Sunday, April 03, 2011

Villy Christensen, Reg Watson and Siwa Msangi: Will there be any fish left in 2050?

Will there be any fish left in 2050?
The Science Show (Australia)

Villy Christensen says fish will survive, but by 2050 the mix will be radically changed. The oceans will be populated by small fish. Large predatory fish will be gone. Over the last 100 years large predatory fish have declined by 2/3. More than half the decline has occurred in the last 40 years. But smaller fish have doubled. Higher temperatures will lead to lower production and less fish. The demand for fish in increasing but the supply is not. Fishing effort has increased each year since the 1950s. But recently the catch has not increased. Reg Watson suggests we may have reached 'peak fish'. Caught fish have remained flat in recent decades. Increased consumption has been assisted by aquaculture. Siwa Msangi says fisheries management is vital if supplies are to be maintained.

To Listen to the Episode

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