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136 Comments
- kitsua, on 05/19/2009, -2/+40We've been sailing along on the great wave of peace, prosperity and plenty for a while now, but it doesn't take a genius to work out that this growth and level of consumption is completely unsustainable, from fish in the sea to financial systems to fuel and energy.
However we work it out in the end (no doubt when our hands are finally forced into action), we will look back on these times with wonder at what we had, and what we wasted. - immatellyouwhat, on 05/20/2009, -1/+39Great so what do we tell our future kids who can't get a girlfriend/boyfriend?
"Don't worry there are plenty of fish in the... oh wait." - angusm, on 05/20/2009, -0/+22The graph doesn't show the quantity of fish in the ocean. It shows the quantity that were caught. So that spike in the numbers for Atlantic Cod doesn't mean that the cod populations were recovering; it means that we landed more of them. That could mean that there were more available, but it could also represent a relaxation of quotas, or the opening up of new fishing grounds, the use of new techniques and equipment, or that fishermen switched to cod because the populations of another species (such as haddock) had crashed.
Not surprisingly, the line for cod nose-dives shortly thereafter - which probably does represent a population crash. - DouglasQ, on 05/20/2009, -0/+18So long, and thanks for all the fish.
- voyetra8, on 05/20/2009, -1/+19Do something about it:
I carry this in my wallet: http://www.wcs.org/media/file/WCS02_3.pdf and used it to help guide my decisions when dining out.
By now I have it memorized, so I use it to show / give to other people. - SkippyDoorknob, on 05/20/2009, -0/+17Plenty of plastic bottles in the sea?
- commentposted, on 05/20/2009, -0/+15http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_farm#Criticisms
- homercles337, on 05/20/2009, -2/+13Capitalism. Its whats for breakfast.
- nonymous666, on 05/20/2009, -1/+12And populating. As long as the earth's population grows, food demand will grow.
- sindex, on 05/20/2009, -1/+11You're right. The Invisible Man would rather us eat the swimming-in-waste-mercury-laden fish in the sea that he's provided so generously that we continue to dump our oil and biohazard materials into.
Thankfully we were given "dominion" over the Earth and plants and animals so we can do anything we want without fear of any ill-effects. Right? Right. - snoobies, on 05/20/2009, -2/+10We'll just turn to cannibalism.
- bundwallah, on 05/19/2009, -2/+10Great graphic, scary data. And I doubt that fish farming is the answer. The real issue is what happens when the ecosystems loses so many species?
- dwalker, on 05/20/2009, -0/+7Maybe:
"Plenty more turds in the sea" - akozak2, on 05/19/2009, -3/+10I'm curious to know what caused the brief increase in Atlantic Cod from 1992 to 1997. Maybe we started doing something right during that time period?
- FrozenPie, on 05/19/2009, -4/+11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_farm
- lanemik, on 05/20/2009, -0/+7It's too bad too. Chilean Sea Bass (Patagonian Toothfish) is so frickin' delicious. Alas, it's just too scarce for people to eat so I stay away from it.
I'm crossing my fingers that my Copper River King Salmon doesn't ever fall into the same category. Yikes! - MrInfallible, on 05/20/2009, -1/+7Keep telling yourself that, once you hit 30 all the good fish are gone or a little worn out.
- nephari, on 05/20/2009, -0/+6The graph shows how much of these types of fish were *caught*, not the overall fish population. I made the same mistake when I first looked it. :)
- inactive, on 05/20/2009, -0/+6soylent green is delicious
- homercles337, on 05/20/2009, -2/+8Uh, yea, because we can replicate what 75% of the earth does in a few tanks.
- Jascol, on 05/20/2009, -1/+7The main food of fish farms is... WILD FISH. Not an answer. You've also got things like the eutrophication of coasts and rivers as well.
- rye425, on 05/20/2009, -0/+5Is there a program to do charts like that?
- smashblu, on 05/20/2009, -0/+5I couldn't live in a world without fish. But at least this is something Americans are less responsible for, it's mostly Asian countries.
- inactive, on 05/20/2009, -2/+7Inaccurate. According to the chart itself, there are 5 ginormous fishes right under that boat alone.
- SkippyDoorknob, on 05/20/2009, -0/+5It's not his title, it's directly from the chart.
- BDOUG, on 05/20/2009, -0/+4Or...supply and demand causes fish prices to increase dramatically.... maintaining the profitability of overfishing long enough to put the final nail in the coffin. Lots of possible outcomes here. Ignoring it probably won't make it go away, though.
