The Growing Threat Of Global 'Fish Wars'

14 March 2016: Illegal fishing vessel the MV Viking is blown up in the waters of Tanjung Batumandi, Pangandaran, West JavaAdeng Bustomi/Antara Foto/Reuters

The Independent: Global ‘fish wars’ could break out as climate change and rising nationalism fuel competition for world’s oceans

Conflicts like the infamous Cod Wars between the UK and Iceland could erupt across the globe unless countries co-operate to manage stocks effectively, expert warns

The twin threats of climate change and growing nationalism could lead to an outbreak of conflicts over fish stocks – like the infamous Cod Wars between the UK and Iceland – that could threaten the global supply of food and “decimate” marine ecosystems, experts have warned.

Speaking at the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s annual meeting in Boston on Thursday, a panel of experts said that with the right management and international co-operation the number of fish in the sea and the amount caught by fishing fleets could increase over the coming decades.

However, they warned rising temperatures were prompting many species to move to different parts of the sea, which could threaten some individual countries’ economies and access to food.

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WNU Editor: We are seeing these type of conflicts already .... How The Fight Over Fishing Rights Could Lead To A Naval Confrontation Or Even War In The South China Sea (April 13, 2016).