ABSTRACT
Marine fisheries, once considered inexhaustible, are presently under severe stress. Marine fishing has transformed from a means of livelihood to an industry, and there is now a scientific consensus that the fisheries sector has been plagued by problems of overexploitation and pollution. Overfishing in the global fisheries was confirmed by the fact that there has been an annual decline in world fish catch of 0.36 million tonne per year since 1988 (Watson and Pauly 2001). The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations estimates reveal that 70 per cent of the world's fish stocks are affected by overfishing. Increasing adoption of destructive fishing techniques like bottom trawling further threatens marine wildlife and ecosystems. Recent predictions indicate that if global fishing activities continue at the present pace, there will be a ‘global collapse’ of all species currently fished, possibly around 2048 (Worm et al. 2006). 1
