Help Us Protect the Deep Sea

As some of you may know, ASOC is a member of the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC). Specifically, the DSCC’s goal is it to regulate and eventually bring an end to deep-sea fishing.

Deep sea fishing vessels catch deep-dwelling fish, particularly with bottom trawls that are often the length of a football field. These trawls bulldoze their way across the deep ocean floor destroying nearly everything in their path.

This September is critical for the deep sea as the UN General Assembly is holding an open review of implementation of resolutions adopted by the UNGA (The UNGA review workshop will be September 15-16, and the sustainable fisheries negotiations will follow in November or December). As with previous years, the DSCC has held its own parallel review and this report finds that fishing states are falling short of their deep sea obligations set by the UNGA.

During this crucial UN meeting on ocean protection, the DSCC will be directly addressing decision makers, urging them to protect the deep sea that is our common heritage.

Please read more about the DSCC at their homepage, here. Also, take a look at their blog here.

You should also watch this video taken from the "Planet Earth" series. It very well outlines both the beauty of the deep sea as well as the dangers it faces.