Will the ocean ever run out of fish? - Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Jennifer Jacquet

譯者: Szu-Wen Kung 審譯者: Jingjing ZOU

Fish are in trouble.

魚兒的麻煩大了

The cod population off Canada's East Coast collapsed in the 1990s,

加拿大東海岸的鱈魚數量 在 90 年代大幅縮減

intense recreational and commercial fishing

密集的休閒與商業捕魚

has decimated goliath grouper populations in South Florida,

重挫南佛羅里達州的大型石斑數量

and most populations of tuna have plummeted by over 50%,

鮪魚數量也大幅減少超過 50%

with the Southern Atlantic bluefin on the verge of extinction.

南大西洋的黑鮪更面臨絕種

Those are just a couple of many examples.

這都只是冰山一角

Overfishing is happening all over the world.

過度捕撈全球比比皆是

How did this happen?

為何會發生這種情況？

When some people think of fishing,

有些人想到釣魚

they imagine relaxing in a boat and patiently reeling in the day's catch.

總想像輕鬆地坐在船上 耐心等待一天的漁獲

But modern industrial fishing, the kind that stocks our grocery shelves,

但現今供給超市架上 魚貨的商業捕撈

looks more like warfare.

其實更像是打仗

In fact, the technologies they employ were developed for war.

商業捕撈使用的科技 是為了戰爭而發展

Radar,

雷達

sonar,

聲納

helicopters,

直升機

and spotter planes

以及偵察機

are all used to guide factory ships towards dwindling schools of fish.

這些用來引導巨型工業漁船 捕撈魚群，致使數量劇減

Long lines with hundreds of hooks or huge nets

多鉤長線或大型漁網

round up massive amounts of fish, along with other species,

一網打盡大量魚群和其他物種

like seabirds, turtles, and dolphins.

像是海鳥、烏龜和海豚

And fish are hauled up onto giant boats,

捕獲的魚被拖撈至大船上

complete with onboard flash freezing and processing facilities.

船上配有魚肉冷凍和處理設備

All of these technologies have enabled us to catch fish at greater depths

種種技術讓人類捕魚的範圍

and farther out at sea than ever before.

比以前來得更深更遠

And as the distance and depth of fishing have expanded,

捕魚的範圍和深度擴大後

so has the variety of species we target.

人類捕撈的物種也變多

For example, the Patagonian toothfish neither sounds nor looks very appetizing.

小鱗犬牙南極魚 聽上去、看起來都不怎麼美味

And fishermen ignored it until the late 1970s.

直到 1970 年代後期 才受到漁民的重視

Then it was rebranded and marketed to chefs in the U.S. as Chilean sea bass,

後來改名為智利海鱸 賣給美國境內的廚師

despite the animal actually being a type of cod.

儘管這種海鱸其實是鱈魚的一種

Soon it was popping up in markets all over the world

沒多久風靡全球

and is now a delicacy.

現在是一道佳餚

Unfortunately, these deep water fish don't reproduce

不幸的是，這些深海魚

until they're at least ten years old,

至少須長到十歲才會繁殖

making them extremely vulnerable to overfishing

過度捕撈使牠們變得十分脆弱

when the young are caught before they've had the chance to spawn.

因在幼魚期就被捕撈 連繁殖的機會都沒有

Consumer taste and prices can also have harmful effects.

饕客的口味和魚貨價格 也會帶來傷害

For example, shark fin soup is considered such a delicacy in China and Vietnam

例如魚翅湯 在中國和越南被視為珍饈

that the fin has become the most profitable part of the shark.

魚翅是鯊魚身上最有賺頭的部份

This leads many fishermen to fill their boats with fins

許多漁民因此船上載滿魚翅

leaving millions of dead sharks behind.

造成上百萬條鯊魚死亡

The problems aren't unique to toothfish and sharks.

不僅是智利海鱸和鯊魚面臨危機

Almost 31% of the world's fish populations are overfished,

全球有將近 31% 的魚群 也遭到過度捕撈

and another 58% are fished at the maximum sustainable level.

另外有 58% 魚群的捕撈 達到永續捕撈的最上限

Wild fish simply can't reproduce as fast as 7 billion people can eat them.

野生魚類的繁殖絕對 無法趕上 70 億人的食用速度

Fishing also has impacts on broader ecosystems.

捕魚也會影響海洋生態系統

Wild shrimp are typically caught by dragging nets the size of a football field

海蝦通常是用尺寸有 一個足球場大的拖曳網

along the ocean bottom,

沿著海床放網捕撈

disrupting or destroying seafloor habitats.

這種方式阻礙或破壞海床棲息地

The catch is often as little as 5% shrimp.

捕撈到的蝦通常只占 5%

The rest is by-catch, unwanted animals that are thrown back dead.

其他一網打盡的海底動物 都被丟棄死亡

And coastal shrimp farming isn't much better.

沿海養殖蝦田的情況 也好不到哪裡

Mangroves are bulldozed to make room for shrimp farms,

挖土機剷掉紅樹林 以空出地方建立蝦田

robbing coastal communities of storm protection and natural water filtration

這讓沿海生態缺少暴風雨的防護網 與天然的濾水系統

and depriving fish of key nursery habitats.

更奪取魚類主要的棲息地

So what does it look like to give fish a break and let them recover?

該如何讓魚喘口氣並恢復生態？

Protection can take many forms.

有多種的保育方式

In national waters, governments can set limits

在國家海域裡政府能制定規範

about how, when, where, and how much fishing occurs,

限制何時何地可以捕撈 與捕魚的數量

with restrictions on certain boats and equipment.

對於特定的漁船與設備也設限

Harmful practices, such as bottom trawling, can be banned altogether,

可完全禁止有害的捕魚方式 如海底拖網

and we can establish marine reserves closed to all fishing

也能建立禁止 任何捕撈行為的海洋保育區

to help ecosystems restore themselves.

以幫助生態系統自行恢復

There's also a role for consumer awareness and boycotts to reduce wasteful practices,

消費者意識也需抬頭抵制 任意捕撈海洋資源的行為

like shark finning,

像是魚翅

and push fishing industries towards more sustainable practices.

同時推動捕魚業實行 更永續的捕撈方式

Past interventions have successfully helped depleted fish populations recover.

過去的干涉行動成功 讓耗盡的魚群復育

There are many solutions.

有許多的解決方式

The best approach for each fishery must be considered based on science,

讓漁業實行的最佳辦法 必須以科學考量為依據

respect for the local communities that rely on the ocean,

尊重需仰賴海洋維生的在地社區

and for fish as wild animals.

同時也視魚類為野生動物

And then the rules must be enforced.

必須強制實施法令規定

International collaboration is often needed, too,

通常也需要國際間的合作

because fish don't care about our borders.

因為魚沒有國界之分

We need to end overfishing.

人類需終結過度捕撈

Ecosystems,

生態系統

food security,

保障糧食供給

jobs,

工作

economies,

and coastal cultures all depend on it.

經濟

及沿海文化全仰賴有節制的捕撈