The worldâ€™s fisheries are headed for a catastrophic collapse by mid-century. This grim and arresting prediction was made in the Nov. 2, 2006, issue of Science magazine and relayed around the world. An international group of scientists analyzed data from 64 marine ecosystems worldwide and came to the conclusion that, if nothing is done to reverse the present downward trend, by 2048 the major food fish species in the worldâ€™s oceans will have passed the point of no return. There will simply be too few individuals to carry on the species. The studyâ€™s leader, Boris Worm of Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, stated,â€We are seeing the bottom of the barrel.â€
This disaster has been a long time in the making. A deadly combination of overfishing, pollution, and global warming is causing the decline of fish, shellfish, and other invertebrate species. Entire ecosystems are in danger, with unimaginable consequences for the world economy, the planetâ€™s food supply, and even the health of the planet itself.
The loudest warning bell had been sounded in 1993, when the Grand Banks fisheries off the eastern Canadian coast were closed to allow the severely depleted population of food fish, especially cod, to rebound. This area once teemed with fish. Cod were so numerous that it was said that children could catch them simply by lowering baskets into the ocean, and it was once thought that the cod supply could never be exhausted. It is estimated that 30,000 Canadians lost their jobs when the fisheries closed. The North Sea cod fisheries are also foundering.
Immediate action on a global scale can avert this tragedy. International cooperation will be essential in closing the most threatened areas to give the fish stocks a chance to recover and in regulating the remaining fisheries to reduce pollution, avoid waste, reduce the amount of â€œby catch,â€ and allow some fish of breeding age to escape capture.
Ironically, consumers have been urged to eat more seafood because of its health benefits, and for much of the worldâ€™s population, fish is a chief, or perhaps the only, source of protein. Consumers must educate themselves in order to make wise choices, buying seafood only from sustainable sources. Otherwise we face the prospect of our children inheriting a ravaged and empty ocean.
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Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World
Mark Kurlansky (1997)
This highly praised book is not just a “biography” of a fish, but a fascinating, well-researched natural history of the Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, and a discussion of how over the course of 1,000 years it came to be one of the most important international food commodities.
Kurlansky shows how the cod played a major role in the exploration of the Atlantic, the settling of the coast of North America, and even the slave trade. Salt cod became a staple of the European diet; it was plentiful, long-lasting, and easily stored. The fish were so numerous that the supply seemed inexhausible.
Cod describes the impact on the fisherman’s way of life when the industry was transformed by the introduction of factory ships and struggled to resolve territorial fishing disputes; catches began to dwindle, and finally the fishing grounds had to be closed entirely. A way of life that had been practiced for generations suddenly came to a close.
It is still uncertain whether the cod stocks will recover and the fishermen will return. Kurlansky’s book has quickly become a classic and is essential reading for understanding the importance of international cooperation for managing food resources.