Depletion of World's Ocean Fisheries

The world's ocean fisheries are being depleted. Currently, the world's major fisheries are sustainable and renewable if conservation measures are begun. The culprits are over-fishing, wasting of fish, and environmental changes. The oceans have a history of recovery from mass extinction. About 235 million years ago, there was a massive fish die off which killed approximately 96 percent of the fish in the sea.1 The fish at that time were able to repopulate the oceans. There is every reason to believe that the world's fisheries will recover from their presently reduced biomass if the mortality rate from fishing is reduced.

In 1950, the world's fishermen caught 20 million metric tons of seafood.2 By 1990, the world's fishing fleets were catching 84 million metric tons of fish which they brought into port and another 27 million metric tons which the fishermen threw overboard as waste.3 The combined harvest and waste of an estimated 111 million metric tons of seafood is greater than the 100 million metric tons of seafood which scientists estimate is the maximum sustainable global harvest of marine fish.4

In addition to the legally reported fish harvests, and the acknowledged waste, there exists an unreported fish harvest that may be as high as a third of the legal catch. Assuming this is the case, then the world's supply of marine fish is being depleted at a rate greater than what can be replenished. The United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization stated in 1994 tha

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at or near their peak catches.15 During the last 15 years the catches of New England cod, haddock, and yellowtail flounder have declined by 70 percent: Atlantic bluefin tuna are down by 90 percent: South Atlantic grouper and snapper harvests have declined by 80 percent: and over 200 distinct spawning sights for salmon have disappeared in the Pacific Northwest.16 Another threat to the worlds marine fisheries comes from new technology. Scientists are learning to genetically alter species in captivity. As the natural stock of a fish is depleted, the industry is increasing the amount of fish harvested from fish farms. Stock from farms can escape into the wild and compete with naturally occurring species. These transplanted stocks compete in the ocean food web increasing the chances for decreased biodiversity, and genetic mutation.17 Fish farms currently raise North Atlantic salmon. These fish are currently the subject of a study to increase their growth rate tenfold.18 Alastair Barge, director of Otter Ferry Salmon, (a company which produces eggs for the fish farming industry and is carrying out the research), claims that the fish cannot escape from the company's specially designed tanks which were approved by the Heathy and

Category: Science - D