Study: 63% of Seafood Species Depleted

Study: 63% of Seafood Species Depleted

In environmental news, a new study says 63 percent of the world’s seafood stock are below their target levels. The study, published in the journal Science, says rampant overfishing has spread from “rivers to coastal areas to the (Continental) shelf to the deep sea.”


Science Magazine Abstract:

Rebuilding Global Fisheries
Worm et al.

After a long history of overexploitation, increasing efforts to restore marine ecosystems and rebuild fisheries are under way. Here, we analyze current trends from a fisheries and conservation perspective. In 5 of 10 well-studied ecosystems, the average exploitation rate has recently declined and is now at or below the rate predicted to achieve maximum sustainable yield for seven systems. Yet 63% of assessed fish stocks worldwide still require rebuilding, and even lower exploitation rates are needed to reverse the collapse of vulnerable species. Combined fisheries and conservation objectives can be achieved by merging diverse management actions, including catch restrictions, gear modification, and closed areas, depending on local context. Impacts of international fleets and the lack of alternatives to fishing complicate prospects for rebuilding fisheries in many poorer regions, highlighting the need for a global perspective on rebuilding marine resources.

Science 31 July 2009:
Vol. 325. no. 5940, pp. 578 - 585
DOI: 10.1126/science.1173146

for journal article:

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/325/5940/578