Originally Posted by
DarkSkies
So we'll all agree that giant tuna were targeted and caught since the early 1900s, but only realistically targeted and seriously sought out by increasing numbers of anglers since the 1970's.
This means that from1970 to mid-1980 (last record tuna was caught in 1981 by Jim Dempsey off RI), a period of 15 years or less, was all it took to wipe out the largest tuna.
Tuna that had existed off the Eastern seaboard since the beginning of time, over 200 years according to historical records. And even longer than that if you really think about it.
Wiped out in less than 15 years by overfishing, greed, and Federal mismanagement.
Wow.
Hey Dark, here is a graduate student's research that supports your exact point.
Old Photos Document Dramatic Decline in Trophy Fish Size
February 18, 2009 • 10:04 am
By Adam Monacelli
Loren McClenachan, a graduate student at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego,
estimates that large predatory fish have declined in weight by 88 percent in modern photos compared to black-and-white shots from the 1950s. The average length of sharks declined by more than 50 percent in 50 years, the photographs revealed.
Full story. As an interesting side note, McClenachan mentions in her paper that the price of sport fishing trips has not declined in conjunction with the size and weight of the caught fish. Although trophy fish dropped more than 88 percent in average fish weight, the trip costs remained steady, ranging from $40 to $48 per person (adjusted for inflation), per day between 1956 and 2007.
http://blogs.courierpostonline.com/f...hing-pictures/