callum roberts

It's easy to believe that overfishing of the oceans is a modern phenomenon, a post-WWII industry dependent on technology and globalization to clear the sea out. While it's true that the last fifty years have seen an enormous decline in marine biodiversity, humans have been effective fishers for centuries. Callum Roberts chronicles old-time fishing in "The Unnatural History of the Sea," but a new discovery too recent to be included in his book demonstrates the fishing prowess of our forebears.

According to a BBC story, the Red Sea used to brim with giant clams that grew on shallow slopes just off shore. According to the fossil record, the clams' population dramatically dropped off with the arrival of humans in the area about 125,000 years ago.

More than a hundred thousand years of overfishing? That makes the wondyrechaun seem positively avant-garde.

Callum Roberts, author of the excellent tome "The Unnatural History of the Sea," has tackled the nexus of ecology and economy in his blog on the Island Press website. Rising fuel costs, it seems, may be a blessing for stressed fish stocks now that many fishing ships can no longer afford to travel long distances for their catch.

I was inspired to write about this issue after reading an essay in Harper's about the fallibility of Gross Domestic Product. But Roberts introduces some concrete facts to put this all in perspective.

"If cod, haddock or flounder find their way onto your plate, the fuel cost of catching them was a third to a half of the weight of your fillet," he writes. "If line caught swordfish or tuna are your favourites, the fuel burnt to catch them was roughly equal to the weight of your fish portion."

Yikes. Fishermen are already protesting high fuel costs, and demand additional government subsidies to cover the difference.

Here at Oceana, we already know fuel subsidies are a bad idea. The fishing industry has depended on $20 billion in government handouts long before fuel costs skyrocketed. Thankfully our Cut the Bait team is already on the case, working hard at the World Trade Organization to ensure that subsidies don't increase - and that fish populations around the world get a much-needed rest.

You may never have heard of a wondyrechaun, but if you've been reading this blog for any amount of time this description should sound familiar.