Possibly 90% of Large Oceanic Predatory Fish Are Gone

[John_Brandt]

BBC News story from a Nature Magazine report:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3028251.stm




John Brandt

MASNA
MAC
CMAS-Chicago

 

[clarionreef]

Marinelife people,
I don't know what is more disturbing, the depletion of the worlds fishery resources or the lack of interest in it on reefs.org.
Sustainable, intelligent catch methodology matters and must be implemented in any intelligent fishery with a future.
Aquarium fish are still fish. They don't know if they are food fish. Food fish don't know if they are AQUARIUM fish. They are all fish and habitat vitality, catch methods, stock assessments, marine parks, quotas etc. all apply.
Will our own industry reform itself and save itself ...from itself?
Or not? We have certainly seen passion on self issues but not enough on the real issues. Our own trade is at the crossroads as well.
Steve Robinson, AMDA

 

[JeremyR]

Hey Steve,

Interesting dilemma isn't it. Since I"m of the opinion being a cynic and all that the industry is incapable of saving itself for a host of reasons, I'm branching out into other ventures... no longer going to have all the eggs in the aquarium basket. That doesn't mean we won't still be running a responsible fish business.. just that if things continue to implode I won't be begging on the streets after.

 

[naesco]

Good post Steve.
If we don't do it, the government will IMO.
Good business decision Jeremy.

 

[Anonymous]

Marinelife people,
I don't know what is more disturbing, the depletion of the worlds fishery resources or the lack of interest in it on reefs.org.
Sustainable, intelligent catch methodology matters and must be implemented in any intelligent fishery with a future.
Aquarium fish are still fish. They don't know if they are food fish. Food fish don't know if they are AQUARIUM fish. They are all fish and habitat vitality, catch methods, stock assessments, marine parks, quotas etc. all apply.
Will our own industry reform itself and save itself ...from itself?
Or not? We have certainly seen passion on self issues but not enough on the real issues. Our own trade is at the crossroads as well.
Steve Robinson, AMDA

this is one of the best formed statements arguing for the captive propagation of all species of marine fish-both food and ornamental-that i've seen in a long time

i, for one, think that it's going to be a major factor in helping the ornamental trade, at least, in the next decade or so, from its own destruction

 

[Bill2]

Aquarium fish are still fish. They don't know if they are food fish. Food fish don't know if they are AQUARIUM fish. They are all fish and habitat vitality, catch methods, stock assessments, marine parks, quotas etc. all apply.

Welllll that's kinda of a stretch there steve. I've never heard of the Japanese sending trawlers out to Brazil to catch that ever elusive pygmy angel.

The demise of large predatory fish has been a problem for a while. The montery bay aquarium puts out a fish you should eat and not eat on a yearly basis. Fish like Cod, Shark, Swordfish have been on there for a couple years depending on the location it came from.

 

[JennM]

Marinelife people,
I don't know what is more disturbing, the depletion of the worlds fishery resources or the lack of interest in it on reefs.org.
Sustainable, intelligent catch methodology matters and must be implemented in any intelligent fishery with a future.
Aquarium fish are still fish. They don't know if they are food fish. Food fish don't know if they are AQUARIUM fish. They are all fish and habitat vitality, catch methods, stock assessments, marine parks, quotas etc. all apply.
Will our own industry reform itself and save itself ...from itself?
Or not? We have certainly seen passion on self issues but not enough on the real issues. Our own trade is at the crossroads as well.
Steve Robinson, AMDA

As a Canadian I'm surprised that this is only now coming to the limelight here in America. Canadians have known this for many many years - the Canadian cod fishery was literally shut down about 15 years ago, to the point where Newfoundlanders weren't even allowed to jig for their supper off their own wharfs. We had the Turbot wars with the Spanish, when they were fishing in our waters for the ever more scarce Turbot - the west coast Salmon fishery has been in trouble since as long as I can remember -- from my own personal POV, none of this is "news" so perhaps I've become a bit complacent about it.

Don't get me wrong - I'm glad that it's come to the attention of Americans now - but to me it's not "news"... Canadian fisheries authorities took control of matters, and are attempting to rehabilitate the fisheries, especially the cod fishery - I might be wrong but I think that some cod stocks have replenished a bit, to the point of some fishing being allowed - last I heard Newfs could jig again, at least...

Where do we focus our efforts? I, as one person, can't change everything, slowly or quickly -- so if I focus my efforts, I can probably effect some change on some level in one area -- I'm choosing to focus my efforts on ornamentals, as it pertains to my business, and in as much effect as I can have. In the big picture it probably doesn't do a hell of a lot of good, but if every one person did the same, and focus on what they could do - in the big picture it would make a difference. Each of us needs to make that little bit of difference.

I'm making a difference.

Jenn

 

[kylen]

Jenn,

I guess you have been in the land of the peach for a little while now. The east coast cod fishery has now been completely shut down. As for our government, Canadian that is, they seem to be doing more harm than good. They oversee the west coast salmon fishery and are allowing, along with the provincial gov't, the continuation of salmon farming. The affects of ocean-pen salmon farms are horrendous. Complete areas of sea bed are waste from food and medication waste. Juvenile salmon are becoming infested with sea lice as they swim through curtains of lice from farms. They aren't strong enough to survive the attack. There is evidence now that a complete run of salmon have been destroyed. Then you have the chemicals in the fish just to make it look like wild salmon. No thank you!

The Alaskan and Washington state gov'ts are very aware of this and are trying to force the closure of these operations.

The general public, for the most part, isn't very informed either. Since farmed salmon is cheaper than wild salmon, this is the choice of most consumers. It is all about how much will it cost. The parallels are very similar to our industry. Yet we seem to focus so much effort on issues thousands of miles away, still very important mind you, but the same issues in our own back yards are ignored.

For the record, I refuse to buy or eat farmed salmon. If I see it on the menu at a restaurant I will ask where it comes from.

 

[Saltykirk]

Pretty depressing isn't it. Well, no one ever promised that life as we know it would last forever.