Eco-Economy Indicator  FISH CATCH

Copyright Earth Policy Institute 2005

June 22, 2005

Eco-Economy Indicators are twelve trends that the Earth Policy Institute

tracks to measure progress in building an eco-economy. The world fish

catch is a measure of the productivity and health of the oceanic ecosystem

that covers 70 percent of the earth's surface. The extent to which world

demand for seafood is outrunning the sustainable yield of fisheries can be

seen in shrinking fish stocks, declining catches, and collapsing

fisheries.

WILD FISH CATCH HITS LIMITSÂ

Oceanic Decline Offset by Increased Fish Farming

by Janet Larsen

After decades of growth, the reported global wild fish catch peaked in

2000 at 96 million tons and fell to 90 million tons in 2003, the last year

for which worldwide data are available. The catch per person dropped from

an average of 17 kilograms in the late 1980s to 14 kilograms in 2003Âthe

lowest figure since 1965. As fishing fleets expanded and as fish-finding

and harvesting technologies became more efficient, the worldÂs fishers

have systematically gone after their catch at greater depths and in more

remote watersÂ

For entire text see hyperlink below. For data see http://www.earth-policy.org/Indicators/Fish/Fish_data.htm

Here is a link that might be useful: Environmental Indicators