World Science Scholars

2.3 The Tragedy of the Commons

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    • The Tragedy of the Commons is a situation in a shared-resource system where individual users, acting independently according to their own self-interest, behave contrary to the common good of all users by depleting or spoiling the shared resource through their collective action. How can we prevent the tragedy of the commons from driving fish populations past the point of no return?

    • There are international efforts, organizations and agreements in order to protect our shared resources. However, these more or less large scale guidelines are in magnitudes of thousands or even millions of tonnes. There must be more dedicated internationally binding agreements and possibility for instant emergency brakes. This, however requires more oceans related data collection and processing. In addition to the more dedicated agreements more hands on resources should be allocated for the ocean research and protection.

    • Most fish swim around the ocean, international regulation required.

    • A societal acceptance of the truth. A way of thinking, collectively, has to be changed. The paradigm of cruelty has to reach an end, before we do. AjT

      • With a clear and easily understood transition from polluted earth to recovering earth. Science needs to step up. The people who represent science have been hiding from the population of the human race. Science allows itself to be silenced & to be little more than just another arm of destruction. An app must be created that will save the earth & our species. We must learn to live according to nature’s laws. An app that can be used by all people to show a better way of life must be made & used immediately.

    • Vvvv

    • Align individual with human population incentives. This is an education and collective action and regulation problem.

    • Through education, keep raising awareness of the interconnectivity among all creatures, promote sustainable fishing and living habits, collaborate globally and act locally.

    • Like I said before, spreading information and knowledge about the situation. There probably isn’t any exact point of no return, but it’s good to be aware that there exist such point, in general.

    • Self interest, how do we tackle the profit. We need international measure, as ocean wildlife isn’t in a border.

    • It has to start with a sense of awareness and a sense of responsibility. Until that has been achieved, then there can be some good progress.

    • The best way in my opinion is to stop eating fish !
      And for people who that is very hard to do then.. to stop eating fish caught in nets.
      It will help save so many marine species go extinct.
      Fish & Love !

    • People don’t realize how easy it is to eat other things.

    • I’m honestly not sure how to avoid the tragedy of the commons with the ocean since most of the ocean is unregulated. Commercial, industrial-scale fishing companies can take as much as they want without upfront costs, so there is strong economic incentive to resist all regulations (imagine if you could just take all the cows from a field without paying for them or the land… there’d be no cows left). I suppose stronger international pressure to not buy from these type of operations could reduce how much the oceans are over-fished. Marine sanctuaries might help, too. Actual progress would require enforcement capabilities in as many places as possible, otherwise shady companies would just move to new locations.

    • Hello Ladies and Gentlemen,

      The Arctic Sea rulings can apply to oceans.

      While Russia has placed, by submarine, a flag on the ocean depth of the north pole, when ocean borders become nation borders, law enforcement can occur.

      Oceans are similar to space and cannot be patrolled. Computer monitoring can be rewritten, but this is for only high tech minorities.

      That falls under the Truman Doctrine protecting free people from abuse of minorities controlling majorities with technology and even media.

      Industrial fishing in Canada led to the ober-fishing of the Grandbanks of Newfoundland.

      This led to a cod moratorium. In countries of rule of law, there are options, but not many countries chose democracy.

      Overfishing the oceans can also farm the ocean, it just has not happened yet, but is made possible by GPS.

      Sylvia Earle asks good questions.

    • We might as well take advantage of the “tragedy of anti commons” to establish a company or cooperative to manage pastures on behalf of herdsmen, and let all herdsmen grazing on the pastures participate in their decision-making and management fairly,

    • Through education at an early age. And through certifications. We should also monitor fishing boats as we do airplanes. We got countless apps monitoring airplanes live. We should alsa have this regarding boats. At least larger boats as passenger-liners and heavy industrial fishing boats. By seeing the great number of boats in action live one realizes better the dire situation we are in. At least I do when you see how many airplanes are in the air spewing out carbon dioxide in apps like FlightRadar24.

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