Fish populations around the world are in a continuing decline, prompted by rising fish catches, consumption and trade, finds a new report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. "Most of the world's fishing areas have apparently reached their maximum potential for capture fisheries production, with the majority of stocks being fully exploited," the report warns.

   The biennial survey from the Rome based Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), titled "The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2000" lists 1999 fish catches and fish farming at 125 million tons, up from 122 million tons in 1997 and 117 million tons in 1998.

   But the FAO notes that future increases in fish consumption will have to be met by fish farming, as most wild fish stocks cannot support additional fishing.

   "The production increase of 20 million tonnes over the last decade was mainly due to aquaculture, as capture fisheries production remained relatively stable," the report says. Over the period recorded in the report, 1998 through 1999, aquaculture accounted for 32.9 million tons, compared to 92.3 million tons for captured fish.

   At least nine to 10 percent of the world's marine fish populations are depleted, or recovering from depletion, the report finds. Another 15 to 18 percent are overexploited, and 47 to 50 percent are fully exploited, the FAO says.

   Just 25 to 27 percent of marine fish populations are listed as underexploited or moderately exploited in the report.

   "There is an increasing likelihood that catches from these stocks will decrease if remedial action is not taken to reduce or revert overfishing conditions," the report cautions. "Only then will sustained higher catches be possible."

   Helping depleted fish populations to recover "can be a major undertaking" and may require "drastic management measures in order to revert uncontrolled and excessive fishing pressure," the FAO says.

   The FAO report notes repeatedly that information about many fish populations, both marine and freshwater, is incomplete. For many species, there is little or no information on how abundant the fish were in the past, and current data is difficult to collect. It is impossible, the FAO says, to make definite predictions about how these populations are faring or whether they are in danger of depletion.

   "There is a shortage of general information on the relationship between the state of marine ecosystems and fishing," the report notes. "Broad indicators of change are available from data on capture fisheries production in the major fishing areas but it is usually difficult to separate changes in exploitation patterns from changes in the underlying ecosystem."

   More research, better data gathering techniques, and better cooperation between fishers, researchers and managers are needed to determine which fish species need further protection, the FAO said.

   "It is becoming increasingly clear that effective fisheries management, at both the policy making and the implementation stages, depends critically on consensus and participation that utilize objective and reliable reporting of fishery status and trends," the report says.

   To help protect and restore threatened fisheries, the FAO recommends increased use of management tools such as catch limits and selective gear that avoids catching unwanted or undersized fish.

   "Diversifying fisheries by encouraging vessels to exploit underutilized resources where these are available is seen as the best alternative to fleet reduction," the report notes, "even though such resources are very scarce and, without control of the fishing effort, cannot be exploited sustainably."

   Improving the efficiency of post harvest processing is seen as a way of developing the fishing industry without increasing harvests, the FAO says. "As well as reducing losses through poor handling, improved processing can raise the value added of fish products and establish uses for otherwise discarded catch."

   Meanwhile, demand for fish continues to grow. In developing countries particularly, fisheries management is focused on the role that fisheries play in employment and food security for some of their poorest people, rather than on the health of the fisheries, the report notes.

   In the United States, the number of fish populations in need of stronger conservation has increased for the fourth year running, despite laws requiring federal fisheries managers to stop overfishing and rebuild overfished stocks. The number of fish stocks in jeopardy jumped from 98 to a record high 107, according to the new Department of Commerce year 2000 "Report to Congress: Status of Fisheries of the United States."

   These include such popular commercial and sport fish as red snapper, summer flounder, and Atlantic swordfish. The U.S. report is available HERE

   The Marine Fish Conservation Network (Network), a national alliance of 100 top environmental organizations and fishing associations, believes the government should work aggressively to reverse that trend.

   "This report clearly demonstrates that our nation's fisheries laws must be strengthened and vigorously enforced," said Lee Crockett, the Network's executive director. "The National Marine Fisheries Service has a four year old mandate from Congress to halt overfishing and rebuild America's fisheries. The number of fish stocks in trouble should be going down, not up."

   Worldwide, about one billion people rely on fish and other marine species as their main source of animal proteins, the FAO reports. About 20 percent of the world's population derives at least 20 percent of its animal protein intake from fish, and some small island states depend on fish almost exclusively.

   Since 1961, demand for fish has been growing at twice the rate of human population growth. If that growth rate continues, it can only be met by boosting the yield from fish farms, the FAO finds.

   Currently, two thirds of the fish brought to the table come from wild caught marine and freshwater populations. The remaining one third comes from aquaculture, or fish farming.

   But aquaculture still faces a number of problems. Among these are environmental impacts such as pollution and loss of habitat for wild species, diseases and introduction of invasive species, and access to the technology and financial resources for the poor, the report says.

   Even so, fish farming, combined with more efficient use of wild caught fish, could be a crucial tactic in meeting the food needs of a growing human population.

   "Aquaculture is seen not only as having greater development potential than capture fisheries, but also as an important tool for increasing food security," the FAO notes. "Many countries have identified a future shortfall in the supply of fishery products and support aquaculture development in order to avoid the importation of scarce fishery products."