A Growing Problem

The ocean's living resources are being exploited at rates that are unprecedented and potentially irreversible. The effects of this overexploitation range from the primary impacts of extinctions and loss of biological diversity, to the secondary and tertiary effects of habitat degradation and potential economic collapse. In the face of incredible population growth and the associated growing protein needs, this trend appears unlikely to change without a serious commitment on the part of the global community.

The fate of our marine resources was publicized recently in a 2006 study that examined the sustainability of our current global fishing industry. Quite dismally, the study concluded that within 50 years, most of the important fish species will be economically extinct (Worm, 2006).