I AM going to tell you about fish. Not a nice, cosy story about the best smoked salmon, or my favourite recipe for fish pie, or how fish is good for you. Rather, I am going to tell you some facts about the state of the world's fisheries and the demise of fish. It is a depressing story of greed, short-sightedness and exploitation. Nothing new really, just another story about our disregard for the environment.
We all have a romantic vision of the ocean being a vast, limitless territory open to all. The truth is nearly 70 per cent of all fish stocks are considered fully exploited, over-exploited or severely depleted. The ocean's ability to replenish fish has been outstripped by the industry's ability to catch fish.
As governments have slowly come to recognise this state of affairs, conventions, moratoriums and treaties have been established to control fishing. But it is too little too late. More often than not these agreements are pitted with loopholes, half-hearted monitoring, countries that refuse to sign (remember fish are migratory) and quotas set too high to allow for recovery.
The frightening thing is that the world's industrial fishing fleets are still growing. Since 1991, they have increased by a staggering 22 per cent. Even as catches dwindle governments perversely continue to subsidise new fleets and docks as a means of keeping jobs and stimulating their economies.
Fish do not stand a chance against modern-day fishing techniques. Schools of fish are tracked by radar, sonar, spotter planes and satellite. Long-liners with up to 3,000 baited hooks drift on huge cables; drift gill-netting, 32 kilometres long with a six-metre drop suspended on buoys cover vast areas; and pair trawlers with an all-encompassing net dredge from top to bottom.
These methods of fishing are non-selective and hugely wasteful and affect many species other than those targeted by fishing operations.
