Atlantic Canada reveals what is probably the clearest evidence anywhere of the ecosystem-effects of persistent human fishing. The early 1990’s crash of the once great Canadian cod stock is held up as a global cautionary tale against fisheries mismanagement, against greedy human ‘overfishing.’ But less well known is that the story is not that simple, that, at the level of scientific detail, so much has gone severely and unexpectedly wrong in Atlantic Canada…that the most basic assumptions underlying the ‘science of overfishing/sustainable fishing’ must now be questioned.
Zooplankton were unexpectedly and inexplicably lost along with Canadian fish stocks. If, as seems likely, this is part of the ecosystem impact of fishing, then this finding has global significance.
While i’ve not went along with the popular Newfoundland theory that seals drove the cod population into crisis (has this ever been researched formally? i’ve been asking people this for years) i’m not convinced by this writer either. Global warming is downplayed as a possible influence in favour of an anti-fishery, anti-seal-hunt agenda, and i don’t see ocean pollution mentioned at all.
The phenomenon of plankton collapse, as reported on this site, needs to be studied. The research effort necessary would be huge, but no existing government has the political courage to fund it. Back to square one.
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