Hungry Oceans (PDF) - Oceana

OVEREXPLOITED PREY SPECIES
Fisheries targeting prey species have grown dramatically during the past century and are currently overdrawn, leaving
predators with depleted food supplies. Early fisheries targeted only herring, sardines, and menhaden until expanding to
meet the demand for cheap animal feed after World War II, and the more recent demand from carnivorous aquaculture
(IFFO 2006a, Alder and Pauly 2006, Watson et al. 2006). Now more than 88 different prey stocks are caught everywhere
from the tropics to the poles (FAO).
FIGURE 2. Ten Biggest Fisheries in the World
Source: FAO 2006
ANONYMOUS FISH
Prey are known by many names,
in part because they are usually
overlooked. Some are accurate yet
vague, including “small pelagics”
indicating that they are found in open
water, or “schooling fish.” Others
such as “bait fish,” “forage fish,” and
“prey fish” define them by their uses
and fail to include non-fish species
like squid and krill.
Ten Biggest Fisheries in the World
Horeal Vidal Sabatte
Squid fishing
Prey species have
become targets for the
largest fisheries in the
world, as populations of
the bigger fish in the sea
are exhausted (Jackson
2008, Pauly et al. 1998).
Seven of the top ten
fisheries rely on prey fish,
as illustrated in Figure
2, and today's landings
of prey fish are more
than four times those
of 1950 (FAO). More
than 10 million metric
tons of anchoveta alone
are removed from the
ocean every year, made
unavailable as prey to
seabirds, mammals, and
predatory fish.
oceana.org/prey
13