Africa Geographic May 2006 [antikvár]

editorial u Throughout the world, 25 per cent or 27 million tons of the catch is discarded as bycatch every year -that is the equivalent weight of nearly five-and-a-half million elephants ^^ I recently spent an idyllic weekend with friends and family in a private coastal reserve some two hours north of Cape Town. For three wonderful days we were lost in a place where great sea-sculpted granite boulders formed rocky outcrops and small islands are inhabited by huge colonies of seals and seabirds. Here and there within the sheltered arms of the inner bay, subsistence fishermen went about their business in tiny, colourful skiffs. And we lived off the ocean - linefish bought from the local fisher folk and West Coast lobster (legally caught). The tides came in and the tides went out, and all was well with the world. But it wasn't really, for in the back of my mind lurked another altogether less comforting image sparked by Thomas Peschak's 'The real cost of seafood' (see page 44). Quite literally, the marine world is being devastated by the fishing industry and the reason is that we humans are eating more and more fish. Globally, more than a billion people rely on it as their primary source of protein (in Africa some 21 per cent of animal protein consumption is fish) and, in many parts of the industrialised world, fish and marine crustaceans have become the protein of choice for the wealthy, representing a clean, healthy diet removed from the environmental, moral and other anxieties associated with eating meat and poultry. In top restaurants around the world, seafood dishes are often the most expensive. It is time to disabuse ourselves regarding the consumption of fish. Something is clearly out of kilter when the capacity of global fishing fleets is 30 to 40 per cent higher than the resource can withstand and when, worldwide, US$124-billlon is spent each year in catching US$70-billion worth of fish. You don't have to be an accounting genius to question that one. Government subsidies account for a variance of US$54-billion per year in the form of low-interest loans, access fees for foreign fishing grounds and direct subsidies for boats and operations. Adding to the marine carnage is the bycatch factor - bycatch is the marine life that is caught incidentally to the target species. Throughout the world, 25 per cent or 27 million tons of catch is discarded as bycatch every year - that is the equivalent weight of nearly five-and-a-half million elephants. And that doesn't include the thousands of whales, dolphins, seals, turtles and seabirds that drown after being ensnared in fishing gear. Many powerful NGOs, such as WWF-SA and BirdLife South Africa, see the overexploita-tion of global marine resources as a critical focus of their activities, and much is being done to engage with government and the fishing industry on this issue. We as individuals can also play our part: you will find bound into your copy of Afnca Geographic a handy guide to those fish species of southern Africa that are okay to eat and those that definitely are not. Use it, and the next time you go to a restaurant and order fish, make a fuss if the species on offer fall on the 'don't eat' side of the balance sheet. I also urge our international readers to become familiar with their local marine issues and do the same. Afnca Geographic is editorially and financially independent. It enjoys the support and endorsement of several non-government organisations, but it is not affiliated in any way to these bodies or to any other publishing, environmental or political interest group. Africa Geographic strives to foster an awareness of wildlife, conservation, eco-travel, indigenous cultures and the general environment. It consistently advocates the wisest use of natural resources in a manner that involves and is of real benefit to the people of Africa. Africa Geographic is published 11 times a year.