The interface between development and the environment is intertwined with the trade orientation of a country. Trade negotiations and agreements that have taken place in the last ten years have polarized the environmental concerns of interest groups and the general public. There is concern that a global phenomenal income growth has been accompanied by environmental degradation. The issue has been raised of whether globalization and the opening of trade have contributed to this environmental degradation. Beyond the rhetoric, true environmental problems have been identified, such as unsustainable fishing and water supply in some regions of the globe.