Scientists say that the population of fish and seafood species will collapse by 2050 if current trends continue.Catch records from the open sea give a picture of declining fish stocks. In 2003, 29% of open sea fisheries were in a state of collapse, defined as a decline to less than 10% of their original yield.
Bigger vessels, better nets, and new technology for spotting fish are not bringing the world's fleets bigger returns - in fact, the global catch fell by 13% between 1994 and 2003.
Historical records from coastal zones in North America, Europe and Australia also show declining yields, in step with declining species diversity; these are yields not just of fish, but of other kinds of seafood too.
Link: BBC, Discovery, Scientific American & New Scientist
Image: ARC COE for Coral Reef Studies/Marine Photobank
Tags: Fish | Fisheries | Seafood | Food
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