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Abstract
Recent sharp declines in numerous fish species
and other ocean wildlife have forced serious reevaluation
of old assumptions about the capacity of
marine systems to sustain large-scale taking, especially
when coupled with drastic habitat destruction,
by-catch and food-web disruptions. Achieving
‘sustainable use’ of ocean wildlife is a widely-held
goal, but present capacity to find, extract and
transport marine life to distant markets generally
exceeds the capacity of the exploited species and
supporting ecosystems to recover. The role of fully
protected areas within large marine management
regimes or ‘seascapes’ is becoming recognised as
a vital part of what is needed to restore depleted
populations and ecosystems and maintain their
long-term integrity. Already, some nations have
begun to develop broad management plans for
their Exclusive Economic Zones and to consider
policies governing protection and use of wildlife in
the 60% of the ocean beyond national jurisdictions.
Protection of breeding, feeding and nursery areas,
more realistic catch expectations and development
of non-destructive methods of extraction will help
reverse the present declines. But inevitably, maintaining
or enhancing present levels of food derived
from aquatic animals will depend on identifying and
cultivating the ocean and freshwater equivalents of
cows, chickens and pigs — fast growing, nutritious
creatures that are low on the food chain. These
issues are explored in this paper, together with a
focus on the economic and ecological importance
of marine life other than as marketable commodities.
In particular, the importance of life in the
ocean as essential components of Earth’s ‘life support
system’ is acknowledged and a case made for
maintaining the health of the ocean as a fundamental
requirement for enduring human security.