The story of overfishing is a catastrophic one. Since the 1950s and the onset of industrialised fishing fleets, scientists estimate that the entire fisheries resource base has been reduced to less than 10% worldwide.
The fish that have been hit hardest have been the larger predatory fish such as cod, sharks, halibut, grouper, tuna and swordfish, which according to the Census of Marine Life, have been depleted by up to 90%.
A new graphic, produced by designer Sam Slover, has attempted to illustrate the impact of this change. Using data produced by the University of British Columbia, in the US, he shows how humans are effectively fishing down the marine food chain, with significant drops in larger fish and rises in numbers of small foraging fish such as sardines and anchovy previously preyed upon.
– Full page version of the overfishing graphic
