According to a report, published by Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), a regional intergovernmental organization, overfishing, overcrowding and climate change is threatening Pacific fisheries with collapse by 2035. The study says that fishery is one of the Pacific Island region’s most vital economic resources.
The report said that the €1.5 billion a year industry was poorly managed, with a lack of coordination between the 22 island nations in the region. As an example, it echoed warnings from environmental groups around the world that some types of tuna were already being dangerously overexploited and the problem would spread to other species as foreign fleets clamour for access to rich fishing grounds throughout a global fall in fish stocks.
The report also warned that strict measures should be taken to prevent it from further destruction. The study highlighted the coral reefs as particularly vulnerable to climate change, in turn affecting adversely the fish stocks feeding there, and predicted that growing populations in island nations would fuel demand for fish, increasing the risk of unsustainable practices.
