According to a comprehensive study the future of world’s fisheries is not very bright and at any moment it could collapse. But the study revealed that the recovery is possible if governments act to manage commercial fishing. It is said that there are several regions in the US, Iceland and New Zealand that have made significant progress in rebuilding stocks devastated by decades of overfishing through careful management strategies.
The study found that 63 percent of assessed fish stocks worldwide require rebuilding to reverse the collapse of vulnerable species. Lead author Boris Worm of Canada’s Dalhousie University said across all regions, we are still seeing a troubling trend of increasing stock collapse but this paper shows that our oceans are not a lost cause. He added that this means the management in those areas is setting the stage for ecological and economic recovery,” Worm said. “It’s only a start — but it gives me hope that we have the ability to bring overfishing under control.
The threat of collapse could thus be even higher in the remaining 75 percent of the world’s fisheries. The report found that a range of management strategies helped protect and restore fishing stocks. The study give an example that switching to nets that allow smaller fish to escape and closing some key areas to fishing helped Kenya increase the size and amount of fish available and boost fishing incomes.
