Customer Reviews

The Unnatural History of the Sea

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Callum Roberts has crafted an excellent overview of the history of human exploitation of the sea. The title chosen for the book is excellent. If it were titled "The Natural History of the Sea" you could expect to read about marine bio-diversity, and how marine species interact with each other.

The title, "The Unnatural History of the Sea," however, is a good indicator of the content of the book. The book is divided into three main sections.

Section one introduces the reader to the history of human exploitation of the sea for food and profit. That overview includes references to historical documents that give insight into the diversity and densities of marine species. It includes chapters on what happened in European waters, the lure of largely unexploited fishing grounds in the new world, and the development of the global commercial fisheries for groups including cod, whales, and seals, as well as the advent of industrialized fishing.

Section two of the book is titled "The Modern Era of Fishing." In this section you are provided with example after example of the pattern of overharvesting, moving to new fishing grounds, and the subsequent development and application of new fishing technologies. This section details decimated fisheries, fish population crashes, the decline of coral reefs, and the ongoing rush to capture all we can while there is still something left to fish.

Finally, the third section of the book presents an overview of current fisheries policies, and a proposal for a new direction that could save global fisheries.

The book deserves and demands to be read by anyone interested in the sea, as well as by those involved in developing and implementing fisheries policies.

By the way, if you are like me, you will be hooked by the first story in the first chapter...it tells about of the discovery and subsequent demise of the Stellar Sea Cow, a large, docile marine mammal that once lived along the northern Pacific coast of North America. Sadly, that mammal didn't survive more than a few decades after its discovery. Get a copy of the book and find out why.

I look forward to introducing this book to my marine biology and ichthyology students!

Five stars all the way!

The problem with the oceans is that you can't see what's going on down there. Foresters can count trees, birdwatchers have "life lists", but fishery managers can only weigh a catch and guesstimate the numbers. That's the fish that are landed - those and other life caught in nets or hooks disappear uncounted and unreported. "Counting" fish has been a problem since ancient times and the sea has remained a realm of mystery right up to the present. Ironically, as Callum Roberts points out in this informative study, it's those who have harvested sea life - often in immeasurable quantities, who have helped reveal something of what goes on beneath the waves.

Roberts understands the need for fishers. Sea life is a substantial form of protein, particularly when land animals are expensive or unattainable. Men have fished from shore, from coast-hugging boats and from ships drawing a wide variety of gear through the water seeking dinner for demanding thousands. Anyone casting into the nearest river or lake will describe fish as "fickle", unresponsive to the most adroitly placed lure. Ocean fishers, however, trailing extended nets or other gear have the same complaint for other reasons. Where have the fish gone? Roberts points out that human fishing of the seas has undergone three revolutions - trawl nets in the 14th Century, steam power, and deep ocean fishing in the 20th Century. Each of these revolutions was a step in finding the missing fish. Each has proven a way to exhaust the ocean's bounty in a short time. The fish have disappeared.

As he tours through time and place, the author portrays the greed and unreflecting view of fishers, government and even science. There's a great irony in this story in the person of Thomas Henry Huxley, Darwin's champion in expanding recognition of the theory of natural selection. Huxley, in a British government enquiry into how "beam trawls" affected fishing, firmly declared that stirring up the bottom with weighted nets actually brought up nutrients for the fish. Their numbers would increase from the practice, not diminish! Such was the state of knowledge of the seas only a century and a half past. Knowledge has improved but little in the ensuing time period, and what has been learned has been even more detrimental to the fish. Powerful ships, huge, heavy nets and sonar have given fishers valuable tools in locating shoals. Yet, the number of fish available is clearly diminishing. Why is that?

