Wednesday, 21 December 2011

HOW MUCH SHOULD A FISHERY BE EXPLOITED?

More than once, I read and heard in various media and official statements that:
"According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 85 per cent of the world’s fisheries are fully exploited, overexploited, depleted, or recovering from depletion-- the highest percentage since FAO began keeping records, and a 10 per cent increase from four years ago".

I wonder how this percentage increase is shared by the different fully exploited, overexploited, depleted, or recovering from depletion fisheries... I also wonder why "fully exploited fisheries" are included in the above total percentage of 85%. 

I think that the normal logic would say that "fully exploited" is the best state of things, provided that the "fully exploited fishery" is sustainably exploited. Why should fisheries remain "under-exploited", which is the only category not included in the FAO's 85%? BTW, FAO itself is not flocking them, but is presenting  separate figures for each category.  Well, advocacy is not science, even when it pretends to be based on it.

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