From the CBC (canada) archives
http://archives.cbc.ca/IDD-1-73-1595/polit...my/cod_economy/
try playing some of the video clips , section 9, " to the last fish" gives a good overview
Fished Out: The Rise and Fall of the Cod Fishery
"While the 1992 and 2003 fishing moratoriums were seen as tough medicine, fishermen were told that the bans were necessary if the cod stocks were ever expected to recover.
But more than a decade after the initial ban the Atlantic cod population continues its free fall.
This CBC Television report looks at new scientific research that suggests decades of overfishing has adversely affected the cod's breeding cycle, leaving them permanently stunted as a result"
"• In May 2003, former DFO scientist Ransom Myers made the cover of the journal Nature with his research into the effects of overfishing on the cod's breeding cycle and genetic structure.
• His research argued that excessive offshore fishing practices had destroyed an entire adult generation of cod in the space of 15 years"
"• As a result Myers said the species' breeding cycle was permanently disrupted, leaving the remaining cod to reproduce at a younger age and smaller size.
• As Myers puts it in this clip, "we've cut the head of off the fishery."
so stop trying to wind me up about theres no overfishing and blaming global warming
From the WWF website
http://www.wwf.org.uk/news/n_0000001871.asp
Cod over-fished despite ban
Tuesday 20 September 2005
Illegal fishing disguised as accidental catch of fish banned from commercial use is threatening to wipe out remaining cod stocks in the Grand Banks off Canada's east coast, warns a new report by WWF.
"This report highlights a key issue and a vital lesson for European fisheries managers hoping for cod recovery in our waters," said Helen Davies, WWF-UK Fisheries Officer.
"If this issue is not tackled soon in the EU cod recovery plan it could have a serious impact on and the UK's fishing economy, which is dependent upon cod."
The Grand Banks fisheries, once home to one of the world's most abundant populations of cod, collapsed in the 1990s, leading to a total fishing moratorium for this species in 1994.
However, the report shows that despite the ban, over 13,000 tonnes of cod and other fish, including American plaice and redfish, are taken every year as bycatch - the accidental capture of non-targeted fish. In 2003 alone, 5,400 tonnes of cod were caught as bycatch in the southern Grand Banks - about 90 per cent of the total population in that area and a 30-fold increase in bycatch since the fishery was closed.
Fishermen usually throw overboard unwanted marine species but are allowed to keep a small percentage of commercially valuable fish caught accidentally, which can be sold for profit. This has led to massive abuse, as many vessels are purposefully operating in areas where fishing of species such as cod is banned but their accidental catch very likely to happen.
The report shows that in some cases, bycatch can make up as much as 80 per cent of the landed catch, leading to huge profit increases.
"When there is a fishing moratorium, most people believe that endangered fish stocks are protected, but this is not the case," said Dr. Robert Rangeley, Director of WWF-Canada's Atlantic Marine Programme.
"The current level of cod bycatch clearly means that this species has little chance of recovery in the Grand Banks."
The WWF report criticises the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) for mismanaging the fisheries under its control. It says that in eleven of these fisheries, where fishing is totally or partially banned because of depletion of their fish stocks, there are little signs of recovery, mainly because of the bycatch issue.
WWF is calling on the Canadian government and other NAFO nations to immediately take measures that will reduce the bycatch of cod on the southern Grand Banks by 80 percent, protect sensitive habitats, such as corals, from fishing, and address overcapacity - too many boats chasing too few fish - which is a root cause for overfishing and bycatch.
Canada has an added responsibility to ensure protection of species such as cod, as much of the Grand Banks waters lie solely within its jurisdiction.
"We need to act swiftly in order to restore the awesome productivity of the Grand Banks region," said Dr. Simon Cripps, Director of WWF's Global Marine Programme.
"If we continue to allow wasteful fisheries practices, fish stocks will never recover and coastal communities will continue to suffer. The government of Canada and NAFO fishing nations must act now in order to save our fisheries."
But I suppose to some its only WWF scare mongering
