Regulating Marine Trawling (Environmental: Fishing)
The General Assembly,
Recognising the many negative impacts that marine trawling has on the environment and elsewhere, which can include (but are not limited to) damage to deep-sea habitats such as seabed and coral reefs, the destruction of environments where marine life may mate, and the potential for diplomatic conflict,
Further concerned that the act of marine trawling can lead to the capture of all sorts of marine organisms during fishing, including those which cannot legally be caught, and those that are at risk of extinction or endangered, yet
Aware that many people engage in trawling and commercial fishing for a living, and a complete ban could destroy the fishing industry as well as the economy of nations, and
Believing that this body should take firm and decisive action to reduce marine trawling, especially where member states are unwilling to do so themselves,
Hereby enacts as follows:1. In this Resolution, "marine trawling" means the act of fishing which involves the pulling of nets attached to a watercraft to catch marine organisms.
Co-authored with Tinhampton.
2. Each member state shall prohibit marine trawling by all watercraft (regardless of country of origin) within their domestic waters, and by all watercraft registered with them within international waters.
3. Members must punish those who engage in that marine trawling prohibited by Article 2, such as by fining them or rescinding their fishing licences, but shall avoid imposing such punishments upon those persons who credibly demonstrate themselves to fish for subsistence.
4. Members are urged to raise awareness among fishers on the negative impacts of marine trawling, and on other, more sustainable methods of fishing (such as pole and line fishing or troll fishing).