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We know overfishing has a devastating impact on the environment, and we've seen weird things happen to fish as a result of a changing environment before, but a new finding has perplexed scientists.
A researcher in Australia, Stefan Walker, has found that fishing may cause the male-female ratio to change in sex-changing fish populations.
Walker saw more sex changes in regions where fish populations were low. This led to more males holding court to fewer females and a drop in the number of eggs laid per square metre of lagoon.
Surprisingly, instead of freeing up resources for the fish to thrive and reproduce more, a reduced population seems to be a trigger for the population to reduce even further.
Bad news for fishermen
The trend is likely to affect at least 70 species of reef fish, including many that are commonly caught. So the bad news for fishermen and fish-eaters: the solution is not to impose fishing quotas, because Walker believes that any decrease in population triggers the problem. To better maintain population density, the answer is to create marine protected areas.
A pretty sensible answer, considering it's something so many other species would appreciate, too.
More about fish and the environment:
Keep Fish off Drugs: Don't Flush Your Pills
Overfishing Means Marine Animals Are Starving: Report
Fish Oil Supplements--Want PCBs With That?
