Worlds Fish and Seafood populations will Callapse by 2048

[Jon123]

Ran into an interesting article in the news this week:

Ocean fish, seafood could collapse by 2048: study
Thu Nov 2, 2006 2:08pm ET163
Top News
By Deborah Zabarenko, Environment Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The world's fish and seafood populations will collapse by 2048 if current trends in habitat destruction and overfishing continue, resulting in less food for humans, researchers said on Thursday.

In an analysis of scientific data going back to the 1960s and historical records over a thousand years, the researchers found that marine biodiversity -- the variety of ocean fish, shellfish, birds, plants and micro-organisms -- has declined dramatically, with 29 percent of species already in collapse.

Extending this pattern into the future, the scientists calculated that by 2048 all species would be in collapse, which the researchers defined as having catches decline 90 percent from the maximum catch.

This applies to all species, from mussels and clams to tuna and swordfish, said Boris Worm, lead author of the study, which was published in the current edition of the journal Science.

Ocean mammals, including seals, killer whales and dolphins, are also affected.

"Whether we looked at tide pools or studies over the entire world's ocean, we saw the same picture emerging," Worm said in a statement. "In losing species we lose the productivity and stability of entire ecosystems. I was shocked and disturbed by how consistent these trends are -- beyond anything we suspected."

When ocean species collapse, it makes the ocean itself weaker and less able to recover from shocks like global climate change, Worm said.

The decline in marine biodiversity is largely due to over-fishing and destruction of habitat, Worm said in a telephone interview from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Continued...

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-11-02T191259Z_01_N02471132_RTRUKOC_0_US-ENVIRONMENT-FISH.XML

Jon

[stinga]

Good article Jon!I think the only way for the earth to heal is without the people!:BangHead: Humans are so dumb!:icon_cry:

[Jon123]

Kinda like this comic ahha:
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a327/jad929/rustle060402.jpg

Jon

[superduperwesman]

But guess what...? We are all contributing to problems like this even by having our fish tanks.

[superduperwesman]

Just a comment, I fully intend on keeping/expanding my tank. Not putting myself on a pedistal just stating a fact

[Jon123]

Actually the aquarium industry has a VERY small impact on fish populations. Personally, I dont think fish/inverts with extremely low survival rates (moorish idol), great importance on the reef (cleaner wrasse), or of great rarety (dragon moray) should be collected. But the amount of fish collected for the ornamental industry is a hair of whats collected for food. Aquarium fish of any quality are net collected by hand compared to literally billions of fish being hauled up in a single catch when fishing for things like cod.

And this post wasnt a "for shame to all of you", its just something I found interesting. As aquarium enthusiasts we should know how delicate the reef inhabitants really are and can relate to the article a little bit.

Jon

[superduperwesman]

Justification by comparison? Small contribution is still contribution.

[sphelps]

I'm not really buying all this, sure the threat is there but no way it will ever come to that, something will be done before the resources are used up. Just another crazy biologist in my opinion :crazy:

[superduperwesman]

I'm not to worried either

[Jon123]

I'm not really buying all this, sure the threat is there but no way it will ever come to that, something will be done before the resources are used up. Just another crazy biologist in my opinion :crazy:

Im not losing sleep over it...but it did happen to the buffalo and noone with any power seems to care about the ocean.

Jon

[sphelps]

Im not losing sleep over it...but it did happen to the buffalo and noone with any power seems to care about the ocean.

Jon

Well 1st the buffalo is one species, not an ocean.
2nd this was the time before you biologists, and the threat wasn't realized until the buffalo were already gone, not 42 years before.

I think we'll be OK, if it becomes a real problem we'll simply realy on fish and invert farms just like everything else.

[superduperwesman]

Buffalo is not even a correct term... unless your refering to the African Buffalo. It hppened to the Bison

[sphelps]

Buffalo is not even a correct term... unless your refering to the African Buffalo. It hppened to the Bison

I thought buffalo and bison were different, and the buffalo were no more and the bison are still kcking around and suppose to be pretty tasty.

[superduperwesman]

If you talking "Buffalo" that the First Nations hunted your right they are still around but no where near the numbers, but the correct term is Bison. I have a friend who works at The Wanaskewan Heritage Park who always calls me on misuse of the term. Just pointing out concern for "the ocean" and "buffalo" is limited if we still take what we want, and don't know correct terms. I think it's about finding balance between use and abuse! If people are eating those "billions of fish" who cares, same as if were getting plaesure from our tanks. So if millions of people want fish tanks is it still small contribution? It's ok what we do cause were only a few? Pleasure is a use, so is food, neither are abuse if we run into problems Like sphelps said we'll find new alternatives.

[Richy]

"I'm not really buying all this, sure the threat is there but no way it will ever come to that, something will be done before the resources are used up. Just another crazy biologist in my opinion"

Hmm. You put a lot of faith in ??? , who might that be I must add.

Just have to look at history. Humans justify their greed till it is all gone.
Look at Africa, Tropical rain forests in South America, even our Eastern coast.
Old growth forrests in BC, Natural gas and oil, water, just to name a few.

Dont have to look very hard to see not much will be done! Just my opinion.

