SMH – The Sydney Morning Herald
by Eryk Bagshaw and the Visual Stories Team
More than 90 per cent of the world’s major marine fish stocks are classified by the United Nations as fully exploited, over-exploited, or significantly depleted.
The number of over-fished stocks has tripled over the past 50 years pushing fishing captains and their fleets further out to sea in search of profits from the $600 billion-a-year industry.
Marine conservationists say commercial overfishing is hitting entire underwater ecosystems, creating an imbalance that is harming everything from coral to sea turtles, while reducing the ability of small coastal fishing communities to survive.