This text provides an account of the key issues that affect climate change policy in Australia, detailing the policy failures, the murky politics, the corruption of the policy process, the influence of the fossil-fuel industries on policy makers, and the ethical issues that underpin the debate.

Humans have been fishing for food and pleasure since time immemorial. Long before the development of powerful commercial fishing vessels, tribal communities sought fish and other marine life for food and ceremonial purposes. Today, there is a significant tourism sector around diving and snorkelling.Commercial and recreational fisheries often compete for the same fish stock. Together these two groups compete with those who wish to promote a 'look but don't take' attitude to fish. And in some cases, traditional indigenous fishers have special demands that can be inconsistent with the needs of other groups.The limited nature of fish stocks can lead to arguments between these different groups. Too often the arguments are based on a wrong use of economic data. Access to and sharing of fisheries resources need not necessarily be based on economic data and principles, but if they are, the proper approach must be used.This book sets out in clear language, with simple examples, the correct economic method to be used. The aim is to improve decision-making so that everyone can enjoy a seafood meal, drop a line in the water or observe fish in a natural environment without unnecessary conflict.

Climate change is one of the major environmental concern of many countries in the world. Negotiations to control potential climate changes have been taking place, from Rio to Kyoto, for the last five years. There is a widespread consciousness that the risk of incurring in relevant economic and environmental losses due to climate change is high. Scientific analyses have become more and more precise on the likely impacts of climate change. According to the Second Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, current trends in greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions may indeed cause the average global temperature to increase by 1-3. 5 °C over the next 100 years. As a result, sea levels are expected to rise by 15 to 95 em and climate zones to shift towards the poles by 150 to 550 km in mid latitudes. In order to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change, the IPCC report concludes that a stabilization of atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide - one of the major GHGs - at 550 parts per million by volume (ppmv) is recommended. This would imply a reduction of global emissions of about 50 per cent with respect to current levels. In this context, countries are negotiating to achieve a world-wide agreement on GHGs emissions control in order to stabilize climate changes. Despite the agreement on targets achieved in Kyoto, many issues still remain unresolved.

The session was closed with papers that provided a prognosis on the future development of property rights in fisheries management. Thus, the conference papers addressed the theory and application of property.