Michael Krasny on SF's NPR show "Forum" recently interviewed marine biologist Callum Roberts, professor of marine conservation at the University of York in England.

http://www.kqed.org/epArchive/R710181000

This is one of the problems on earth that most concerns me, way beyond fears of terrorism, etc. We brought about the effective end of the Buffalo, a massive, self perpetuating source of first class protein, on this continent. Now it's looking like humanity as a whole is replicating that in the oceans.

Lot of info out on this though it largely continues apace.

I think I've hit on a productive use for our navy. We need to establish nursery, non fishery zones in the world's oceans at once. The good professor recommends about 1/3 of ocean area total. It won't be easy. Such zones would soon be teeming with fish and the pressure to get in there would be intense. However, unless we do, the oceans will be near worthless, except for jelly fish, before long.

Many obscure, previously unexploited species are now being taken in such a manner as to seriously disrupt their breeding cycle, i.e., taken before they reach breeding age. Bottom trawling especially should be absolutely banned immediately, with the ban vigorously enforced.

Now is the time, if not us, who?

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Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Excellent subject.

Patagonian Toothfish....also known as Chilean Seabass one of the best tasting fishes out there is dwindling fast. It's still on the market although I am not sure of it's current status. I love it but refrain from buying it or ordering it.

The Monkfish is a common replacement for Chilean Seabass for it's plump texture and high oil content but those too are being fished out of control.

Southern California White Seabass - I participated in research for Atractosion Nobilis for 4.5 years in a hatchery catch and release program developed by OHREP and CA DFG and it turns out that protecting fish spawning areas really has caused the fish populations to bounce back so it works and there's more fish to be caught and turned into awesome steaks and tacos.

The Seafood Watch Guide really is a good guide for those if you seafood people. Stay away from overseas seafood if you can since there is unregulated use of Malachite Green which has been banned in the US for food uses so buy American if you see it

http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp

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1974 240D 3.0L 4(M) - 250K -OM617.910 + 300D FW + Rajay turbo power!
1977 6.9 3(A) - 84k

Thanks for the info. The salmon runs are way down in California this year. I read that they depend on an infusion of cold water from up north to regulate their health and cycles. We know the water is getting warmer up north.

And farmed salmon are a horrible response. They fish the oceans with a vengeance to get the commercially unattractive fish that they feed farmed salmon, thus reducing the food for other fish, real salmon among them no doubt.

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Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

There's an interesting aspect to be known.
Jaques Cousteau, who designed the "Aqualung", the first scuba diving air compressor (or such) in 1943, went somewhere along the Mediteranean to test it. They already took film shots back then.
In an event when they came back, 25 years later, they again took film shots.
The comparison is mind bogling. The underwater live was practically dead, when they came back.

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Salmon is arguably the best fish to eat from a nutritional standpoint. It's dissapointing that their spawning cycles are being interrupted so drastically.

No to mention farmed shrimp is a bad deal too. They have gotten to be very cheap and affordable but it's like a cheap Mc Donalds beef sort of thing in the Phillippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam with the sewage and antibiotics.

I spend my dollars with wild caught US and Canadian shrimp which I think are just as good tasting even if they cost a few dollars more per pound.

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1974 240D 3.0L 4(M) - 250K -OM617.910 + 300D FW + Rajay turbo power!
1977 6.9 3(A) - 84k

Prawm farms are popping up in the US South and they are very, very good. They are more expensive than wild caught.

I wouldn't buy any seafood not from the US. Our state has a rule that the country of origin must be labeled.

Sure, why not use the Navy for that. There are way too many navy personnel doing nothing but scratching their nuts all day long. Send them on Mission Impossible on our taxes. 1/3 of the ocean is a little small. Why not 1/2 of the ocean. Think of the Little Red Hen except where the Hen does the silly thing and shares her bread with the others.

How about this. We send China and India our hippies that want to beat plowshares out of swords and we solve a lot of problems. They are the new industrial powerhouses. Let them convince the Chinese and Indians to go fund the project and we sit back and rake in the benefits. Hamper their economy and give ours a break. So, to answer the question, the new idiots of the block that will pay the way for the rest of the gang who can sit back and not do anything or maybe go and screw with the containment area.

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"Tragedy of the commons."

Yup. And keeping the ever starving and growing masses from overfishing may take an act of God. Literally.

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Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

They are starving? Let them eat cake.

Signed
Yours Agnostically.

__________________
01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

Al animals require food, shelter (habitat) and water for life. They need a mate to perpetuate the species. Deprive an animal of any of those or any combination and animals will always react. Paramecium or human, the reaction differs in scale and type but are the same degree of necessity.

You are frigging clueless. They will take every last bit of protein from the ocean until it rolls over and dies.

3rd world fishermen are already en route to sharply reducing shark populations world wide and this will really muck things up. W/o top predators (polar bears are bound to decline before long) seals and sea lion populations will explode and they eat fish in a big way.

Get ready for seal and sea lion steaks. Yummy.

__________________
Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

The cost would have to be born all around. The real tragedy of this is the taking of fish that are about to reach breeding age, or the taking of most of the existing breeders. Carefully chosen nursery zones would allow protected areas where fish could repopulate and the offspring would eventually migrate.

Not to do this is to court major peril. Those costs will be enormous.

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Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

So get your buddy the UN to organize it. Why should we use our Navy to do it? Find who benefits from it and have them pay for it. We use the US Navy and we lose part of our fighting force and a chunk of our taxes.

__________________
01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

Figure it out dude. Our navy hardware is about the only thing that could actually enforce such a deal. It would have to be an international deal, no doubt.

__________________
Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K