Anchovy pizza can save fish populations

William Atkins
Sunday, 20 February 2011 23:55

Science - Biology

A Canadian study out of the University of British Columbia states that people should reduce their consumption of tuna, cod, grouper, and salmon (predator fish) and increase their eating of herring, sardines, and anchovies (forage fish).

The February 18, 2011 press release from the University of British Columbia (UBC) is entitled 'Eat more anchovies, herring and sardines to save the ocean's fish stocks.'

Why do they say that? And, why would eating more anchovy pizzas help our wild oceans over the long-term?

Please read on.

These Canadian researchers said this because they surveyed over 200 marine ecosystems around the world and found that predator fish such as cod, tuna, and grouper have declined by about two-thirds over the previous twentieth century.

On the other hand, they found that forage fish such as sardines and anchovies have approximately doubled in numbers over this same century.

Predator fish eat forage fish, so if there are less numbers of predator fish (from overfishing by humans)  then forage fish have more chance to survive and multiple.

The UBC press release, from its public affairs office, states, 'Cut back on tuna and salmon and eat herring and sardines if you want to help save the world's fish, says the scientist who led the most comprehensive analysis ever carried out of fish stocks in the world's oceans and how they have changed over the past century.'

Dr. Villy Christensen of the Fisheries Centre at UBC state that predator fish (such as salmon, tuna, grouper, and cod) have had large declines in numbers over the past 100 years. In fact, many of them have declined by over two-thirds during that time.

(Dr. Christensen states on his UBC website: 'No fish is an island.')

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