ABSTRACT
Marine fish and invertebrates form a substantial part of the human diet, both of the poor and of the wealthy. The ratio of the daily fish protein intake per capita to the total animal protein consumption ranged in the 1970s from about 6 in West Germany through 45 in Japan to about 70 in South Korea. A significant change in the world resources and availability of marine fish and shellfish has taken place. The resources of many traditional species, which formed in the past the basis for large industrial international fisheries, the herring, pilchard, cod, and some tunas, have been largely overfished. The changes in worldwide fisheries policy, as well as general technological progress, caused significant alterations in the development trends in fishing boats and gear, as well as in fishing operations. Increasing pollution of many coastal waters brings about serious risks of contamination of the catch, mainly of valuable shellfish.
