Humans are wreaking havoc on the world's oceans and fish stocks, and are in danger of decimating a crucial food supply, warns a new report to be released today by the United Nations University.
Even if we do a better job of protecting the marine environment, we'll still need to curb consumption, said Peter Sale, the report's co-author and assistant director of the university's Hamilton-based International Network on Water, Environment, and Health.
The report slams current management practices as "ineffective" and says to continue them "will endanger coastal economies and ecosystems that support over one half of the world's population."
Too many fish are being caught, and coastal development, pollution and climate change are destroying spawning grounds and other habitat, the report said.
"The message must be that management is failing miserably," Sale said.
With the planet's population forecast to grow to 9.2 billion from the current 6.7 billion by mid-century, that means even under the best conditions there will be less to go around.
"Fish will become more expensive," Sale said. "That's the driver that will limit consumption."
Canada and other nations have established protected areas along their coasts. But regulations are poorly enforced, Sale said.
"As a country, we get by looking pretty good, but only because we have vast areas that are underpopulated. Where we have people, we're doing a terrible job."