etc things that are really NEEDED. 3rd world people wouldn't need to rape the environment to compete. Wouldn't that be good

Isn't that the principal behind supply and demand? Gigantic isn't always best best. What's wrong with small/medium labour intensive sized businesses all providing a living + a little more?

Idealistic, perhaps but sooner or later we'll have to do it. Current economic practice favouring greed, excess, and most iniquitous BIG is merely delaying the inevitable reckoning time.

I believe in Capitalism it's the excesses and sizes that are the problems

Nice idea, but what do you think your chances are of convincing the entire world?
I wish you luck, especially with the criminal fleets that would immediately appear. "Black market" sound familiar?

Dear examinator,

John Rawls formulated principles of sustainable development.

1) A Principle of equal basic rights.
2) A principle about social and economic inequalities.

He felt that such inequalities should be allowed only
if they serve to benefit those who are worst off in society,
and that there should be equality of opportunity.

In other words if we had to choose a society -
the kind that most of us would choose - would
be one that was 'maximally fair.'

And that this would be delivered for future
and all subsequent generations.

Sounds like Utopia - doesn't it?

If only this was possible. The problem with humanity
has been - greed. We all know what should be done -
yet it rarely is. Other issues seem to get in the way.
I too believe in capitalism - but as you suggest - we
need to look at other ways of doing things, and smaller
is definitely better.

We can no longer take our world for granted. We need
to divert our energy and resources towards
the real problems that face us, because as your
thread title suggests - ignoring the problems won't
make them go away.

Max,
I totally agree with you. Those that suggest 'WE'(as in the whole world) get together to restrict fishing are dreaming. We can't even get a handful to agree to eliminate nukes let alone other things.

While there is economic demand people will fish. After a long search, I finally found a restruant that had 'Patagonian Toothfish' on the menu. Because of the horrid conditions and the trouble they go to catch these fish, I thought it must be something very special. I was dismayed to find it was very ordinary. so all I can say is the yanks and the japs must be easily satisfied to pay big money for this fish. I would not rate it very high at all. My local fish n chip shop has better.

Maybe all we can do is protect and regulate our own fishing grounds so we can at least get some good fish in future.

Oh, if you saw where and how fish farms operate in Asia you would not touch those imports.

Dear examinator,

Before I leave this thread of yours I wanted
to digress for a moment, I hope that you'll
allow it...

There's a children's book called,
"Baby Whale's Journey," by Jonathan London.
Illustrated by Jon Van Zyle.

I often use it in my "Storytime Sessions,"
with pre-schoolers. The illustrations are
wonderful and Jonathan London's simple,
poetic text captures the tenderness and drama
in the life of the endangered sperm whale.

Whalers target the great whales. Their numbers
are being depleted. Hundreds of dolphins and
porpoises still drown in fishing nets.

The International Whaling Commission which has
now become a conservation commission makes
recommendations on whaling limits. Whaling
margins over resources endanger whales.

It would be a great loss - if global pressure was
not heeded by countries like Japan - and these
magnificent creatures were to disappear from
our oceans.

Take care.

Foxy,
What about the poor little krill? Does not anyone care about the krill? They have a right to life just as much as the whales.

The whales are hellbent on exterminating krill and every whale the whalers get saves millions of krill. Just because the whales are big does not mean they should get preference to life. Krill die a horrible death, slowly absorbed by gastric juices.

The underdog here is the krill and I am on their side.