- ScionAltera, on 05/20/2009, -0/+4But they're so tasty!
- nyxerebos, on 05/20/2009, -0/+4Tell that to the whales. An asian trawler fleet can be very efficient at harvesting an area. The industrial fishing process is much more of a problem than small vessels.
- Shawn4168, on 05/20/2009, -1/+5So according to the description on this chart, if the number of fish caught is falling, that means they're dying out. If the number of fish caught is rising, they're gonna die out.
So either way, all the fish are gonna die? - FredFredrickson, on 05/20/2009, -1/+5Do you honestly think that the earth will be able to sustain any population of human beings, no matter how large the population gets?
Just because we haven't hit the breaking point yet doesn't mean that planning for what to do when it happens is useless. - CoD4, on 05/20/2009, -1/+4I heard somewhere that the ones that are left can only be caught with a harpoon!
- vegr, on 05/20/2009, -1/+4This chart is flawed!
or rather, the numbers gathered to create the chart is flawed.
It is showed how much is fished, i.e. how much fish is taken out of the sea, NOT how much is left. - commentposted, on 05/20/2009, -4/+7We must stop overfishing and polluting.
- smashblu, on 05/20/2009, -2/+5Farm raised fish taste nothing like wild fish.
- scarolan, on 05/20/2009, -0/+3Become vegetarian. Protein is available in ample quantity in the form of beans and legumes. It's better for your health, better for the fish, better for the environment and better for the economy. (Disclaimer: I'm not a PETA vegangelical, personally I find them to be extremely annoying and hypocritical.)
- falafelkiosken, on 05/20/2009, -3/+6they need to do way instain digg moderator> who delete their comments. because these diggers cant frigth back?
- nonymous666, on 05/20/2009, -0/+3Excel 2007 allows for transparent charts like this.
- Logicexe, on 05/20/2009, -2/+5Plausible alternative to #3: Technological innovation makes it easier and cheaper to catch fish. Fisherman are able to maintain profits and supply for several years. Fish populations continue to decline potentially leading to multiple extinctions. Libertarians praise free market innovations.
- Hellahulla, on 05/20/2009, -0/+3I'm glad Atlantic herring is still plentiful at least, but Baltic herring is slowly declining, that is a tragedy :(
Still, I'll always have mackerel and vendace.
Damn it, imagine a world without cod, the one reason to return to the UK will have gone. - inactive, on 05/20/2009, -0/+3There may be no more fish.... But there are plenty of seals.
- MoneyShot, on 05/20/2009, -3/+61. Fish become increasingly rare.
2. Every trip a fisherman makes out to sea in his boat brings back less fish. But he still has to pay for his boat, the gas, equipment, and any employees.
3. Many fishermen leave the business because it's harder to make a living, which means less competition between fishermen. Additionally, the remaining fishermen have to raise prices to cover their fixed costs.
4. There are now less fishermen on the see and less people buying fish because it's more expensive.
5. Fish population recovers. - Hellahulla, on 05/20/2009, -0/+3Calamari, swordfish and cod ... damn!
It misses Baltic herring and Perch though, both are declining rapidly. - DarkDragon, on 05/20/2009, -1/+4No, you're reading it right. Read the block of text: If it goes down its bad cause they are dying out. If it goes up its bad cause they are being overfished. If it stays the same its bad because we need to change our ways.
- JinxCrow, on 05/20/2009, -0/+3Glad I'm not much of a fish-eater. Now as long as chicken and cow population are safe, I'm good.
- rhynost, on 05/20/2009, -1/+4Cannibalism FTW
- mikemil828, on 05/20/2009, -0/+2How do you get trolls to catch mahimahi?
- opiniastrous, on 05/21/2009, -0/+2I noticed that too, but dugg it anyway because I assumed declining catches were still a decent rule of thumb for declining populations. That said, you're definitely right. This graphic is not exactly academically rigourous.
- smashblu, on 05/20/2009, -0/+2Asians eat MUCH more fish than us. China has 20% of the world's population although it is true they consume less sea fish than other nations. Still Japan alone must eat more fish than the US. And then there is Hong Kong...
- CaptainNoPants, on 05/20/2009, -0/+2Damnit I love swordfish.
- inactive, on 05/20/2009, -0/+2When cows become endangered, only then can we blame America.
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