If these groups cared about the state of the animals and the earth, it would put the bulk of its tax free millions of U.S. dollars into the support of scientific research on marine and terrestrial species. They don't because they truly don't have the welfare of anyone save themselves on their mind. And, as with aquaculture, they are fast to condemn any nation that does pursue knowledge to replace ignorance. Prime examples are the vociferous attacks on cetacean research by Japan and Norway despite the continued lament by nations like the United States that sound data is lacking on most whale species.

At the same time, these groups push for third party certification of seafood as being "environmentally friendly" whether farmed or wild caught. Naturally, they themselves are the "third party" certifiers they want recognized as the authority on which marine products are available on domestic and world markets. Do you see the implications? The potential for power and wealth underlying the NGO agenda?

From my vantage as a career conservationist, first in my native Canada, as Secretary General of CITES, and now as president of IWMC-World Conservation Trust, I am constantly amazed at how the commercial fishery sector continues to ignore their vulnerability to the animal rights and radical environmental agendas. 

At CITES meetings I look around and see entire sections of the auditoriums filled with representatives of animal and environmental NGOs. Then I look for representatives of the industries they are trying to undermine. And, I look and I look. If I am lucky enough to find one or two, I quickly realize that while the NGOs have spent years and literally millions of dollars learning and working the system, industry barely knows where the meetings are held. 

The result is that more and more restrictions are being imposed on fisheries with little or no input from those fisheries themselves. I am here today to tell you with no hesitation, that virtually every problem facing the world's fisheries can be solved, including the threat posed by radical NGOs. But, that will not happen unless the industry itself decides that it must change how it operates. 

Politics like nature abhors a vacuum and strives to fill it with something, anything. Absent sound scientific knowledge, sound decisions on the fate of fish stocks and fisheries cannot be made. The public is very concerned about the oceans. Politicians are very concerned that they must do something, anything to give even the perception that steps are being taken to remedy problems. Extreme NGOs are quick to rush to fill the void with their rhetoric and quasi-science. That must stop. But, how?

The time and expertise of fishermen are best spent fishing. The time and expertise of scientists are best spent doing what scientist do best. Therefore I suggest that if fisheries are to weather the storm of the NGOs, they find a skilled advocate like IWMC with intimate knowledge of the process and players on the international regulatory arenas such as CITES, CBD, ICCAT and countless others. For unless you plead your case clearly and eloquently wherever you are attacked, you will be found guilty and the penalty you will pay will be nothing less than your livelihood.