Here are some excerpts from the recent Guardian's fuel subsidy article:
"Fuel subsidies 'drive fishing industry's plunder of the high seas' Spain, France, UK, US and Japan among countries giving generous fuel subsidies enabling industrial fishing far offshore, says Global Ocean Commission
The hand-outs, in the form of fuel subsidies, have enabled fleets to strip the high seas of tuna and other fish stocks, and threaten global food security, the commission said in a report to be released on Tuesday."
"The Spanish government led the world with those subsidies, providing some $1073 million in fuel subsidies for a catch of $2625 million, the report found. But France, Britain, Denmark and Italy were also heavily subsidising fuel costs for their fishing fleets."
"The findings were endorsed by the Oceana conservation group which said fuel subsidies were unfair to the fishing fleets from smaller countries. “A lot of these boats wouldn't be economic without the big subsidies that a lot of countries give to get them way in the middle of the ocean,” said Courtney Sakai, chief of staff for Oceana."
Article comments included:
"Most fish aren't caught in the high seas anyway but rather in a country's EEZ, closer to shore and hence requiring less fuel (although fishing gear type also heavily influences fuel consumption)."
Full story courtesy of the Guardian
