Carothers, Courtney. \"Equity and Access to Fishing

Carothers, Courtney. "Equity and Access to Fishing Rights: Exploring the Community Quota Program in the Gulf of Alaska." Human Organization 70.3 (2011): 213- 223. Print.

The article points out that the efforts of the United States and Canada with regard to controlling fishing along the Pacific coast have been produced unfair practices toward small businesses and villages. The primary issue is that tribes that rely on the fishing industry have not been allowed to take the level of fish will fill their needs. The programs currently in place require entities to buy "catch shares" which are supposed to balance the total take and help sustain the fisheries for future use. The author explores alternative means of sustainability that will assist smaller groups while maintaining fish numbers. The suggestions range from allowing community groups to cooperate so that they have a larger stake to buy rights, to supporting new legislation which gives more access to indigenous groups.

Havice, Elizabeth, and Liam Campling. "Shifting Tides in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean Tuna Fishery: The Political Economy of Regulation and Industry Responses." Global Environmental Politics 10.1 (2010): 89-114. Print.

Tuna are a significant industry for some nations located in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. Due to the importance of this industry, the catch has increased to unsustainable levels in recent years. The goal of this article is to look at methods that can be used to support the economic needs of these communities while also keeping the catch at sustainable levels. Studies have reasoned that the primary issue is poor governance of fishing licenses and fishing lanes by Pacific Island nations. However, the authors believe that this scope is too narrow and argue that forces from outside the island governments are more to blame for the poor management of these fisheries.

Kutil, Sarah M. "Scientific Certainty Thresholds in Fisheries Management: A Response to Changing Climate." Environmental Law 41.1 (2011). Web.

Scientists are uncertain how the changing climate will affect the sustainability of fish populations in the Northern Pacific, specifically, and other fisheries also. The author looks at the scientific methods being used to determine whether an area is being overfished and if these methods are based on certainties or not. Since the science behind the rapidity of climate change and its impact is itself uncertain, it is necessary to make sure that the data gathered is sufficient prior to closing fishing areas. The author looks at a recent closing of a large tract of ocean to fishing and tries to determine what scientific principles, if any, were used to determine that this area needed the protection, or whether the reaction was alarmist. The goal of the article is to determine more certain methods for determining if areas need to be closed.

Lodge, Michael W. "The Practice of Fishing Entities in Regional Fisheries Management Organizations: The Case of the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Oceans." Ocean Development & International Law 37 (2006): 185-207. Print.

Certain nations have balked at being included in international organizations that attempt to maintain the sustainable management of migratory fish. Taiwan has been neglected by these organizations because the thought was that their influence was small and because Taiwan has been reluctant to succumb to the edicts of the different organizations. The author of this piece argues that Taiwan needs to be include since they do have a large fishing fleet which can cause great damage to the efforts of the current organization's convention, and because making the nation a partner will allow them to have important input.

Overt, Robert. "Overfishing Threatens Pacific Tuna Stocks." Pacific Islands Report. Pacific Islands Development Program/East-West Center, 11 April 2006. Web. 04 Oct 2012. http://archives.pierpoint.org/archive/2006/April/04-11-com.htm

The author writes that many species of large ocean fish are disappearing quickly. This article gives numbers to support the notion that swordfish, tuna and shark populations may be decreasing at levels never seen before. Up to 90% of the volume of fish seen in 1950's may now be gone. The culprit is the technological ability of fishing vessels to stray farther from shore and stay out longer. The article also discusses some of the recent measures that international organizations have taken to mediate this decline such as working with Pacific island governments to self-regulate. This particular stance has proven difficult though because the governments are poor and need the fishing license fees to survive.