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I mentioned earlier that before any laws, regulations, or policies could or should be implemented a good form of enforcement should be developed. Currently, there are many regulations and suggestions regarding fishing, and the seas. The main problem that has prevented the current policies from taking effect is the lack of enforceability. The UN attempted to establish an enforcing agency that would press suit to violators. The agency was inefficient and hardly did any enforcing. Now why is it that it is so difficult to enforce oceanic laws? Some believe that it is the shear size of the oceans. They are to big to patrol and keep track of all the vessels. My counter argument to that belief is the sky. The sky is much larger than the oceans but today countries are still able to regulate the types of airplanes that fly in their airspace. Planes are much faster than shipping vessels but countries are still able to track and communicate with them. The United States, along with other countries, have "no fly zones" which, like the name suggests, no plane is allowed to fly. I figure if it is possible to have and enforce no fly zones it must be possible to regulate the seas and no fishing zones. My proposed solution is GPS. All shipping vessels should be required to carry a GPS tracking device. Let's take the United States for example.
The United States should require all fishing vessels to carry a GPS tracking device. An agency would be required to regulate the use of these devices but its ultimate purpose would be to track the vessels themselves and locate violators. Using the U.S. as an example the best agency for this task is already in place the Coast Guard. The GPS systems that I researched are inexpensive, versatile, and small. They not only pinpoint the exact location of the vessel but they also have the capability to track the vessels path, heading, and speed. The information collected by the GPS system relays it to a satellite, which then sends it to a main headquarters where it is collected and stored in a computer system. This system should be regulated and operated by agencies such as the coast guard. The GPS system will provide fishermen with up to date information about closed areas and other prohibited zones directly to their vessel. The system will also make it easy for the Coast Guard to track and find vessels that violate the law. Instead of having fleets of ships searching the seas for violators we can have people searching computer screens for violators. The GPS system should be given a specific