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Callum Roberts

The Unnatural History of the Sea: The Past and Future of Humanity and Fishing (Gaia Thinking) Paperback – January 1, 2007

by Professor Callum Roberts (Author)

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Professor Callum Roberts Unnatural History of the Sea (Paperback 2007) There is a crisis evolving because of over-fishing. Some predict that at current levels, all major fish stocks will have collapsed by 2050.

Print length

392 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Gaia Books
Publication date

January 1, 2007
Dimensions

5 x 1.1 x 7.76 inches
ISBN-10

1856752941
ISBN-13

978-1856752947
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Callum Roberts
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Gaia Books (January 1, 2007)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 392 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1856752941
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1856752947
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.3 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 1.1 x 7.76 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,747,724 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #326 in Fisheries & Aquaculture (Books)
- #2,344 in Environmental Policy
- #7,856 in Environmentalism

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94 ratings

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Callum Roberts

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Callum Roberts is a marine scientist and conservationist at the University of York in England and author of The Unnatural History of the Sea. His book charts the effects of 1000 years of hunting and fishing on ocean life and won the 2008 Rachel Carson Environment Book Award of the Society of Environmental Journalists. Callum’s research has revealed the extraordinary rise and fall of fisheries over the last 200 years, but also shows how life can make a remarkable comeback after protection is granted. His team at York provided the scientific case for the world’s first network of high seas marine reserves in the North Atlantic that in 2010 placed nearly 300,000km2 of ocean under protection. Callum works with many environmental charities and is a WWF UK Ambassador, trustee of Seaweb, Fauna and Flora International and Blue Marine Foundation, and advisor to Save our Seas. His next book, The Ocean of Life, explores how the oceans are changing under human influence and will be published in 2012.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5

94 global ratings

5 star		79%
4 star		9%
3 star		4%
2 star		5%
1 star		3%

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Kelly Howard

Should be required reading for anyone w/anything to do w/seafood

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 31, 2010

Verified Purchase

As a biologist with particular interest in fish & other aquatic organisms, this book was not so much an eye-opener as a confirmation of my worst fears. Particularly now, with oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico unchecked for over a month, much, much more needs to be done to control overfishing & other ecological disasters that threaten to wipe out fish.

The book does an excellent job of putting into perspective the impacts of overfishing, and should be required reading for everyone who's ever eaten a fish, fished, and all governmental folks associated with regulation & oversight. I find it terrifying that we humans are so good at destroying things that laws were enacted as early as the 1400-1600s to try & keep fish species from disappearing....& that we're so incredibly bad at learning that we keep doing the same, short-sighted & moronic destructions over & over again. The ocean is such a complex system of organisms & physical factors, that we simply have no idea what repercussions there will be when we overfish*, or if populations can recover once devastated.

The author backs up his facts with extensive historical research, and lays out those facts with unadorned, readable prose. I wish more people would read this book. I wish it weren't so depressing....but the information needs to be out there.

*or destroy huge swaths of critical habitat, such as coastal marshes (it may be that BP will be responsible for the final destruction of New Orleans & much of the rest of the Gulf Coast; a while from now, when a major hurricane slams into the coast after those marshes are gone, it's impact will be enormously greater).

3 people found this helpful

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David J. Wilson

How easy it is to ruin an ocean!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 30, 2012

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Many years ago biologist Garrett Hardin made the phrase "tragedy of the commons" a part of our vocabulary as he eloquently described how and why resources held "in common" are inevitably over-exploited and destroyed. Callum Roberts's excellent book The Unnatural History of the Sea documents in grim detail the various ways the tragedy of the commons has played out in the world's fishery resources. For centuries the human race has quickly and systematically destroyed every fishery it was technologically capable of destroying. The efforts of governments to prevent this have, in general, been both ineffective and too late. And fishing technology has become more and more destructive and wasteful, particularly as modern trawlers destroy bottom habitat by essentially bulldozing it and waste vast quantities of "by-catch"--non-target species that are simply thrown away. Roberts sees one positive development in the establishment of a few small marine reserves--no-fish zones in which pools of breeding stock can be maintained. Whether these marine reserves will become sufficiently large and extensive to provide adequate restocking of fisheries resources is anybody's guess, as one can anticipate on the basis of past experience that poaching pressure and political pressure to open these areas up to legal fishing will be heavy. These pressures can only increase as human population continues to increase to the Malthusian limit.