The chief reason is failure to understand the ecology of the seas. Counting catch methods tend to focus on single, usually prime species. The effect of removing large numbers of these is too poorly known. It has long been assumed that removing the larger individuals allows more opportunity for the younger fish to feed and breed. Is that a valid belief? In Canada, over a decade after a "moratorium" on cod fishing, the stocks have not recovered. One reason seems to be that older fish, knowing the spawning sites for their group - and each site apparently has its own group - aren't there to show the youngsters the way. Other fisheries have depleted the cod's prey species, keeping the existing fish small and resource deprived. Similar circumstances occur in other locations. The dredging of sea bottoms has turned food chain foundations into oceanic deserts. This seems particularly true around seamounts, which Roberts terms "refuelling stops" for large predator species such as tuna. In effect, present fishing methods are eliminating parts of the food chain - from bottom-feeders to the very top - which includes this reviewer and his readers, you. Modern fishing techniques also produce immense amount of "bycatch", undesired species, along with other animals such as turtles and sea birds such as the albatross. Are there solutions to prevent the elimination of many forms of ocean life and restore those links in the food chain?

Roberts' last three chapters deserve the closest study by fishers, international agencies and everybody who eats fish. The numbers he presents are appalling: three-tenths of one per cent of fish stocks estimated for only a couple of centuries ago. Species counts list one "collapse" after another, and bottom trawling has decimated huge areas. There is, however, a cure in the offing. Diving in various areas, the author has seen what can be accomplished by ocean reserves. Originally founded in some cases by researchers experimenting in selected sites, these areas were banned for fishing, in some cases actually fenced off to intruders. The rebounding of stocks, plus the time granted them to grow to substantial size, shows how effective the reserve can be. Projecting from some suggested proposals, Roberts concludes that ocean reserves be established over 30% or more of the seas. That preserved area, in collaboration with seven proposals for new fisheries management could lead to a fully sustainable recovery of fish stocks. It's a formula that requires immediate attention and implementation. Is your government strong enough to assist in this seas-saving project? [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

The sea hosts an amazing array of animals, yet is relatively empty compared to oceans of the past. Scientist Gallum Roberts reveals a history of the sea and charts the disappearance of this marine life in an expose perfect for either college-level libraries strong in marine science or general-interest collections with patrons who enjoy science. This history reveals the roots of a fishing industry that began in the 11th century in medieval Europe, considering how the history of commercial fishing has coincided with the changes of sea life. Firsthand experiences of early explorers, pirates, fisherman and travelers alike are paired with black and white illustrations peppered throughout to trace the demise of marine life in a colorful, lively historical survey.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This book took me awhile to read. As with many books of this kind, it's not a page-turner. In fact, some people might consider it on the dry side given that it is almost 500 pages. It is though, very good writing. The author creates a clear picture of how we have changed both the life and the topography of the seas by using references to old text, scientific research, and his own experiences. While his opinion of how we have changed things is clear throughout the book, he is objective about presenting information which pretty much backs up his opinion.

I've read a lot of science books, and there are two things I really liked about this one:
- A lot of science books are longer than they need to be because the writing is redundant or it contains a lot of superfluous text. All of the information in this book is useful for understanding the author's point.
- Some science books that I've read have contained highly emotional text. (e.g., Song for the Blue Ocean: Encounters Along the World's Coasts and Beneath the Seas) The author of this book does of great job of keeping his emotions out of the text.

The book is long, but I think every bit of it is worth reading, especially if you are interested in an overview of where we stand as far as ocean health and biodiversity.

This review refers to the paperback version, 2007, Gaia thinking.

The author builds a very extensive window on the condition of all marine life over the past 1000 years. His research is based on ancient texts, skipper logbooks, diaries of explorers and in more recent times more comprehensive fishery data and scientific articles. The book is full with citations from all these sources which give the reader a close look on the experiences of those who where amazed by the marine life.

The bounty he describes in the seas from the past are at times hard to imagine. Sturgeons as big as cows in European rivers, fish shoals who push the river water upwards, uncountable numbers of whales in their breeding bay in California. Although it is clear that the author is passionate about marine life, he presents the facts without bias and the book has an extensive reference list at the end.

The book focusses on the central theme of over-fishing and its detrimental impact on the state of all marine life. As the book advances (into time) fishing effort increases and marine life gradually deteriorates. Reading chapter after chapter makes you sad, helpless and angry to see in what dire state we pushed all the seas of the world.

However, the book ends with three fairly brief chapters to restore the balance. The changes in fishery management that the author proposes are quiet surprising but on the same time elegant and more reasonable to achieve compared to current practices. The final chapter is a documented call for extensive world marine reserves. The abundance he describes in some present day reserves is fuelling hope for better times.

