The State of the World’s Fisheries Michael F. Hirshfield, Ph.D. Chief Scientist, Oceana October 2009
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Heavy Human Impacts on the Oceans Halpern, et al. (Science, 2008)
Global Expansion of Fishing Berkes, et al. (Ecology, 2006) The Sea Urchin Example
Global Landings of Sea Urchins
Global Expansion of Fishing Worm, B., et al. (Science, 2009) Total “Fishing Access Years” in the ’90s
Increasing Global Fishing Power The World Bank. 2009
Decline in Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Tag-A-Giant Foundation
Bluefin in Trouble Everywhere Southern bluefin stocks near collapse, at 5% of 1940's level, yet only token quota cuts proposed Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) News Oct 23, 2009
Bluefin in Trouble Everywhere The average weight of a bluefin tuna caught in the Sea of Japan and brought to a port in Tottori Prefecture is under half what it was 25 years ago, Kyodo News findings indicated Monday [October 19].
Global Decline in Big Fish Myers, R.A. and B. Worm (Nature, 2003)
Decline in Fish Abundance in the North Atlantic Christensen, V.S. et al. (Fish and Fisheries, 2003)
Decline in Fish Abundance in Southeast Asia Christensen et al. 2003
Decline in Fish Abundance in West Africa Christensen et al. Dakar Conference Proceedings
Reduced Potential to Expand Fisheries 1978 Overexploited, Depleted and Recovering Fully Exploited Underexploited and Moderately Exploited FAO % 50% 41%
Reduced Potential to Expand Fisheries Overexploited, Depleted and Recovering Fully Exploited Underexploited and Moderately Exploited FAO % 50% 41% 24% 44% 32%
Reduced Potential to Expand Fisheries Overexploited, Depleted and Recovering Fully Exploited Underexploited and Moderately Exploited FAO % 50% 41% 24% 44% 32% 24% 50% 26%
Reduced Potential to Expand Fisheries Overexploited, Depleted and Recovering Fully Exploited Underexploited and Moderately Exploited FAO % 50% 41% 24% 44% 32% 24% 50% 26% 28% 52% 20%
Regional Trend is Similar Garcia, S. M. (The World Bank, 2009)
Changes during the Doha Round AreaRegion Northeast Atlantic 21Northwest Atlantic 31Western Central Atlantic 47Southeast Atlantic 37Mediterranean 34Eastern Central Atlantic 67Northeast Pacific 61Northwest Pacific 51Western Indian Ocean 77Eastern Central Pacific 41Southwest Atlantic 81Southwest Pacific 87Southeast Pacific 71Western Central Pacific ? 57Eastern Indian Ocean Adapted from Garcia, S. M. (The World Bank, 2009)
Changes During the Doha Round U/M: Under or Moderately Exploited F: Fully Exploited O: Overexploited D/R: Depleted or Recovering from Depletion Adapted from: FAO SOFIA 2002 and % +5%
Decline in Food Supply from Wild Fish FAO. 2009
Declining Annual Catch Per Fisher (Marine and Inland) The World Bank. 2009
Fish provides essential nutrition for 3 billion people United Nations
...and at least 50% of animal protein and minerals to 400 million people from the poorest countries. --United Nations
Taking account of dependants, about 520 million people could be dependent on the [fishing] sector, or nearly 8 percent of the world population. UN
What do we want to see in the oceans? Worm, B., et al. (Science, 2009)
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