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| Analytical Overview |
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| The analysis is based on fish landings data collected between 1950 and 1997 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). During recent decades, many world continental shelf areas have passed their peak in terms of productivity (metric tons/km² continental shelf) with a subsequent decline in multispecies catches. |
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| Periods of Peak Fishery Catches and Declines Since the Peak Year |
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Map Projection |
Geographic |
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Map Description |
The last 50 years has seen an unprecedented geographic expansion and increase in fishing intensity by industrial fleets from the core areas in the North Atlantic and North Pacific, to areas that were unexploited or underexploited in the 1950s. This map illustrates the pattern of the expansion. Peak catch took place in the North Atlantic before the 1970s, and as exploitation pattern shifted towards more underexploited areas Eastern Pacific and Central Atlantic reached the peak during the 1980s. The pattern has further extended into South and Western Pacific in 1990s. The percentage in each area reflects the decline in the fish catch from the peak year to the latest catch estimates in 1997. |
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| Citation: |
| World Resources Institute - PAGE, 2000 |
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| Sources: |
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 1999, Yearbook of Fishery Statistics - Capture Production 1997.Rome, Italy:FAO.
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 1999, FAO Fishery Statistics Database - FISHSTAT Plus Software.
Available On-line at: Source Link.
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