4 people found this helpful

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Patrick L. Norby

Will we ever learn?

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 3, 2010

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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?

3 people found this helpful

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liberal warrior

A history of man's abuse of the sea

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 17, 2012

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This is a history of man's exploitation of the oceans. It mostly discusses over-fishing. The author utilizes many sources, mostly European, to show that as technology increases, man is able to strip the sea of fish. As various species are not able to maintain populations, fishermen move on to different species from the same fishing grounds or they move to new areas to exploit. The fishing fleets have gotten so good, they can strip out any fish species relatively quickly unless they are regulated.

I would like to see more discussion of the effects of general pollution, and more specifically, CO2 and ocean acidity were not discussed at all. There was only one chapter on coral reefs. The author does not explain why groupers have disappeared from Bonaire despite the fact that the island is a marine preserve. Locals are allowed to fish, though I saw very little activity when I visited in 2009. Also, the author fails to describe the affects of invasive species introduced by man. Of course, including all that would double or triple the size of the book.

Criticisms aside, the history of exploitation by fishing fleets was excellent. Highly recommended!

One person found this helpful

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Shinery.

Factually Inaccurate

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 8, 2022

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Factually inaccurate very early on. Aquaculture was not "invented in France" in the 2000s BCE. It was in practice in Australia and Asia in the 4000s BCE.

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Dominic F. Laniewicz

This is a superb read.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 10, 2014

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Dr. Roberts has written a book that should be required reading for all those who are engaged in making a living from the sea. It shows the deleterious effects of the "law of the commons", where those who harvest the resources bear no responsibility for their impacts upon the environment in which they live. His writing is clear, his research thorough, and his conclusions on the fate of the ocean environment through human misuse are truly frightening. A very good read.

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

TRWEN

Highly recommended

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 10, 2012

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I came to this book after reading Sylvia Earle's books on Sea Change and Why the Planet is Blue....no guilt about plugging these at the same time. Eminently readable and full of historical flash back, putting the present era within the longer perspective. Callum Roberts also features in the DVD The End of the Line, and his cheery smiling face contrasts chillingly with and commensurately increases the import of his message. This book is a must read for all interested in marine life, the future of the oceans and the essential food chain within in. Fish are the basic food of a large proportion of the population of the planet; without fish the food crisis will enter nuclear proportions. The impact of factory fishing cannot be overstated - as a diver I'm always shocked when I enter the waters around the UK (Wales,usually) as I always feel 'something is missing'...it's the fish!! And not only the fish but the variety of life underwater....oh, and the startling increase in jellyfish. Can we eat these? And when you've read this, buy his next book, published this year - 'Ocean of Life'. I promise you if you have any capacity for reason you will listen to the science and concur that we need to act now. Informative and inspiring.

5 people found this helpful

Kindle Customer

Powerful honest and hopeful vision

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 4, 2020

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Great, erudite, all encompassing powerful account of mens destruction of fabulous rich habitats. The latter sections, focus on the tiny number of good news stories, protected vibrant areas of richness Iin marine life that spread. A mix of depressing facts and exciting ideas for the future. A very important book. Thanks Chris Sharpe

Mr. Stuart Andrews

Great content, small print.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 7, 2018

Verified Purchase

Great book, only one problem with the printed paperback as the publisher, ironically Gaia Thinking, has opted to save on the 200% recycled paper used by using a smaller page size and TINY print. Would it really have done any harm to opt for 2 pt sizes larger ? Some people actually want to read all 400+ pages of a book and have not purchased it as a form of room decoration.

Tammy Piper

Brilliantly written history of fishing

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on June 13, 2013

Verified Purchase

I bought this book in preparation of an night class I was to begin teaching in marine science. It is a well written account of the history of fishing from medievil times to present day, the changes in technology and the impact this has had on the target fish species and the ocean environment as a whole. Some chapters are not easy to read but despite the depressing tone of the third section of the book it does finish with a note of optimism. It is written in lay language so non-science folk can follow it easily.

A must for all maritime and nature fans.

Magnus Johnson

A good history of our exploitation of the seas

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on June 14, 2008

Verified Purchase

I was initially put off picking this book up by the fact that it has a commendation from Greenpeace on the front cover. However it 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.

8 people found this helpful

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The Unnatural History of the Sea: The Past and Future of Humanity and Fishing (Gaia Thinking) Paperback – January 1, 2007

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