by Gregory McNamee
It should come as no surprise that the oceans, like the rest of the planet, are suffering from the effects of too much unrestrained human enterprise: Industrial pollution, oil extraction, and especially overfishing are affecting nearly every corner of our marine ecosystems, at least in the zones where most life takes place.
We humans are getting a touch smarter about and a touch more aware of this damage, and in recent years major efforts have been mounted to contain and even undo some of this damage. But, like all the greenhouse gases that have been introduced into the atmosphere, the effects will extend far into the future. Just so, notes Callum Roberts in his book The Unnatural History of the Sea, the damage began long ago. “The greater part of the decline of many exploited populations,” he writes, “happened before the birth of anyone living today.”
For visual background for this thesis, see the newly launched website Ocean 2012: Transforming European Fisheries. And have a look at the Guardian‘s recently launched site Datablog, with its ringing tagline, “Facts are sacred.” continue reading…