Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

When will we tame the oceans?

Nature volume 436, pages 175–176 (2005)Cite this article

In fisheries across the world, fish stocks are declining fast. Future preservation and management of the ocean's resources will require a transformation of our relationship with the seas, argues John Marra.

Fishing in the ocean is no longer sustainable. Worldwide, we have failed to manage the ocean's fisheries — in a few decades, there may be no fisheries left to manage1. So what should be done?

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Buy article

Get time limited or full article access on ReadCube.

$32.00

Buy

All prices are NET prices.

References

  1. Pauly, D. et al. Nature 418, 689–695 (2002).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Dalton, R. Nature 435, 1014 (2005).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Naylor, R. L. et al., Nature 405, 1017–1024 (2000).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Diamond, J. Nature 418, 700–707 (2002).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Myers, R. A. & Worm, B. Nature 423, 280–283 (2003).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Pitcher, T. J. Ecol. Appl. 11, 601–617 (2001).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Pitcher, T. J. Fish Fish. 1, 99–103 (2000).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Pikitch, E. K. et al. Science 305, 346–347 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Tilman, D. et al. Nature 418, 671–677 (2002).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Goldburg, R. J. et al. Marine Aquaculture in the United States: Environmental Impacts and Policy Options. (Pew Oceans Com., Arlington, Virginia, 2001).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Baldwin, K. et al. Mar. Technol. Soc. J. 34, 53–67 (2000).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Goudey, C. A. in Proceedings Offshore Technologies for Aquaculture (ed. Biran, A.) 193–202 (Haifa, Israel, 1998).

    Google Scholar 

  13. ICCAT Report of the ICCAT SCRS Skipjack Stock Assessment Session (ICCAT Report SCRS/99/21, Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, 1999).

  14. Bromhead, D. H. et al. A Review of the Impact of Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) on Tuna Fisheries (Dept. of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry, Canberra, Australia, 2003).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

I thank G. Pontecorvo, H. J. Simpson, H. Bates, J. G. Shepard, J. Steele, N. Marra, M. Tobin and D. Bates for comments.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, New York, 10964, New York, USA

    John Marra

Authors
  1. John Marra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Marra, J. When will we tame the oceans?. Nature 436, 175–176 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/436175a

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/436175a

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing