How overfishing threatens Asia's wild fish stocks
<p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="VOA">VOA</span> <span word="Special">Special</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="Agriculture">Agriculture</span> <span word="Report">Report</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="pressure">pressure</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="feed">feed</span> <span word="Asia">Asia</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="growing">growing</span> <span word="population">population</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="led">led</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="dangerous">dangerous</span> <span word="levels">levels</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="overfishing">overfishing</span> <span word="near">near</span> <span word="Pacific">Pacific</span> <span word="coastlines">coastlines</span>.</p><p><span word="An">An</span> <span word="example">example</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="found">found</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Sindangan">Sindangan</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="fishing">fishing</span> <span word="town">town</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="southern">southern</span> <span word="Philippines">Philippines</span>. <span word="Wild">Wild</span> <span word="catches">catches</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="falling">falling</span> <span word="while">while</span> <span word="prices">prices</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="rising">rising</span>.</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="fisherman">fisherman</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="area">area</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="once">once</span> <span word="healthy">healthy</span> <span word="fish">fish</span> <span word="stocks">stocks</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="danger">danger</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="increase">increase</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="number">number</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fishing">fishing</span> <span word="boats">boats</span>.</p><p><span word="Across">Across</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="South">South</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="Sea">Sea</span>, <span word="fish">fish</span> <span word="catches">catches</span> <span word="near">near</span> <span word="shore">shore</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="dropped">dropped</span> <span word="since">since</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="nineteen">nineteen</span> <span word="eighties">eighties</span>. <span word="That">That</span> <span word="drop">drop</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="pushed">pushed</span> <span word="fishermen">fishermen</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="offshore">offshore</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="bigger">bigger</span> <span word="boats">boats</span>.</p><p><span word="Benjamin">Benjamin</span> <span word="Francisco">Francisco</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="official">official</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="Nations">Nations</span> <span word="Food">Food</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Agriculture">Agriculture</span> <span word="Organization">Organization</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="methods">methods</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="increase">increase</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="catches">catches</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="destructive">destructive</span>.</p><p>"<span word="The">The</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fine">fine</span> <span word="mesh">mesh</span> <span word="net">net</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="dynamite">dynamite</span> <span word="explosives">explosives</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="fishing">fishing</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="fishing">fishing</span> <span word="gear">gear</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="catches">catches</span> <span word="juveniles">juveniles</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="harvest">harvest</span> <span word="maturing">maturing</span> <span word="spawning">spawning</span> <span word="stocks">stocks</span>."</p><p><span word="Fishing">Fishing</span> <span word="methods">methods</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="harm">harm</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ability">ability</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="species">species</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="reproduce">reproduce</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="fish">fish</span> <span word="warden">warden</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Sindangan">Sindangan</span>, <span word="Julie">Julie</span> <span word="Buot">Buot</span>, <span word="says">says</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="local">local</span> <span word="fishermen">fishermen</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="fine">fine</span> <span word="mesh">mesh</span> <span word="nets">nets</span>. <span word="Such">Such</span> <span word="nets">nets</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="banned">banned</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="catch">catch</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="young">young</span> <span word="fish">fish</span>.</p><p><span word="To">To</span> <span word="deal">deal</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="problems">problems</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="this">this</span>, <span word="Benjamin">Benjamin</span> <span word="Francisco">Francisco</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="promoting">promoting</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="idea">idea</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="licensing">licensing</span> <span word="systems">systems</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="aim">aim</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="limit">limit</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="number">number</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="boats">boats</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="water">water</span>.</p><p><span word="Asia">Asia</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="largest">largest</span> <span word="fishing">fishing</span> <span word="fleets">fleets</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="represent">represent</span> <span word="nearly">nearly</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="million">million</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="four">four</span> <span word="million">million</span> <span word="fishing">fishing</span> <span word="vessels">vessels</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="estimates">estimates</span> <span word="show">show</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="numbers">numbers</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="increasing">increasing</span>.</p>
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