Fish on the dish in a warming planet

Global warming has started to erode coral reefs, churn up more storms and drive salt water into fresh water sources - such as this threat to the Ganges in India.

Now a new study shows that while fisheries in the northern hemisphere may bear the brunt of the impact environmentally, people in the poorest countries will suffer the most hardship as fish populations decline. Worldwide, more than 2.6 billion people rely on fish for at least 20 percent of their protein intake. 

Two-thirds of the 33 most vulnerable nations are in Africa, where fish accounts for half of all protein intake in many countries. Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo were most at risk, though Russia stood out ranking third. Peru and Colombia in South America; and Bangladesh, Pakistan and Vietnam in Asia also made the list.

Add this report to the pressures from overfishing - from the hungry demand of Asian and European nations -- and Africa may well be at the leading edge of unsustainable fisheries.

For another perspective check out this video of a lecture by researcher Daniel Pauly, a fisheries biologist who studies populations trends. 

- Samuel Fromartz

Comments

[BruceP]

Sam,

I am new to your blog but not the issues, your good work is appreciated.

It is a travesty and the only remedy is to create a new economic paradigm of the world from growth to sustainability; it seems only common sense but that's a view few have had & for the many comming on board. The Japanese continue to overfish with little consequence other than Greenpeace's efforts.

Many reefs and species will become extinct within a deacde or 2 according to articles on World Watch Insttute. Ben Block on December 12, 2008 "Coral Reef Loss Suggests Global Extinction Event" http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5960

BruceP
tred lightly, dream boldly, protest tirelessly
change the path

[Organic George]

Don't forget the dead zones in the oceans created by industrial Ag chemicals and raw manure. Feeding farmed fish with conventional grain is one step forward and two steps back.