If you love the sea, if you love fish or fishing, please read this book.

Only minor point is fairly few pictures in the book, although the old photographs with huge fish caught make up for most of it.

Read it, be shocked and spread the word, so we can fix what was broken.

This is an eye-opening, informative look at the history of the world's fisheries throughout time. From early fisheries in Europe, to the discovery of virgin seas around the world, this book gives a detailed and interesting look at fishing practices including long line fishing, trapping, and trawling. The startling decline of the world's fisheries is discussed with much detail including many examples which were somewhat repetitive. The author also gives hope of reestablishing healthy fisheries by citing many recent changes in nation's policies regarding fishing. This is a well written book that reflects the author's efforts and research. It was written to educate people on the conditions of the oceans. The author also gives a refreshing look at conservation by not simply criticizing the state of the oceans, but by providing a plan that may help reverse the effects of hundreds of years of over-fishing. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in gaining a greater understanding of the history of the world's fisheries.

This book is a very well written history of the condition and exploitation of the oceans and the fish in them. It also describes how man has consistently exploited and decimated fish stocks.

It wasn't just in the last 50 years that this occurred, but goes back hundreds of years to the destruction of freshwater fishstocks in the dammed up and silted in rivers of England and Europe.

The author concludes by making a persuasive case that we need to avert the "tragedy of the commons", and adopt some commensense restrictions on exploitation of the bounty of the sea. The most significant of which will be marine reserves which enable the natural bounty of the sea to recover and spill over into adjoining areas.

I encourage you to read this book, it will change your view of the world we live in.

This book asserts that the sea life we see today is but a shadow of the life that existed in North American waters at the time of The Discovery. As a result of (over)fishing we have seriously depleted fish stocks.

It is hard to argue against this premise. The data imply that populations of many commercial species are down to around 10% of those levels, world-wide.

I live in the Florida Keys. Our reef suffers from the lack of the fishes that are no longer there. There is a telling photograph in the book taken in Key West around 1950-1955. Fish like those may never be seen here again.

I dunno. I love fish -- Mahi, Grouper, Snapper. Surely there is a way to satisfy our need for protein without destroying the sea bottom? We stopped hunting wildlife for food long ago; we farm crops and raise livestock. Can we not do the same for seafood?

Anyone who loves the sea should read this book. The author's style is engaging and kept me turning pages. More maps would be nice, but I have an atlas so no problem.

Until recently, fishery paradigm maintained that the oceans are so vast and marine life so abundant that commercial fishing could never be capable of over-exploitation. "The Unnatural History of the Sea" shows this paradigm is far from the truth. Improved technology, larger fleets, and ever-increasing fishing effort have allowed humans to pursue marine animals to the ends of the Earth and threaten them with extinction. The book presents an exciting view of what the sea once had to offer and a dismal picture of what has been lost. Roberts is careful to point out that, "every fish and meat eater shares responsibility for the losses, and only by working together can we restore the seas' bounty." Anyone who feels a tinge of accountability to the planet should read this book.

Roberts' writing is engaging and keeps the reader coming back for more (despite the somewhat depressing subject matter). The final chapters on conservation could be more effective if they described the role of the general public in conservation along with the roles of politicians and fisheries managers. Dr. Roberts, how can the average Joe help change the course of the seas' unnatural history...besides recommending your book to his congressman?

This book is well researched and wonderfully written with the authors own easy style interspersed with quotations from various well chosen historical sources. He really manages to bring home how much we have changed our marine environment through over-exploitation of its natural resources (fish, whales etc).

I have some issues with the suggestion by the author that management of the ocean is currently split between Marine Reserves (0.6%) and what he calls an "Extensive Exploitation Area" (the rest). Much of this area I am sure could be regarded as Managed Zones (or perhaps "not very well managed zones"). His suggestions for the future management of the sea concur with those of the green fin brigade who think that we need to completely ban fishing from most of the ocean. Many others would suggest that what we really need to do is ensure effective management over all of the ocean in a manner that works with fishermen rather than against them.

I found this to be a really well written and informative book. If you are at all interested in the sea and marine life you should read it.