Decreasing fish stocks
An estimated 25 percent of the major marine fish stocks … are underexploited or moderately exploited … About 47 percent of the main stocks or species groups are fully exploited … 18 percent of stocks or species groups are reported as overexploited … The remaining 10 percent have become significantly depleted, or are recovering from depletion.
FAO State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2002
Two-thirds of the world's fish stocks are either fished at their limit or over fished. The UN food and agriculture organisation (FAO) has estimated that 70 percent of the fish population is fully used, overused or in crisis.
An example of over fishing in the Arctic may be found in the Barents Sea. Scientists have recommended a smaller catch of Norwegian arctic cod in the Barents Sea to prevent the cod population from collapsing.
In 1999 the recommended catch was 360,000 tonnes, however, the actual catch amounted to 480,000 tonnes. As this pattern repeats, the sustainability of the stocks are threatened.
Plummeting numbers of fish have led some fisheries organisations, and some countries, to see whales as competitors for dwindling fish stocks.
Some cetacean species, such as minke whales, dolphins and porpoises, do indeed feed on commercially important fish species such as herring, cod and mackerel, as well as on other species without commercial value.
Nonetheless, the amount of fish that whales eat is only a tiny fraction of the amount of fish that human beings discard at sea or fish illegally. In the Arctic's Bering Sea, for example, illegal fishing is contributing to the decline of fish stocks, and placing numerous marine species at risk.
WWF is working towards sustainable fisheries through its support of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). Established through a unique partnership between WWF and Unilever, one of the world's largest commercial buyers of fish, the MSC is an independent, non-profit organization working to promote responsible fishing practices worldwide. It aims to ensure the long-term future of fish stocks and the health of the marine environment on which they depend.
Fisheries
As fishing nations increase their efforts to pursue fewer fish, their impact on all marine life and habitats also increases.Trawl fisheries, particularly in coastal areas, damage the seabed. In many cases, the area is trawled repeatedly before the ocean floor has been given enough time to recover. Scallop dredging also degrades cetacean habitats. The dredging process is so destructive to the ocean floor that it may be several years before there is any recovery.
The noise of the dredging process can carry for many miles, and may disturb the whales and dolphins that depend upon sound to navigate, communicate and find prey.
Read the WWF report: Hard Facts, Hidden Problems: A Review of Current Data on Fishing Subsidies
