David Levy – What kind of logic is driving the NGO movement? – Jul 2016
Since the “Reform” of the Common Fisheries Policy, the heat has been withdrawn from those who were supposedly under NGO scrutiny. Now there are ‘standards in law’, standards which governments are meant to meet.
That they are not being met demonstrates the value of these useless agreements agreed by governments who are a law unto themselves.
Governments are ‘untouchable’ because those who could challenge them do not. Instead they reason that it would not be in their best interest to do so, easier to take research money or to live with charitable funds.
So the problem escalates through neglect, with a half-hearted programme to deliver some change further down the line. But it will be too little, and definitely too late.
I am sure that many in marine management have only a short-term approach to fish stocks, and some may even be looking towards ecosystem collapse of the stocks to deliver change. I live in despair of this awful situation, and wonder what those who care are doing to justify their existence.
Do they care more for their salary and live with the pragmatic view that they could not affect change?
I find that indefensible, even though I understand the selfish logic.
What direction are they taking? Currently two major NGOs are engaged in gathering data about species . . . . one has chosen to count individuals that can live in different places, and so be counted more than once.
Marinet is clearly on a different planet.
David Levy, Marinet Chair
