Chapter by Chapter Summary
Introduction
"Most of the fish we eat, most of the fish we know, could be gone in the next fifty years" (Kurlansky XI).
A World Without Fish starts out with this statement. This quote is what the whole book is about; the possible extinction of fish, why this could happen, and what we as humans can do about this. The introduction chapter of this book contains very important and interesting information on fish. Mark Kurlansky mentions the organism organization system in the introduction chapter as well: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species. He also mentions some thoughts that Charles Darwin recorded in his book On the Origin of Species. Kurlansky also pondered why humans have no trouble killing animals that are part of our own Kingdom, Phylum, and Class but not of our own species. He says that vegetarians do not do this, however they also do not care about killing organisms in other Kingdoms as well. The ideas in the introduction are very interesting and create a spark for the fire that is A World Without Fish.
A World Without Fish starts out with this statement. This quote is what the whole book is about; the possible extinction of fish, why this could happen, and what we as humans can do about this. The introduction chapter of this book contains very important and interesting information on fish. Mark Kurlansky mentions the organism organization system in the introduction chapter as well: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species. He also mentions some thoughts that Charles Darwin recorded in his book On the Origin of Species. Kurlansky also pondered why humans have no trouble killing animals that are part of our own Kingdom, Phylum, and Class but not of our own species. He says that vegetarians do not do this, however they also do not care about killing organisms in other Kingdoms as well. The ideas in the introduction are very interesting and create a spark for the fire that is A World Without Fish.
Chapter 1
"Without large bottom fish to drive the small fish to the surface, seabirds would die out." (Kurlansky 8)
Chapter 1 of A World Without Fish is all about fish and the history of this Class. It names some fish that are at risk of extinction currently. These fish were most likely a food source to another animal, which makes that animal then die out. This cycle goes on until all of the fish are gone. Luckily, the jellyfish could survive all of this. They are well adapted because they have been on the Earth since the Cambrian period. Jellyfish are "the cockroach of the sea", and are actually a highly evolved type of plankton. They can eat a wide variety of things, and when there is not enough food they are capable of making themselves smaller in order to need less food. The jellyfish population has been under control, but if fish started dying off the population could increase rapidly. Also, prehistoric bacteria could flourish in a world without fish. All of these events could potentially happen if humans did nothing, and this means humans must do something.
Chapter 1 of A World Without Fish is all about fish and the history of this Class. It names some fish that are at risk of extinction currently. These fish were most likely a food source to another animal, which makes that animal then die out. This cycle goes on until all of the fish are gone. Luckily, the jellyfish could survive all of this. They are well adapted because they have been on the Earth since the Cambrian period. Jellyfish are "the cockroach of the sea", and are actually a highly evolved type of plankton. They can eat a wide variety of things, and when there is not enough food they are capable of making themselves smaller in order to need less food. The jellyfish population has been under control, but if fish started dying off the population could increase rapidly. Also, prehistoric bacteria could flourish in a world without fish. All of these events could potentially happen if humans did nothing, and this means humans must do something.
Chapter 2
"Once the order of nature is understood, that all life struggles for survival and is interconnected with the rest of life, it becomes clear that fishermen taking fish from the sea always had an impact on marine life." (Kurlansky 22).
Chapter 2 points out how humans first got in to fishing. Mark Kurlansky also notes the technologies used in fishing from the start, including the beam trawler. The beam trawler caught a lot of fish; too many, in fact, but people did not know this at the time. The beam trawler seemed to be a good idea in the beginning, but then humans started to see the negative effects. This chapter is vital for understanding why we fish today and how we got the fishing technologies that are harmful to the Earth.
Chapter 2 points out how humans first got in to fishing. Mark Kurlansky also notes the technologies used in fishing from the start, including the beam trawler. The beam trawler caught a lot of fish; too many, in fact, but people did not know this at the time. The beam trawler seemed to be a good idea in the beginning, but then humans started to see the negative effects. This chapter is vital for understanding why we fish today and how we got the fishing technologies that are harmful to the Earth.
