Pacific fisheries face collapse by 2035: study

Wellington (AFP) Oct 27, 2010 – Pacific island fisheries face collapse in the next 25 years as overfishing, population growth and climate change threaten one of the region’s main economic resources, a study warned Wednesday. The report, [pdf] published by the Noumea-based Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), said the two billion US dollar a year industry was poorly managed, with a lack of coordination between the 22 island nations in the region. It warned some types of tuna were already being dangerously overexploited and the problem would spread to other species as foreign fleets clamoured for access to rich fishing grounds amid a global fall in fish stocks. “There is a dangerous misconception that these resources will always be there but this is not true,” the report said. “If changes are not made now, the road ahead could be a bleak one.” The study said coral fisheries were particularly vulnerable to climate change, which not only affected fish stocks but also threatened the coral reefs that are a major tourist drawcard for many Pacific island nations. “Attempts to mitigate the effects of climate change at the fisheries level are likely to be futile,” it said. “Adaptation to changes will be the key to maintaining the flow of benefits from fisheries.” In addition, it predicted growing populations in island nations — set to rise by 50 percent to 15 million by 2035 — would fuel demand for fish, increasing the risk of unsustainable practices. …