213 



rely upon sardines as a food source, began experiencing 

 significant levels of reproductive failure. 74 



Additionally, recent events in the Caribbean Sea indicate 

 that it too is suffering from an ecosystem-wide injury. These 

 include "overfishing of reef resources, an epizootic of the 

 spiny sea urchin . . ., widespread bleaching of corals, plus 

 white band and black band diseases, fish kills, oil pollution, 

 mining, land erosion associated with deforestation, and 

 population declines of several species of sea turtle." 75 

 Moreover, an increase in the already substantial number of 

 cruise ships, departing from a number of countries, but 

 largely from the United States, will further stress the 

 Caribbean ecosystem. 76 



From an international perspective, the recent United 

 Nations conference on the depletion of fisheries worldwide has 

 prompted scientists and other observers to reflect on the 

 impact of fishing on other portions of the marine ecosystem. 

 The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has 

 acknowledged that overfishing has disrupted the food chain and 

 caused massive collateral damage to species like porpoises, 



74 Id. at 47. 



75 William J. Richards and James A Bohnsack, The Caribbean Sea A Large 

 Marine Ecosystem in Crisis in Large Marine Ecosystems . 44, 45 (Kenneth 

 Sherman, Lewis M Alexander and Barry D. Gold eds., 1990). 



76 Id. at 51. 



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