Requiring that all foreign countries and companies be treated identically. For example, local or national governments could not ban fish products obtained in an unethical or ecologically unsound manner. Prohibiting quantitative import or export restrictions. In other words, fish produced from well-managed aquaculture facilities must be treated in the same way as fish obtained by mining pristine systems or endangered populations. It appears that the WTO seeks to facilitate international commerce without regard for fisheries consequences.
International laws increase the potential of impacting fish and aquatic resources.
The following seven examples demonstrate our concerns for the management and protection of our valuable fisheries resources. U.S. law requires that shrimp fishers use nets with turtle exclusion devices to protect sea turtles. The WTO agreed and the U.S. suspended the law. The U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act embargoed tuna caught with porpoise-killing methods. Mexico declared that this law was an attempt to close U.S. markets to foreign competitors and sued.