Fish stocks are declining so rapidly that scientists have predicted that they will disappear by the middle of the century unless radical measures are taken to protect them.

A study of more than 100 fishing regions, published in the journal Science, suggests that if current trends are maintained every seafood species will have collapsed below commercially viable levels by 2048.

Its authors also found, however, that fish stocks and diversity recover quickly when marine ecosystems are managed to prevent overfishing.

Concerns have been raised for several decades over stocks of such fish as cod in the North Sea — but the extent to which species have declined worldwide and mankind’s effects on the Earth’s ecosystem shocked scientists.

“Whether we looked at tide pools or studies over the entire world’s ocean, we saw the same picture emerging,” said Professor Boris Worm, of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada.

“In losing species we lose the productivity and stability of entire ecosystems. I was shocked and disturbed by how consistent these trends are . . . [It is] beyond anything we suspected.”

Researchers found that 29 per cent of fish species have collapsed to, or below, 10 per cent of their original levels over the past 1,000 years. There has been a steep decline since the Industrial Revolution.

Overfishing, pollution and habitat destruction — mostly on coastlines and in coral regions — have been blamed. Researchers assessed catch numbers recorded by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation and the Sea Around Us Project, at the University of Columbia, before concluding that fish stocks will collapse by 2048.

They also analysed human impact on 12 regions, including the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Adriatic Sea, examined archives and sediment cores over a thousand-year period and looked at initiatives designed to promote species recovery. The researchers found that once marine ecosystems receive protection, they quickly recover. Increases in biodiversity were associated with large increases in fisheries production and with increased and lucrative, tourism, they reported.

Profesor Worm added: “It is not too late to turn things around . . . diversity of species recover dramatically and with it the ecosystem’s productivity and stability.”

FISHING, GONE

Fish stocks in North Atlantic are one sixth of levels 100 years ago

Explore World News

• World Agenda

• Iraq News

• US & Americas News

• Europe News

• Middle East News

• Asia News

• Africa News

• Ireland News

Times Recommends

• Michael Jackson: Not the final chapter
• Indian Army spends10m rupees on golf buggies
• Sacha Baron Cohen forced to tone down Brüno