No Fish in the Ocean by 2050

In the Tokyo fish market- somewhat of a world fish barometer- the tuna being caught- for sushi- are smaller and smaller, not even breeding size. Get it while you can. I think sushi resteraunts world-wide are one of the BIG causes of fish, espessialy tuna, to become extint.
How about the general mentality of party boat industry? Sure they got to make money, so when they fish one species out, they go down one more rung on the ladder and start wiping out the next species. Humbolt squid?!! Does all thats caught get eaten? No. It gets thrown out into a landfill. Sad.  Ethicaly criminal. Wonder when their going to start targeting mudsuckers as the big sportfish?
How about Patagonian toothfish? Doesnt sound to yummy so lets call it Chillean Seabass and fish them out since we caught all the cod on the Grand Banks.
Sure, I eat a lot of my catch, but I release more than I keep, I dont think I, or we kayakers, impact the oceans one bit. But when I see things like Chillean Seabass in supermarkets, reports of hundreds of squid on the PBs and sushi resteraunt EVERYWHERE, it kind of pisses me off. The planets better of without us.God made an error in judgement, he must have been drunk.

Other crashed stocks of note...

Orange Roughy... the Australians and New Zealanders found tons of fish living near deep sea mounts.  It was a free for all for a few years.  A few scientists aged the fish and found out that they live to be over 100 years old and don't even reproduce until they are at least 30.  Oppps, too late, now they are almost gone and it will take several centuries if ever for them to come back.

Blue crab in the Chesapeake...  a combination of water quality problems and overfishing have nearly driven blue crab populations to records lows.  Many watermen have to find a new job.

There are others.... take your standard fish stick, a childhood favorite.  50 years ago they were made of cod.  30 years ago they were haddock.   Now they are Alaskan pollack.   As one fishery gets knocked down, the market forces Gorton's to switch species.

Fish and Chips in England also used to be Cod.  Now you get dogfish.

Through all of what everone's said I think we all agree that as humans we are screwing up the ocean. Our fathers and grandfathers told us of huge catches that by todays comparison are just gargantuan or countless in numbers. We've seen and heard of entire species being close to or wiped out due to over overfishing. I think the argument of how much the fish population will be decimated in the future isn't really the most important issue. It's too difficult to agree due to other agendas we might have. So we just waste time fightng over numbers while the problem gets worse.

I think what's most important is to do something to help, no matter how small. Do a beach or lake clean, taking care of a catch that you'll release, and educating fisherman who are ignorant about the care of fish and sustaining a heathy fishery. As long as this becomes a regular topic that the general public is talking about constantly and not just fiction vs non-fiction there is a chance of improvment or at least minimizing the damage. If that become's more common knowledge then people are more likely to look at what commercal fishing is doing and be more compelled to speak out. I think the reason why the general publc is standing around doing nothing is because they're just not educated on the topic.

Let's make our voices heard, even if it is just to the careless fisherman next to us.

Z

As long as this becomes a regular topic that the general public is talking about constantly and not just fiction vs non-fiction there is a chance of improvment or at least minimizing the damage. If that become's more common knowledge then people are more likely to look at what commercal fishing is doing and be more compelled to speak out. I think the reason why the general publc is standing around doing nothing is because they're just not educated on the topic.

Z

When the words overfishing are mentioned in a quick news report or article, as in this case, they rarely make mention of the distinction between rec and commercial fishermen.  When the average joe hears a story about fish being gone in 50 years they lump all fishing in the same category and we get legislated off the water in one foul swoop. It gets worse when hardcore environmental or animal rights groups who are less about the environment and more about preventing fishing get behind reports like this and feed it to the masses.  Thats the education people are getting simply because the big headline, however misleading, will attract more attention.  We're doing it one at a time while they get them by the thousands.
The problem is the term "overfishing," there is no definition or mention of its meaning in the quotes Worm and team made available to the press.  People are unable to distinguish how much commercial fish they actually consume, us included.  The bluefin that get wrapped off our coast make nice flavoring and filler for catfood.  The huge schools of chovies that get wrapped make nice fertilizer.  Canned tuna, how much of that do we consume a year. Thats in addition to what gets served in seafood restaurants, sushi bars (I'm guilty of that one), fillet o fish sandwiches, tray bait.....it goes on forever. People will automatically associate the problem with a person who has a fishing pole in his hands rather than themselves and the deceptive manner in which this report was presented to the press is BS.  I'm all for conservation but blatant mis-represntation like this does very little good. 

Also, I know that everybody's got a different opinion on partyboats so I won't try and change any minds or say they're all responsible skippers, there's a few jerks I'd like to see off the water, but consider that they serve a large number of people and that those people may only fish a few times a year so the fish get spread out.  The average partyboat passenger may take 3 or 4 limits a year where as I take less fish each trip but more often.  The skippers I know will not fish the same reef daily or pillage every fish stock they come in contact with.  They, like us, fish based on regulations, water conditions and the bite.  If the salmon are on fire they chase them and ignore rockies, season ends they chase RF, rockfish ends they target squid.  I disagree that they purposely plunder the same reef, they fish where they're gonna catch fish just like us.  I haven't seen too many people pass up a trip to bean hollow or pescadero when the bite is hot because they didn't want to put too much pressure on the reef.   

Fish and Chips in England also used to be Cod.  Now you get dogfish.

oh snap.  if you mean, spiny dogfish, i'm gonna keep the next one I catch and try him out.

How about Patagonian toothfish? Doesnt sound to yummy so lets call it Chillean Seabass and fish them out since

If anyone wants a good read check out the book called "Hooked" by Bruce Knecht. It about the toothfish and the pursuit of poachers. Action, fishing, suspense and politics all wrapped in to one.
 
http://www.amazon.com/Hooked-Pirates-Poaching-Perfect-Fish/dp/1594861102

-Brian G

In biological studies what gains are there to be made by finding out that things are fine? 

Wasn't this the strategy of the tobacco companies regarding their cancer "science," and big oil with their no climate change "science."

I haven't seen too many people pass up a trip to bean hollow or pescadero when the bite is hot because they didn't want to put too much pressure on the reef.

 

The difference is (from what I've seen on this board) that the yak fishers don't generally take limits, whereas the party boats hammer em if they can.  Not too much repeat business if folks aren't coming home with a sack of fish.  Sean (scwafish) is right on the money about this:  Kayak fishers are different than the party boat industry.

Read an article in the Palo Alto Weekly.  Sciencetics says by 2050 thee Will be no fish to catch in the World's Ocean.  Reasons were Overfishing, Diseases, and Global Warming.

Ken kickfish

Ken, You are ALWAYS posting such positive things and then you sit back and watch others argue about it.....while you say nothing more.  WHY?  never mind, I don't want to know. (JMHO)      

Breaking news: Scientists stoop to slippery slope arguments to ensure next years grant money.

Lol its super old and was posted on a couple other sites too.  Besides, I like it when Ken stirs the pot  

Wasn't this the strategy of the tobacco companies regarding their cancer "science," and big oil with their no climate change "science."

 

Very good observation and it does prove that "science" can say whatever you want it to say when manipulated properly. I've read my posts and still stand by what I posted.  This study came out and made headlines/caused hysteria for a couple weeks and faded back onto a dusty bookshelf of the local library. Exactly what has resulted from it?  I haven't heard it mentioned in any international fish management decisions.

The difference is (from what I've seen on this board) that the yak fishers don't generally take limits, whereas the party boats hammer em if they can.  Not too much repeat business if folks aren't coming home with a sack of fish.  Sean (scwafish) is right on the money about this:  Kayak fishers are different than the party boat industry.

We are all fishermen.