Gulf Cod Doomed

[Drachir]

Gulf cod doomed: study

This is depressing, even more so when it is realized that continual fishing was eventually going to destroy these stocks. Politics got in the way of intelligent action as it usually does in spite of warnings of disaster.

 

[sloweye]

this is realy bad news, but i think the link at the bottom of the page to 'Cod recipes' is a bit misplaced

​

 

[Ursa major]

That is truly depressing**. And over on this side of the Atlantic, we've not even gone as far as Canada has in leaving the cod populations to (as we all hoped) recover.








** - so much so that I can't bring myself to type the pun that's just popped into my head.

 

[Drachir]

That is truly depressing**. And over on this side of the Atlantic, we've not even gone as far as Canada has in leaving the cod populations to (as we all hoped) recover.



** - so much so that I can't bring myself to type the pun that's just popped into my head.

What - you can't write a piece about cod?

 

[Ursa major]

No Drachir: the cod have been battered too much already.


(Darp! )

 

[Nik]

Bit like oil...

The less there is, the more it is worth, so economically viable to chase until resource catastrophically collapses...

Also see, 'The Tragedy of the Commons'.
Tragedy of the commons - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Scifi fan]

this is realy bad news, but i think the link at the bottom of the page to 'Cod recipes' is a bit misplaced

I agree with Nik. There's no shortage of chickens or wheat, but there're shortages of fish, which are not privately owned. This is the tragedy of the commons. The best solution is to farm the fish, so that the owners will have incentives to preserve the stocks.

Another example - dogs and cats are in no danger of being extinct, but wolves and tigers are.

 

[ktabic]

The best solution is to farm the fish, so that the owners will have incentives to preserve the stocks.

They already do 'farm'* - there are limits on catches. Unfortunately such limits are set by people who apparently know** what they are doing. For 2005 they recommend a reduction in fishing days of 5% (EU Fisheries Ministry - responsible for encouraging the fishing industry and ensuring the long term future of the industy). The European Commission recommended a 15% reduction. The only people who attempted to even try and work out how many fish are left, the ICES (and the only scientist involved) recommended a complete ban.

Frankly I doubt anything will happen until we get Grand Banks 2 - the predictable sequel. Then it will be to late.

*If you can wholesale destruction farming. Apparently the fishing industry does.
** this being some new use of the word 'know' that I was previously unaware of.