The Unnatural History of the Sea

Howard Wood reviews 'The Unnatural History of Fishing: The Past and Future of Humanity and Fishing' by Professor Callum Roberts.

Written by Howard Wood
Friday, 7 December 2007

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Some scientists predict that fisheries for all the species we exploit today will have collapsed completely by 2050 — in which case it will be goodbye to cod and everything else. Hello, jellyfish for tea! In this unappetising scenario, we'll be left wondering, 'Where did the fish go?' Callum Roberts answers that question in his fascinating historical account of commercial fishing .

He explains that to begin with, there were so many fish in rivers that man only caught freshwater fish but then, as rivers were dammed and access for spawning fish was blocked, fishers turned to the sea for supplies and have never looked back. As technology developed, commercial sea fishing spread from estuaries to coasts, then to the high seas and finally to the deep oceans, causing profound changes to marine life. Graphic accounts written over hundreds of years by explorers and fishermen in diaries and articles give wonderful descriptions of a sea teeming with life so abundant that it almost beggars belief.

Time and time again there were warnings that stocks could be over-fished, but despite evidence that this was true, the lessons were never learned - it was always assumed that there were plenty more fish in the sea. One reason for man's incredible blindness to the consequences of his actions is what Callum Roberts calls “shifting baselines” — the fact that the fishermen of any one generation, together with scientists and governments, only compare the present state of the sea to what they already know. They fail to see the bigger picture.

The roots of modern over-fishing can be found in the late 19th century when the first steam trawlers were built, changing the rules of fishing forever. Trawlers could drag their nets over the sea bed to catch fish. An enquiry into the effects of trawling as early as 1883 charts the shift from a sea bed that was biologically rich, complex and productive into the expanses of gravel, sand and mud that predominate today. The warnings flagged up by that enquiry, and others, were ignored.

The Unnatural History of the Sea is full of detailed historical events and well researched facts, but this is not a dry read. The eloquent style of writing engages the reader in a fascinating journey through time and place, to marvel at how man has conquered the seas while despairing at the way he has decimated them.

However, it is not all doom and gloom. In the last two chapters Roberts makes an upbeat suggestion that we can reinvent our relationship with the sea and halt the decline of fish stocks. He cites examples from all round the world where marine life is recovering, and explains that establishing marine reserves that are 'off limits' to fishing does make a difference and is part of the answer. Animals and fish in these reserves grow bigger and produce more young than those outside. Currents carry these young to reseed adjacent fishing grounds and larger animals emigrate out. It is a win-win situation for fisheries and could not only save our marine environment but also help feed the world’s ever increasing population.

For anyone who has an interest in fishing or the environment — and particularly anyone on Arran who wonders, “What is the point of COAST’s proposal for Lamlash Bay and how it will work?” this book is a must for the Christmas wish list.

THE UNNATURAL HISTORY OF THE SEA:
The Past and Future of Humanity and Fishing,
by Professor Callum Roberts is published by Gaia Books. Price £7.99.

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