You give way to much credit to polititian$ my freind.

Here is one for you..Snapshot of the great lakes in the 50's. Do the same now!!

That's all...

Richy..........

[stinga]

Homo sapiens need a mass pandemic to collapse society and "everyone" that lives can live happy ever after..after they clean up the mess we all made!Only the strong would survive just like everyother creature!and we wouldn't have any problems.

[superduperwesman]

I guess we could just start WWIII to get the fish population back up where Biologists are comfortable with it.

[stinga]

Ignorance is becoming more prevalent in sasfreef these days....Lots has change in just one year.:icon_neut

[superduperwesman]

Ignorance is becoming more prevalent in sasfreef these days....Lots has change in just one year.:icon_neut

Refering to whom?

[stinga]

ANYONE showing ignorance!--That's more then simply put!

PLS don't make me list the def. for ignorance.

[superduperwesman]

Ignorance can remedied. Stupid is forever!

[stinga]

Ignorance can remedied. Stupid is forever!


straight from the horses mouth!!!!*most*people is saskatoon are doomed FOREVER:icon_surp

[Jon123]

ok, back on topic people. And no, i dont think ww3 is the answer...you know what Einstien said, "I know not with which weapons ww3 will be faught, but ww4 will be faught with sticks and stones". Simple respect instead of greed can go a long way.

Jon

[Richy]

Simple respect instead of greed can go a long way.

Go to a buffet lunch sometime::icon_lol:

Richy.......

[Asmodeus]

My Thought on Life: LIFE IS TOUGH. IT'S even more tougher when your stupid......:thumbup:

[Jon123]

My Thought on Life: LIFE IS TOUGH. IT'S even more tougher when your stupid......:thumbup:

HaHa! Theres three types of people in this world: those that can count, and those that cant.

Jon

[Asmodeus]

Ah Jon that is only 2 types what is the third one :silly:

[stinga]

5 out of 4 people can't do fractions!:headscrat

[sphelps]

5 out of 4 people can't do fractions!:headscrat

Sounds like you're one of them :confused:

[sphelps]

Hmm. You put a lot of faith in ??? , who might that be I must add.

Just have to look at history. Humans justify their greed till it is all gone.
Look at Africa, Tropical rain forests in South America, even our Eastern coast.
Old growth forrests in BC, Natural gas and oil, water, just to name a few.

Dont have to look very hard to see not much will be done! Just my opinion.

You give way to much credit to polititian$ my freind.

Here is one for you..Snapshot of the great lakes in the 50's. Do the same now!!


Richy, if you can't put a little faith in some people of power we're all screwed. This is why we have government as far as I'm concerned. These people will determine what's important and what needs to be done. Sounds kind of funny but that's the way it is.

Natural resource problems are never ending, like forestry, but now we plant more trees than we cut down so problem solved. Natural gas and oil may eventually run out but we're far from that, research continuous on how to extract more oil from tapped out wells, since 90% of the oil is trapped in the dirt. Also huge projects are going up all the time; there are lots out there still. Also if we ran out of certain resources such as oil it wouldn't be that bad of a thing, it would finally push some new designs and ideas into the market which is 100% better for everyone.

For example take the automobile engine; nothing has really been done to improve this design since it first came out. Did you know 70% of the energy produced is heat; this means the average engine is only 30% efficient. New hybrid engines are getting somewhere but still pissing around the old idea. We need a new design something like the hydrogen cell, but it will probably never really get out there until we really need it.

Bottom line it's all part of evolution, society and nature will find a way. In my mind this is a small problem, I'm more concerned about giant asteroids, global warming, and the how the sun is BURNING A HOLE IN THE OZONE LAYER. Everybody fire up your ozone generators and point them to the sky :new_smili

[Asmodeus]

5 out of 4 people can't do fractions!:headscrat


Man i feel really stupid my wife laughed at me and pointed out what i just wrote...

:google:

[scary gary]

Problem with the declining fish stocks is a global problem. When are cod stocks bottomed out, the goverment stepped in and put a ban into effect for Canadian fishermen. Problem is some Euopean nations don't agree with our scientists so they continue to fish the cod while our fishermen can't. Don't know if I'd trust hungry and greedy leaders of other countries. Just remember the Euopeans have decimated their own fish stocks, so have the Japanese, thats why they have been fishing over here for years. The Japanese still harvest some whales that most of the rest of the world has stopped hunting. I trust politicians about the same as reno salesmen , car salesmen, gas companies, and banks.

[stinga]

Amen on that!

I trust politicians about the same as reno salesmen , car salesmen, gas companies, and banks.

[Jon123]

You dont need to look very far to see the very definition of greed and corruption in politics *cough*Iraq*cough*.

I dont think the ocean will be a sterile environment, not in our lifetime anyways, but the point of the article is that populations will callapse, aka, all species will be endangered. Within 40 years I do think this is a reasonable guess, but nothing more than a guess. One day aquariums may be the only place where corals and marine fish can be seen, so captive raising/breeding and coral fragging is VERY important.

I really like how this discussion is progressing. Anything else?

Jon

[stinga]

pffff :xyxthumbs

Sounds like you're one of them :confused: