World Without Fish

In this chapter, Kurlansky explains that the disappearance—or even the dramatic decline—of the top 40 species of commercial fish would threaten biodiversity because species are interdependent. A sudden change of this magnitude would set off a chain reaction that would eventually reach the land and affect humans as well. The most highly evolved species tend to have emerged more recently and are much more fragile than species that have existed without genetic changes for millions of years. In the ocean, these recent species are mammals, such as whales and seals, and fish that have fins and backbones. These species would be affected first, either because they’ve lost a food source or because other species that vanished had hunted other predators that roam unopposed. The disappearance of ocean mammals and fish vertebrates would set off a process in which evolution works in reverse and invertebrates become dominant again.

For example, with larger, more evolved fish gone, mammals such as dolphins and seals would starve. Large whales that feed on krill (tiny shrimp) would survive longer, but because they rely on smaller whales to locate the krill, they would end up competing with humans for krill and eventually die as well. Seabirds would die because they rely on large bottom fish to drive smaller fish toward the surface and on mammals such as dolphins or whales to help find their food. This sequence of events would then harm animals on land, such as the lizards, reptiles, crabs, and insects that eat the food discarded by seabirds, creating another devastating ripple down the food chain on land.

However, some species would survive. The population of plankton, the tiny organisms that drift through the ocean, would explode without the other ocean creatures to feed on it. Large amounts of plankton would die due to overpopulation and create small islands of poisonous, rotting plankton. Jellyfish would also thrive in this new environment because they have survived for 500 million years, and the warmer waters are conducive to their reproduction. Their growing population could reverse the food chain as animals that once hunted jellyfish could become their prey.

On the evolutionary scale, humans are short-lived and, thus, among the most fragile and least likely to survive a reversal in evolution and the chain of life. Kurlansky ends the chapter by reiterating that such a reversal is the worst-case scenario, and if we change how we do things now, this catastrophe can be prevented.

In “The Story of Kram and Ailat: Part 2,” Kram visits an old friend, Serafino, and his two sons, Frank and Salvy. They’re commercial fishermen, and Kram warns them that they shouldn’t be fishing with nets because they’re taking too many fish. Serafino argues that he has to make a living. Serafino notes that cod are gone from the waters, but herring and haddock are thriving. Kram warns that re-ordering the food chain will cause it to collapse. Back on land, Ailat is chasing crabs at the beach, and everyone enjoys a halibut steak at a local restaurant.

Understanding that all life struggles for survival and is deeply interconnected, Kurlansky points out that fishing has always had an effect on marine life—the effect is just determined by the scale and magnitude of the fishing. For the rest of the chapter, he walks through the history of fishing and how it turned into the massive—and destructive—industry it has become.

Prior to the 19th century, in general, fishermen were conscious of not overfishing. They wanted to catch as much as possible while ensuring they maintained fish populations so that they could continue to fish in the future. The invention of the beam trawl—a net suspended from a large beam that dragged the ocean floor—in the 14th century marked a shift in this attitude among some fishermen because it caught fish of all sizes. Because fish continue to grow throughout their lifetime, returning smaller fish to the ocean sustains their populations. Even at the time, many were concerned about the long-term damage this new technology would cause and spoke out against its use. However, there were limitations to beam trawlers’ effect because sail-powered ships couldn’t pull huge nets; they got too heavy when filled with fish.

Things changed drastically in Britain throughout the 19th century when a combination of technological advances vastly increased the capacity of what fishermen could catch. Well boats (ships containing large tanks of sea water) kept fish fresh and allowed fishermen to stay at sea longer; a railway connection between the port at Grimsby and London increased the speed that fish could get to market; and the implementation of steam power meant ships could haul much larger trawls. In the 20th century, oil power replaced steam. After World War II, sonar made locating fish much easier, and fishermen could use cheap plastic nets to drag the ocean floor because they were much cheaper to replace when damaged. At this point, human fishing activity began to reduce fish populations significantly; however, the fishing was so good that fishermen didn’t worry since steam-powered ships allowed them to move to new grounds that were previously unfishable. Again, those who foresaw the danger resisted the new technologies, but trawlers were not banned, and the ocean habitat was changed forever.

In “The Story of Kram and Ailat: Part 3,” Ailat has turned eight, and Kram takes her to the Caribbean to learn to snorkel. Ailat has learned a lot about fish from her dad, and they enjoy seeing the coral reefs and colorful fish. On land, they approach a local fisherman to see the day’s catch, and Kram is surprised that he is selling parrot fish. Kram warns that parrot fish eat algae, and without them, the beach will be covered with it, but the fisherman dismisses him, claiming the need to make a living.