Although once one of the richest fishing grounds in the world, Georges Bank became overfished, first by foreign fleets, then by the build-up of the U.S. domestic fleet. Today, these grounds are once again becoming healthy. Strong management has increased the haddock, cod and flounder populations. And the scallop fishery has recently opened under a pilot project that supports the fishing industry and promotes sustainable harvesting. We need to apply broad-based ecosystem approaches to all of our new fisheries management practices.
International fisheries are under similar pressure.
And increasing world population and wealth have caused even higher demand for edible fish and excess capacity of fishing boats. At the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, all nations joined in the call for a new international agreement and mechanisms to achieve sustainable fisheries. As one of the world's leading fishing nations, our country plays an essential role in expanding international cooperation to manage and conserve global fishery resources. Focused effort can be especially effective because just 10 countries account for 70 percent of total global population. To promote the development of environmentally safe and sustainable aquaculture to meet the growing national and global needs for protein from seafood and to relieve pressure on wild fish stocks.