The world’s fisheries may be practically gone by 2050, according to biological research calculations.
Says lead author Boris Worm, “Whether we looked at tide pools or studies over the entire world’s ocean, we saw the same picture emerging. In losing species we lose the productivity and stability of entire ecosystems.” This sad picture emerged over four years of analyzing 32 controlled experiments, observational studies from 48 marine protected areas, and global catch data from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) database from 1950 to 2003. The scientists also looked at a 1000-year time series for 12 coastal regions, drawing on data from archives, fishery records, sediment cores and archeological data.
Here’s the mathematical projection:
We’re still taking 235,000 tons fish per day from the sea.
Go to Blog of Science to read about the research and its implications. It’s still reversible.
