Understanding the problem

Over the past century, the increasing demand for seafood has had huge implications for marine species and oceans ecosystems.

Marine ecosystems are finely balanced and self−sustaining. Overfishing one species breaks the natural order and places other dependent species at risk. This creates a chain of damage that may eventually affect the biodiversity of the whole ocean.

Scientists are warning that overfishing results in profound changes in our oceans, perhaps changing them forever. Not to mention our dinner plates, which in future may only feature fish and chips as a rare and expensive delicacy.

Warnings are now being made about the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, the world's largest tuna fishery. It is one of the last relatively healthy fisheries left in the world. However, bigeye and yellowfin tuna are now being fished at unsustainable levels that threaten the future viability of these stocks.

The modern fishing reality is dominated by industrial fishing vessels that far out−match nature's ability to replenish fish. Super-sized fishing vessels using state−of−the−art fish finding sonar and helicopters or spotter planes can pinpoint schools of fish quickly and accurately. These vessels also have fish processing and packing plants, huge freezing systems, fishmeal processing plants and powerful engines to drag enormous fishing gear through the ocean.

In many cases, regulation of these fishing vessels is woefully inadequate − fish stocks are plummeting and little regard is paid to the resulting impact on marine ecosystems. Many species are being fished to commercial extinction with more on the way. Between 1950 and 2005 the amount of fish harvested worldwide increased sevenfold. Today at least 75 percent of the world’s fish stocks are considered as fully exploited, overexploited or depleted.

In regions such as the Western and Central Pacific, the situation is made worse by illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) pirate fishing boats that take as much fish as they like, despite any regulations.