Global limits
Fish
The total catch of ocean fish increased from 18.5 million metric tonnes in 1950 to
73.5 million
metric tonnes in 1996, an increase of close to 400%. The rapid increase in catch began to level off
in the 70's and the catch per capita peaked at 14.4 kg per person per year. The total fish harvest
has continued to increase, due to the increase in fish farm production, however, there are
limitations on that source also. While researcher do not agree on the ultimate upper limit of
harvest, it seems clear both from the actual catch, and the evidence of overfishing in individual
species that we are very near that limit if we have not already passed it. Looking at individual
species, 69% are considered to be either fully exploited or over exploited and on the decline. Only
9% are considered to have potential for increased fishing. Some species have declined
dramatically, the Atlantic Cod in particular, but the stocks of many high value groundfish have
decreased by 70 to 80 % in the last 20 years. To keep production up, there has been an increase
in fishing for lower value fish, and fish from more distant oceans. Fish landings in the Northwest
Atlantic have decreased by 36.6% since 1970, while the landings in the Southwest pacific, and
East Indian Oceans have increased by 800 % and 312% respectively, however, these areas are
now fully exploited and can no longer be counted on to counter balance the loss of production in
traditionally fished areas. (Garcia & Newton)
Fish farming has dramatically increased in the last 15 years and has more than made
up for the
loss in production of ocean catch. At first it seems like a solution, and it is in part, but there are
limitations. The pollution caused by the large populations of fish and shrimp raised in pens in
estuaries is causing significant damage to the local ecosystem, particular in Thailand where there
are heavy concentrations of shrimp farms. There is also the issue of food. At present a significant
amount of food for raising fish consists of ground fish meal. To the extent that wild fish are caught
and deliberately turned into meal to feed farmed fish, the system is counterproductive. It takes
roughly 5lb. of fish meal to gain one pound of farmed fish, plus a lot of fuel and expense. At the
same time the ocean fish are deprived of their food fish. Better to leave the fish in the ocean to be
consumed by their natural predators and catch the larger fish. It is true that some of fish meal is
made from byproducts of the fishing industry, but that is near its limit, so additional fish food will
have to come from agriculture which is facing its own limitations.
Farmed fish 28 million metric tonnes
Total yield ocean fish 75 milllion metric tonnes
Status of World Fish Stocks
FAO evaluates periodically the status of world fish stocks. In its most recent assessment,
undertaken in 2000, FAO said that:
-- 25 to 27 percent of world marine fish stocks are under-exploited or moderately
exploited and thus
are the main potential source for expansion of total capture fisheries production.
-- 47 to 50 percent of stocks are fully exploited and are therefore producing catches
that have either
reached, or are very close to, their maximum limits with no room expected for further expansion.
-- 15 to 18 percent of stocks are overexploited and have no potential for further
increase. Moreover it
is likely that catches from these stocks will decrease if remedial action is not taken to reduce or
reverse overfishing.
-- 9 to 10 percent have been depleted or are recovering from depletion.
With 71 to 78 percent of fish stocks fully exploited, overexploited, depleted or recovering
from
depletion, responsible management of fish stocks has become ever more urgent.
FAO said in its 2000 global assessment that over the past decade there has been little
change in
the status of stocks despite strong international efforts after UNCED to promote more responsible
behavior in fisheries.
Lack of improvement during the 1990s might be attributed to many factors, including
insufficient
time to realize substantive improvements. The apparent halt in deterioration suggests, at least, that
implementation of conservation measures are not entirely ineffective but require more time than
expected to demonstrate measurable progress towards stock recovery. A contrary view is that
conservation measures have achieved no effect but that stocks are more resilient to heavy fishing
pressure than had been realized.
An estimated 90 percent of the world's capture fisheries fall under national jurisdiction,
and a
significant proportion of these fisheries are found within 50 kilometers of the coast. Many of these
fisheries operate on a small scale. They are responsible for producing about 50 percent of global
capture production for consumption, supplying nearly all the fish consumed in developing countries.
These fisheries are critical in the world food security equation. More than 400 million people in
developing countries are employed directly or indirectly in these small-scale fisheries.
As a consequence of the concentration of capture fisheries in 200-mile exclusive economic
zones
(EEZs), most fisheries management problems are found in areas under national jurisdiction and a
large proportion of them in developing countries. A focus on improving EEZ fisheries management
continues to have high priority.
