Marine Issues 1

Question 1

Why are so many dolphins killed in the Pacific?

Answer 1

Fisherman use dolphins to locate and catch tuna, and they are killed for damaging equipment or scaring the tuna away

Question 2

How is tuna fishing equipment changing?

Answer 2

New nets have ‘dolphin hatches’ and some countries (inc USA) require them by law

Question 3

What is GATT?

Answer 3

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (1947-1994)
Aimed to reduce barriers to international trade
Reduced tariffs and protected intellectual property rights

Question 4

What is WTO?

Answer 4

World Trade Organisation (1995-present)
Adapts the GATT principles
150 members states

Question 5

What are the principles of the WTO?

Answer 5

No discrimination of trade partners
Freedom for negotiations
Predictable and competitive
Beneficial for less developed countries

Question 6

What is product vs process?

Answer 6

Not possible to control imports because of the process of the product

Question 7

How much of Earths surface so oceans cover?

Answer 7

2/3rds

Question 8

Property rights of the deep ocean?

Answer 8

Open access resources

Question 9

Who regulates that deep oceans?

Answer 9

UNCLOS

Question 10

When did deep sea mining begin?

Answer 10

1960s

Question 11

Where are many of the elements located?

Answer 11

Near China,

North Pacific Ocean

Question 12

What are the mineral resources available in the deep seas?

Answer 12

Polymetallic nodules, colbalt rich ferromanganse crusts, hydrothermal polymeallic sulphides

Question 13

How do they form?

Answer 13

From precipitation of trace metals in seawater

Question 14

What base metals are available?

Answer 14

Copper, zinc, nickle, cobalt, platinum, lead, gold, silver

Question 15

What are the risks of deep sea mining?

Answer 15

Benthic disturbance
Sediment plumes
Toxic effects on the water column
Ecological disruption of fisheries and heavy metals in food chain

Question 16

Who is posed to benefit most from deep sea mining?

Answer 16

Richer countries as it involves large capital investmentW

Question 17

What is the worry about deep sea mining future?

Answer 17

Environmental legislation is making slow progress to regulate it and the economics of mining are likely to override the environment

Question 18

What is the tuna that is being fished in the pacific?

Answer 18

Yellow fin tuna

Question 19

Which species of dolphin are most at risk?

Answer 19

Pan tropical spotted, spinner and common dolphin

Question 20

What is the number of dolphins killed since 1950s estimated to be?

Answer 20

Over 6 million

Question 21

When was dolphin safe tuna introduced?

Answer 21

1994 by USA (largest market of canned tuna)

Question 22

What has happened to populations since 1990s?

Answer 22

Recovering but remain low due likely to;
Stress and induced abortion
Separation of mothers and calves
Long term population changes

Question 23

How are dolphins killed?

Answer 23

Suffocated due to entanglement of flippers, fluke and/or rostrum, or crushed by the weight of tuna

Question 24

How large are the nets used?

Answer 24

3/4 mile long, over 300 ft deep

Question 25

How much tuna was caught in 1965?

Answer 25

48,673 tonnes

Question 26

How much tuna was caught in 1980?

Answer 26

189,426 tonnes

Question 27

How have the US reduced by-catch/deaths?

Answer 27

Backdown method, finer mesh nets

Question 28

How was this reflected in policy?

Answer 28

Congress passed the marine mammal protection act in 1972 which legally required fisherman to use these techniques

Question 29

What is the estimate cost of applying these techniques to existing Mexican fishing boats?

Answer 29

$25 million

Question 30

What is the economic value of the Mexican tuna fishing industry?

Answer 30

$450 million

Question 31

What did GATT rule?

Answer 31

Found US to have violated Article XI by adopting quantitative restrictions on imports

Question 32

What is MSC?

Answer 32

Marine Stewardship Council (1996)
Main independent 3rd party certified eco-label that covers wild-catch fisheries
Joint initiative of WWF and Unilever

Question 33

When is deep sea mining expected and why is the demand so high?

Answer 33

From 2009 due to advances in mining technology, sky rocketing metal prices and depletion of mineral rich terrestrial mines

Question 34

What have a number of studies recommended about deep sea mining?

Answer 34

Impacts are unpredictable and threaten unique ecosystems and fisheries

Question 35

How many deposits have been identified so far?

Answer 35

250 globally