Examiner.com

The fishing industry is harvesting too many fish from the ocean.Without intervention the oceans will lose the ability to support biodiversity essential to survival, the fishing industry will colapse, and millions will suffer and die. The documentary The End of the Line (see trailer below), narrated by Ted Danson convincingly presents the problem and an essential component of the solution. More and more people are competing for fewer fish. The Oceans must have Marine reserves, perhaps a third of the worlds oceans should be a no-fish zone.

An emerging body of information has established that no-take marine reserves promote marine biodiversity, increase scientific understanding and enhance the long-term sustainability of ocean life and fisheries.

In order to be effective, a marine reserve must be large enough to protect a sufficient proportion of the population. Only then will positive effects like bigger fish, denser schools, and flourishing populations to be realized.

Scientists studying more than 124 marine reserves in at least 29 nations and territories around the world have monitored biological changes inside the reserves. When marine life is left unmolested, species and numbers rebound. An added benefit is that the fish move outside the Reserves and populate fishing areas. Fishing yields will increase if large areas of ocean are protected and the market for at-risk species dries up. For information on many types of sustainable seafood and a free downloadable pocket guide, visit SeafoodWatch

Warming of seas may require a shifting of reserve boundaries as some species are moving toward the cooler poles. This tend is eerily similar to bird populations shifting. See: Birds and climate change, a call to action.

Another way to save ocean fish and ocean health may be to create more urban aquaculture that features sustainable fish and produce. Sweetwater Organics plans to send their low tech indoor fish farming expertise across the nation and perhaps around the word, so that fish can be farmed indoors in highly populated human areas. See: Milwaukee’s Sweet Water Organics, leading the nation to an urban aquaculture revolution.

The End of the Line is a powerful film about one of the world’s most disturbing problems – over-fishing. Advances in fishing technology mean whole species of wild fish are under threat and the most important stocks we eat are predicted to be in a state of collapse by 2050. The film points the finger at those most to blame, including celebrity chefs, and shows what we can do about it. This is not just a film, it is also a campaign – for sustainable consumption of fish, for marine protected areas to allow the sea to recover, and for a new ethic of responsible fishing.

Sources:
Climate Change Erodes Marine Reserves
The Science of Marine Reserves
Connectivity in Marine Fish Populations: Larvae Spawned In Marine Reserves Can Travel Long Distances
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute

Author: Amy Lou Jenkins