Half of world鈥檚 oceans harvested by fishermen
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The world鈥檚 most comprehensive analysis of shipping data shows industrial fishing is taking place across more than 55 percent of the oceans, with scientists saying the information could help to conserve stocks and assist local fishermen.
By crunching 22 billion messages sent by vessels鈥 automatic identification systems (AIS) between 2012 and 2016, researchers identified more than 70,000 ships and could pinpoint, where and for how long they were fishing.
The researchers, who included members from Google and the National Geographic Society, said the study provided 鈥渁n unprecedented鈥 ability to better manage the oceans鈥 resources.
鈥淭his new real-time data set will be instrumental in designing improved management of the world鈥檚 oceans that is good for the fish, ecosystems and fishermen,鈥 said researcher Chris Costello of the University of California Santa Barbara.
Overfishing and illegal fishing by commercial vessels inflict significant damage on fisheries and the environment, and take food and jobs from millions of people in coastal communities who rely on fishing, environmental groups have said.
Global demand for fish is increasing, while nearly 90 percent of world stocks are overfished or fully exploited, the United Nations鈥 Food and Agriculture Organization says.
The study was published in the journal Science last week, and showed that ships fished less in places where stocks were better managed.
Researchers said that meant well-enforced policies could combat over-exploitation.
But because only large vessels must have AIS, and as parts of the ocean are not covered by satellites, researchers said the true extent was likely to be higher than 55 percent.
Heavily fished areas include the northeast Atlantic, northwest Pacific and areas off South America and West Africa.
The Southern Ocean, parts of the northeast Pacific and central Atlantic oceans, and the exclusive economic zones of many island states, showed much less activity 鈥 which could offer the chance to conserve marine life cheaply.
鈥淭he world鈥檚 oceans are the ultimate common resource,鈥 said David Kroodsma, the study鈥檚 lead author and a director at Global Fishing Watch, a project focused on fishing resources.
鈥淭hey cover 70 percent of the planet, produce half of the oxygen that we breathe and they鈥檙e a major protein source for hundreds of millions of people,鈥 he added.
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