Part 1. How technology found the bounds of the oceans' bounty
As fishing boats and gear have improved, so has a fisherman's ability to find and catch fish - sometimes nearly all of them. In areas like New England, the collapse of fish stocks has forced fishermen to reassess.
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06.10.08 Nowhere to hide: The onslaught of fishing technologyIn the past, sail-powered fishing boats were limited by wind and weather; today’s factory ships, with sonar and GPS, can scour the sea for months. |
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06.10.08 Where did all the fish go?The sea was not so vast, once we deployed an industrial armada against it. Watch video |
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06.10.08 Empty oceans, Part 1: Endless no moreTechnology has bested seas’ bounty, now fishermen adjust to a sea change. Watch video |
Part 2. A shift in the seas: How intensive fishing has changed the ocean in unpredictable - and often unpleasant - ways
Sometimes reluctantly, fishermen have been persuaded to become stewards, not just harvesters. But unregulated high-seas fishing continues to be an ecological disaster.
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06.13.08 Alaska’s ‘golden goose’ is a fishBy branding its wild salmon as gourmet – and banning salmon farms – this fishery is thriving sustainably. |
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06.17.08 Researchers race to save Alaska’s coral gardensUnique, vast cold-water corals contain unknown species, tropical hues – and unexploited stocks of fish. Watch video |
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06.18.08 Alaska fishing: the merits and costs of a tamed frontierThe Bering Sea is no longer ‘wild and free.’ Who’s left out? Watch video |
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06.19.08 How overfishing can alter an ocean’s entire ecosystemWhen you tip the balance, a cascade of other changes may occur. |
Part 3. Seeking solutions
They lie in emerging science, as well as in the ancient past; underwater, and far inland; in the hands of legislators - and in your hands.
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06.19.08 Midocean trawlers mine world’s seamountsUnregulated fishing fleets work fast and deep, but rising cost of fuel may rein them in before laws do. |
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06.24.08 Some coastal woes begin far inlandFarm runoff creates ‘dead zones’ offshore, but no national authority is tasked to address them. |
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06.25.08 Needed: Underwater ‘national parks’Set-asides can restore ocean balance and diversity – but all stakeholders must buy into them. Watch video |
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06.27.08 A holistic approach to saving the seaScientists recognize that species cannot be managed in isolation; management must be based ecosystem-wide – including earth and sky. |
