Death of the Oceans
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james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,347 posts

227 months

Tuesday 5th October 2010
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Was this (Death of the Oceans) watched by the PH masses last night? I caught a bit of it and from what I saw, it painted a pretty bleak picture of the over fishing of the Oceans.

It didn't strike me as the usual MMGW type of scaremongering either - Ehe size of some of those massive "trawlers" and the size of some nets is astounding.

Eric Mc

125,768 posts

295 months

Tuesday 5th October 2010
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My dad was a professional sea fisherman for over 40 years and worked in scientific fisheries research for 30 years. He was warning of overfishing in the 1970s.

anonymous-user

84 months

Tuesday 5th October 2010
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Ive recorded it! going to watch it later!

james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,347 posts

227 months

Tuesday 5th October 2010
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To me, at any rate, it strikes me as a no brainer:

Trawlers are getting bigger and more technological and can find fish easier - the slow growing fish don't have a chance to recover and therefore don't grow so fast - fish dwindle and the trawlers go further and deeper to fish more.

I'm often surprised we have any fish left...

wainy

800 posts

273 months

Tuesday 5th October 2010
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Was only half watching but sure there was some upside, was it in the US / Canada where some fish stocks were increasing.

Never struck me to think that the sea absorbed some of the CO2 which made it more acidic thus changing the whole eco system there.

Surely there needs to be some limits put in place on certain fishing otherwise the future does not look too good..

Edited by wainy on Tuesday 5th October 09:20

Smiler.

11,752 posts

260 months

Tuesday 5th October 2010
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There was mention of the amount of plastic debris in the seas on R4 this morning - that was quite depressing too.

james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,347 posts

227 months

Tuesday 5th October 2010
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It always strikes me as quite surprising as to how fragile the Ocean's ecosystem is...

Halb

53,012 posts

213 months

Tuesday 5th October 2010
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I tink the ecosystem is rather robust, it's just the amount of fishing we are doing is immense. As well as the other stuff.

Watched the doc The End of the Line a few weeks ago, was interesting.
It might have been in the same programme but I also recall seeing in a programme that Humboldt Squid is taking over in some parts of the ocean thanks to our destroying the eco system there.
Watch the doc, and see what you think of the Japanese responsebiggrin

wainy

800 posts

273 months

Tuesday 5th October 2010
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Halb said:
I also recall seeing in a programme that Humboldt Squid is taking over in some parts of the ocean thanks to our destroying the eco system there
Saw that quite scary, with the ex Navy Seal? Where they were basically attacking him in the ocean!

Halb

53,012 posts

213 months

Tuesday 5th October 2010
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Yeh, he was wearing a mesh suit to protect himself. Plucky lil chapsbiggrin

Jasandjules

72,624 posts

259 months

Tuesday 5th October 2010
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It has long been known the over-fishing and killing sharks is destroyign the oceans. Let's just hope more people take notice.

El Guapo

2,787 posts

220 months

Tuesday 5th October 2010
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We have an almost boundless self-renewing and self-regulating resource (edible fish & seafood) but have managed to bollix it up to the extent that it may never recover. Only homo sapiens could be this stupid.

Halb

53,012 posts

213 months

Tuesday 5th October 2010
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The relentless onslaught of progress.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Na9-jV_OJI

chippy17

3,740 posts

273 months

Tuesday 5th October 2010
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wainy said:
Halb said:
I also recall seeing in a programme that Humboldt Squid is taking over in some parts of the ocean thanks to our destroying the eco system there
Saw that quite scary, with the ex Navy Seal? Where they were basically attacking him in the ocean!
squid is quite tasty we should be tucking into these and leaving the fishees alone

kiteless

12,577 posts

234 months

Tuesday 5th October 2010
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chippy17 said:
squid is quite tasty we should be tucking into these and leaving the fishees alone
Quite.

Humboldt squid would produce calimari the size of 175 section car tyres lick


Murph7355

42,011 posts

286 months

Wednesday 6th October 2010
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Population growth. Needs to be curbed if we really want to "protect" these things. Root cause of many of life's ills.

Though I have a strong suspicion that the ecosystem at large is much more robust than it's being given credit. It will simply rid itself of its biggest parasite once it's had enough (whether it's the oceans, the ozone layer or just Big Brother and the XFactor)...us.

james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,347 posts

227 months

Wednesday 6th October 2010
quotequote all
Murph7355 said:
Though I have a strong suspicion that the ecosystem at large is much more robust than it's being given credit. It will simply rid itself of its biggest parasite once it's had enough (whether it's the oceans, the ozone layer or just Big Brother and the XFactor)...us.
And, given the history of "Mother Nature", it'll be something pretty spectacular...

Westy Pre-Lit

5,088 posts

233 months

Wednesday 6th October 2010
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wainy said:
Never struck me to think that the sea absorbed some of the CO2 which made it more acidic thus changing the whole eco system there.
Wow the sea is acidic ?

I always thought it was alkaline so if anything made it less alkaline.

Still...calling the sea acidic gives it more doooooom value I suppose.

chippy17

3,740 posts

273 months

Wednesday 6th October 2010
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kiteless said:
chippy17 said:
squid is quite tasty we should be tucking into these and leaving the fishees alone
Quite.

Humboldt squid would produce calimari the size of 175 section car tyres lick
imagine the fryer you would need for that

this would then restore some of the natural balance by taking two predators out of the eco system, us and squid

Popeyed

566 posts

249 months

Wednesday 6th October 2010
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When I was navigating ships here there and everywhere it always struck me that you would only see fishing vessels in certain areas.

For example, on an ocean passage across the Indian Ocean you might see barely any fishing boats. Cross the East China Sea and it was fishing boats from horizon to horizon.

Certainly over fishing goes on, but only in certain areas I'd wager.