Chapter 3
"The large-scale killing of fish that haven't yet reproduced will in time destroy them, and that's exactly what happened to the orange roughy populations." (Kurlansky 48).
This chapter is about the orange roughy and how what happened to that species could very easily happen to others. The orange roughy was a fish named after the bright orange color it turned when it dies. This species, however, had another distinct trait. The orange roughy species was estimated to be able to live until they were about 150 years old. The problem with this was that this fish grew very slowly over the course of its life. It was not even capable of producing offspring until it was twenty years old. Ten years after the discovery of this fish, the Australian orange roughy population was only ten percent of what it was originally. When the population ran out in Australia, fishermen looked for it in other areas, and eventually found and killed the rest of the orange roughies. The orange roughy served an example of what could happen in the future of the Earth.
This chapter is about the orange roughy and how what happened to that species could very easily happen to others. The orange roughy was a fish named after the bright orange color it turned when it dies. This species, however, had another distinct trait. The orange roughy species was estimated to be able to live until they were about 150 years old. The problem with this was that this fish grew very slowly over the course of its life. It was not even capable of producing offspring until it was twenty years old. Ten years after the discovery of this fish, the Australian orange roughy population was only ten percent of what it was originally. When the population ran out in Australia, fishermen looked for it in other areas, and eventually found and killed the rest of the orange roughies. The orange roughy served an example of what could happen in the future of the Earth.
Chapter 4
"The truth is: scientists are sometimes wrong and fishermen are sometimes wrong." (Kurlansky 52).
Scientists and fishermen have long battled over fish. At one point, fishermen were worried about ruining the fish population and scientists disagreed, saying that fish would never go extinct, and then the two roles switched. Kurlansky believes that both fishermen and scientists are capable of being either right or wrong. Thomas Henry Huxley, a British scientist, was one of the more influential people who believed that fish would never go extinct. He eventually refuted this theory and decided that : "Overfishing...was not only possible-it was happening." (Kurlansky 61).
Scientists and fishermen have long battled over fish. At one point, fishermen were worried about ruining the fish population and scientists disagreed, saying that fish would never go extinct, and then the two roles switched. Kurlansky believes that both fishermen and scientists are capable of being either right or wrong. Thomas Henry Huxley, a British scientist, was one of the more influential people who believed that fish would never go extinct. He eventually refuted this theory and decided that : "Overfishing...was not only possible-it was happening." (Kurlansky 61).
Chapter 5
"In the case of the codfish on the Grand Banks, the catches were quite large until there were no fish." (Kurlansky 74).
This quote describes what it was like for fishermen to realize how realistic the possibility of having no more fish was. Fisherman learned this after overfishing many codfish. This event ended the debate about overfishing. At first, fishermen realized that they had to travel farther to get the same amount of fish as before and that the fish were getting smaller day by day. The fishermen did not realized that the reason the fish haul was so big before was because they were catching all of the fish.
This quote describes what it was like for fishermen to realize how realistic the possibility of having no more fish was. Fisherman learned this after overfishing many codfish. This event ended the debate about overfishing. At first, fishermen realized that they had to travel farther to get the same amount of fish as before and that the fish were getting smaller day by day. The fishermen did not realized that the reason the fish haul was so big before was because they were catching all of the fish.
Chapter 6
"It would seem that the simplest and surest solution to helping fish repopulate the oceans would be to just stop all fishing." (Kurlansky 78)
The ignorant option to ending fishing would be to stop fishing, but the people who say this are oblivious to the facts. It would be nearly impossible to simply stop all fishing. Fish are a huge food source for many. Not to mention that so many fishermen would be put out of work and not be payed. Stopping fishing is not a good idea because of this. The only real answer to overfishing is called sustainable fishing, the 'just right' amount of fishing to provide a good food source and keep fishermen in work while not demolishing the ocean's ecosystem and everything in it.
