Fishing 'risks species extinction'

Irresponsible deep-sea bottom fishing in the north Atlantic is risking the extinction of fish species and putting vulnerable eco-systems in danger, marine experts have said.

Many of the deep-sea species targeted by the trawlers or picked up as a by-product of the main catch are already depleted, in some cases endangered, and some populations have fallen to 10% or less of their historical size, a report by the International Programme on the State of the Ocean states (IPSO).

Protection of vulnerable species like cold-water corals and sponge fields is inconsistent across different oceans, states the report, despite a UN resolution agreeing to preserve them.

The full report examining the impact of deep-sea bottom fishing worldwide is published next year but IPSO released the preliminary findings on the northern Atlantic areas ahead of the annual meeting of the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission.

The report's author Dr Alex Rogers said: "The reality is that very little has changed on the water and most of the deep-sea fisheries on the high seas in the North Atlantic remain virtually unregulated despite the threat they pose to vulnerable areas and species in the global commons.

"Many of these fisheries should be closed until better regulation and management can be put in place. Unchecked, we will see irreversible damage to the environment and the permanent loss of some species."

Matthew Gianni of the Deep Sea Conservation Commission said: "The UN resolution was designed to provide protection for vulnerable deep-sea areas in lieu of a moratorium.

"The Regional Fishing Management Organisations (RFMOs) studied in the report have failed to implement it, comprehensively and without exception."

He called for a total ban on the practice in the threatened areas until RFMOs "prove they can fish responsibly".