Special+Conference+(1)+on+Seasons+and+Oceans

Policy Statement Measures to combat the growth of “ghost fishing fleets” The ocean and seas along with its inhabitants have been a vast resource that enabled mankind to progress and prosper. This vital resource is not being threatened by many and only few are trying to protect it. Ghost fishing fleet are growing in number and little is done to prevent this growth. Ghost fishing fleet are fishing equipment discarded or left in the ocean which continue to catch fish. These fish stay caught in the net until they rot or a predator arrives and eats it, but in the process the predator is caught in the fishing net/equipment. The ghost fishing fleet must be reduced as quickly as possible before it sends a rare specie to near extinction. The international community should dispatch ships to remove ghost fishing fleets, educating fishers so that they can understand the problems with leaving ghost fishing equipment and creating biodegradable fishing equipment.

The question of sustainable fishing methods Primitive fishing methods are used very widely today and these methods are destroying a resource many societies rely on as their main means of acquiring commerce and food. Many villages off the coast of Colombia's only source of food, only export and one of the few reasons tourists visit the village is for its wide variety of fish. Unfortunately, Colombia's low literacy rate and weak education hasn't taught the fishers the problem with overfishing. Furthermore, they are unaware of methods that would allow fishers to continue to fish producing the same output, yet depleting the source of fish slower. In America, there are laws pertaining to overfishing which helps the source of fish replenish itself rather than be fished to absolute depletion of the source.

Fair and equal access to the natural resources of the oceans Not only must the inhabitants of the ocean be protected, but sites of outstanding beauty such as reefs must also be protected. Finally, the ocean is international territory therefore its resources must be equally distributed to the international community.

The role of the UN in protecting areas of outstanding natural beauty

Not only must the inhabitants of the ocean be protected, but sites of outstanding beauty such as reefs must also be protected.

Colombia has worked on protecting sites of outstanding ocean beauty by prohibiting fishing and drilling in areas near reefs and other spectacular sites.

Finally, UN should require countries to protect areas of outstanding ocean beauty through laws and failure to comply would come at the cost of sanctions.