Most often these subsidies are given in the name of providing employment or economic growth, or holding down prices. What they promote instead is waste of critical resources, destruction of local ecosystems, and sometimes global environmental impacts. They encourage consumption of products because prices are kept artificially low, and often shift income from poor and middle class taxpayers to corporations and wealthy individuals. Marine ecosystems require particular attention to preserve biodiversity, because almost half of the Earth's animal phyla are exclusively marine. Overharvesting, pollution, coastal development, and introduced species are all damaging that diversity.
Coastal development is considered by many environmentalists to be the most pressing marine issue.
Over half the world's population lives within 100 kilometers of coastlines, and almost one fifth of the world's population is located in coastal cities. This is accelerating as poverty drives poor people to cities and coastal regions. The result of all these trends is accelerating destruction of coastal and estuarine habitats. Obviously, working to stabilize population and eliminate poverty are key to curbing coastal development. So are land use regulations that preserve natural areas and require setbacks from shorelines.