Asp .net report

Big-fish drought - nature.net

On a recent deep-sea fishing trip--my first--off the coast of southern California, the yellowfin tuna were nowhere in sight. We were surrounded instead by scores of other boats, all equally idle, and the only fish I saw all day were the silvery small fry used for bait, swimming in tight circles in their holding tank.

That same week, as it happened, the journal Nature published a startling report on the rapid decline of large ocean species all over the globe: populations of fishes such as cod, halibut, marlin, shark, swordfish, and tuna have sunk to about 10 percent of their pre-industrial levels. Not only are big fish disappearing at an alarming rate, but the top predators are also only about a fifth to a half the size they once were. You can access recent news stories about these and other, related findings at www.seaweb.org. To view graphs and charts that summarize the depletions, go to ram.biology.dal.ca/ depletion and scroll down the page.

The importance of large marine fishes, of course, goes far beyond sport; they are vital to the health of marine ecosystems. At "Oceana" (www.oceana.org) click on "Empty Oceans--Where Are the Fish?" to learn how large-fish species and other marine animals become casualties, or "bycatch" of such industrial fishing gear as pelagic (oceanic) long-lines, gill.nets, and shrimp trawls.

Rational management of large-fish populations, moreover, would have enormous economic benefits worldwide. To bone up on current policies and proposals for restoring and safeguarding fish populations, go to "Environmental Defense" (www.edf.org) and click on "Oceans." You can also select "Marine Protected Areas" and "Sustainable Fishing" from the drop-down menu at the right. Or consult "American Oceans Campaign" for a long list of multiuse fish links (americanoceans. org/fish/link.htm). Finally, to view the results of an unusual effort by private citizens to protect the Gulf of California (also known as the Sea of Cortez), take a look at www. seawatch.org. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page to read the bad news firsthand from a series of interviews with Mexican fishermen.

The rapid decline of "big game" fish in the last few decades has not gone unnoticed among sport fishers. To get some idea of how it used to be, go to www.antiquefishingreels.com and click on "Classic Fishing" in the tool bar at the left: you'll find vintage photos of Ernest Hemingway and Zane Grey, among others, with their prize trophies. Then go to a site maintained by consultants for private-sector clients trying to protect marine fisheries and habitats (Chambers-Associates.org/Big-MarineFish/home.html). Click on "Daily 'Kill-o-Meter'" to learn how the ongoing decimation of big fish is tied to the phases of the moon. (Commercial long, liners fish hardest on bright nights when swordfish--their primary targets--feed most actively and closest to the surface; many other large species are killed incidentally.)

As consumers, we are all affecting the ocean's ecosystem every time we choose a fish to buy. At the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Web page (mbayaq.org/cr/ seafoodwatch.asp), type in your favorite fish to find out if its catch is putting additional pressure on one of the world's critically low fisheries.

Robert Anderson is a freelance science writer living in Los Angeles.