Some states need help to prepare plans. We need to get international agencies to give proper priority to this work. And we need to ensure a follow-up. The Washington Global Programme gave the initiative for a global convention, now endorsed by UNEP's Governing Council. We need to carry that through.
Sea fishing is mankind's oldest way of using the sea.
But overfishing is our fourth threat. Too frequently, we have treated fish stocks as inexhaustible. We can now track down and catch larger numbers of fish in less time than ever before. Too many of the world's fish stocks are being exploited in an unsustainable way. Fish continues to be an important source of protein for much of the world's population, and especially for the poor in many developing countries.