The text on this site is presented as an archival version of the script of "Ocean Planet," a 1995 Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition. The content reflects the state of knowledge at the time of the exhibition, and has not been updated.

Too many people chase too few fish

Fish catch has fallen worldwide since the late 1980s §.

In many places, heavy fishing pressure and environmental problems have forced governments to limit or halt fishing until fish populations can recover. Overfishing transforms marine ecosystems and also costs people jobs and income §.


Fishing boats, Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, Washington
photo © Wolfgang Kaehler

Reel in the facts on commercial catches

Most of the world's commercially important fish species are fished to capacity or depleted §. Valuable fishes that once furnished the livelihood of fishermen worldwide are nearly gone, replaced by species of much lower commercial value. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization issues status reports based on the past 25 years of fisheries statistics §.

Current Status:
Status based on 1992 data from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
Illustrations © Tim Phelps

King Crab
northeastern Pacific §
Depleted

Atlantic Cod
northeastern Atlantic§
Depleted to Overfished

Haddock
northwestern Atlantic§
Depleted to Overfished

Salmon
northeastern Pacific§
Overfished to Steady

Silver Hake
northwestern Atlantic§
Abundant

Bluefin Tuna
Atlantic§
Depleted

Shrimp
east central Pacific§
Overfished to Steady

Atlantic Redfish
northeastern Atlantic§
Overfished to Steady

Alaska Pollock
northeastern Pacific§
Overfished to Steady

Pacific Halibut
northeastern Pacific§
Overfished to Steady

Atlantic Mackerel
northeastern Atlantic§
Overfished to Steady

Albacore Tuna
Pacific§
Overfished to Steady

On the Brink

Bluefins are going the way of the buffalo

Bluefin tuna is one of the most economically valuable and exploited fish in the sea. A single bluefin can bring as much as $20,000 at U.S. docks. The number of adult bluefins in the Western Atlantic is estimated to have dropped almost 90 percent since 1970. §


Mattanza! (landing a giant bluefin tuna), Favignana, Italy, 1990 Bluefin tuna are migratory and among the largest and fastest marine fish. An adult may weigh 1500 pounds (680 kg) and can swim in spurts of up to 55 miles per hour (88.6 kph). §
photo © Jeff Rotman


Frozen tuna, Tsukiji fish market, Tokyo, Japan, 1993 Bluefin tuna is a highly prized delicacy in exclusive Japanese sushi restaurants.
photo © Jeff Rotman

Under Control

Fish farmers raise their own catch

Raising saltwater finfish, shellfish, crustaceans, and seaweed is a growing business. Marine aquaculture provides more than 15 percent of total fish production worldwide. §


Farming Atlantic salmon, Faroe Islands, Denmark, 1991
photo © Jos‚ Azel/Aurora

Coast Guard cutters patrol the coasts

Under the Magnuson Fisheries Conservation and Management Act, U.S. Coast Guard crews may board domestic and foreign vessels in U.S. coastal waters to enforce fisheries laws. Violators can be fined, and their gear and catch seized. The Coast Guard checks on sizes of fish and lobsters caught, gear and net-mesh size, use of turtle excluder devices on shrimp nets, and other activities.


Checking the mesh size of a fish net Nets with improper or illegal mesh size capture and kill younger fish and non-target species.
photo © U.S. Coast Guard

More Information:

Ocean Planet Exhibition Floorplan

gene carl feldman (gene@seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov) (301) 286-9428
Judith Gradwohl, Smithsonian Institution (Curator/Ocean Planet)