Salmon
One of the most well known type of fish in the Pacific Northwest is the Pacific Salmon. The Pacific Salmon has cultural and economic significance. It also plays a key role in the ecosystem, being a primary source of food for both animals and humans (Lackey, 2003). Over 200 salmon stocks in the Pacific Northwest have been categorized as moderate or high risk of extinction and approximately 150 stocks are labeled as extinct. (Lackey, 2003). Excessive fishing of these salmon has been one the causes of salmon stock decline (Upstream, 1996). |
Tuna
Another very popular fish that is being over-exploited is the Tuna. One of the main reasons it is being over-exploited is due to high demand of this fish for the use in culinary dishes like sushi (SF Watch). Over 50 million tons of tuna have been harvested from the Pacific Northwest region since 1950 (Sibert). The specific type of Tuna fish that is under the most pressure is the Bluefin tuna. The Bluefin tuna has a slow maturation rate; therefore, it takes the fishes longer to reach the stage to even be able to reproduce. Because they are being over-exploited, a majority of the Bluefins do not even reach that stage. (SF Watch). |
Orange Roughy
The Orange Roughy is a specie of fish whose populations have been severely diminished over the years due to heavy fishing and improved techniques in bottom trawling (SF Watch). The reason why they are extremely vulnerable is due to their extremely slow growth rate. It takes them approximately 20 years or more to reach maturation. Because of this, a majority of the fishes do not even make it to the stage where they can reproduce before they are harvested (SF Watch). |
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List of other over-exploited fishes:
Cod: Pacific Crab: Red King Lobster: Spiny Mahi Mahi Rockfish Sardines Sharks Shrimp Squid Swordfish (SF Watch) |