Why are seafood supplies in trouble? What is causing populations of fish to decline? One of the largest concerns is overfishing, or taking fish out of the water before they reproduce to sustain healthy population sizes. The more efficiently we catch the fish, the more populations shrink, until the fish are depleted.

A May 13, 2003 article in the scientific journal Nature sums it up: Since the advent of industrialized fishing efforts, we have fished 90% of large fish, such as tuna, swordfish and cod. Scientists warn that we are now fishing the last 10% of these populations.

Can the oceans keep up? While populations of fish and other marine life continue to decline, demand for seafood is increasing. A growing global population, increased awareness about health benefits of eating seafood, and modern technologies delivering seafood across the globe to doorsteps in a day are all contributing to concerns that oceans cannot keep up with demand. As we efficiently remove the fish, there simply won't be enough fish left to support a healthy, viable fishing industry.