SHARK ALLIES SUPPORTs THE #STOPFUNDINGOVERFISHING MOVEMENT.

“One-third of the world's fish stocks are overexploited. Our ocean is already suffering. But billions of dollars in government subsidies are flowing to industries to artificially keep them viable. The outcome is that these investments encourage more unsustainable fishing. A WTO agreement is in the making that would stop harmful fisheries subsidies, but, as with all international agreements, there are many different jurisdictions, agendas, opinions, and influences that have to be dealt with to come to a final deal. We need your help to make sure this doesn’t fail.” One of the major arguments that anyone can buy into is…

Invest public funds in people and the planet

“Much of our ocean is being fished beyond sustainable limits, undermining the livelihoods of the hundreds of millions who depend on fishing for food security and jobs. Despite this, our governments spend USD 22 billion in public money every year to fund more fishing. The good news is that we have an opportunity to stop this race to the bottom. In a year acutely characterized by health, economic, and climate crises, it’s more important than ever that leaders put public funds toward the public good. Rather than continuing support for detrimental fishing practices and overexploitation of our ocean’s resources, this WTO agreement is an opportunity to redirect public money from harm to help.”

To support a global deal that will protect our ocean you can help this campaign by clicking the link at the bottom of the page. To give you an idea of how complex this process is, take a look at the video at the top. Clearly, this is beyond what most people have the patience to comprehend. In a way, it is extremely frustrating to watch. But it is a clear demonstration of how convoluted things get when dealing with national and international resource issues. Read more about IISD Fisheries Negotiations.