The ignorant option to ending fishing would be to stop fishing, but the people who say this are oblivious to the facts. It would be nearly impossible to simply stop all fishing. Fish are a huge food source for many. Not to mention that so many fishermen would be put out of work and not be payed. Stopping fishing is not a good idea because of this. The only real answer to overfishing is called sustainable fishing, the 'just right' amount of fishing to provide a good food source and keep fishermen in work while not demolishing the ocean's ecosystem and everything in it.
Chapter 7
"It is extremely destructive to a fishing society to stop fishermen from working." (Kurlansky 98).
Chapter 7 discusses some possible solutions to the huge overfishing problem. Obviously, stopping fishermen from fishing is out of the question. However, there are some other possible solutions. Sadly, they alone will not work. One of these solutions is fish farming. Fish farming is the domestication and breeding of fish. This is a good way to get more fish back into the ocean, but the fish would lose natural instincts, knowledge on how to find food, and routes for migrating when the seasons change and for breeding naturally. Fishing quotas, or having a set number of fish allowed to be caught, could work with proper punishments. This has a downside because most of the fish that are caught are already dead. If dead fish are thrown back into the ocean, the fishermen might as well keep the fish. Also, bycatch is a big problem that comes with this. When fishermen try to catch one type of fish, others that are endangered could be killed in the process. Some bycatch could even be a new species that gets killed off without any human recognition at any time. Closing off certain areas from fishing is one more option for letting the ecosystem repair before going on a killing spree again. The problem is that it is hard to know how long to wait for the area to recover.
Chapter 7 discusses some possible solutions to the huge overfishing problem. Obviously, stopping fishermen from fishing is out of the question. However, there are some other possible solutions. Sadly, they alone will not work. One of these solutions is fish farming. Fish farming is the domestication and breeding of fish. This is a good way to get more fish back into the ocean, but the fish would lose natural instincts, knowledge on how to find food, and routes for migrating when the seasons change and for breeding naturally. Fishing quotas, or having a set number of fish allowed to be caught, could work with proper punishments. This has a downside because most of the fish that are caught are already dead. If dead fish are thrown back into the ocean, the fishermen might as well keep the fish. Also, bycatch is a big problem that comes with this. When fishermen try to catch one type of fish, others that are endangered could be killed in the process. Some bycatch could even be a new species that gets killed off without any human recognition at any time. Closing off certain areas from fishing is one more option for letting the ecosystem repair before going on a killing spree again. The problem is that it is hard to know how long to wait for the area to recover.
Chapter 8
"So many of the problems of modern fishing were created by the development of equipment that was just too efficient." (Kurlansky 108).
Chapter 8 is about sustainable fishing and how it is the best option to end overfishing. Mark Kurlansky gives an example with cars in the beginning of this chapter. He noted that cars are bad for the environment, and yet we would not be able to ban them. We have just had to make certain car types and regulations on automobile technology to make them less awful to the Earth. These same restrictions could be used on fishing to turn our current overfishing problem into a sustainable fishing solution. One suggestion was to only use sailboats instead of modern motorboats. "This would be like suggesting that everyone stop using cars and ride horseback instead." (Kurlansky 110). Fishing is already dangerous enough, so going back to sail power is not an option. Bottom draggers are one of the biggest criminals when it comes to overfishing. They catch way too many fish and are not completely foolproof; sometimes they break off and catch/kill many fish before sinking to the bottom of the ocean to serve as food providers for bigger, smarter fish. When people have suggested to ban bottom dragging, fishermen wreak havoc with outrage and disbelief. Luckily, fish caught by bottom draggers tend to be more beat up and bruised. This means that in the market, people are less inclined to buy bottom dragged fish as it appears to be of a low quality.
Chapter 8 is about sustainable fishing and how it is the best option to end overfishing. Mark Kurlansky gives an example with cars in the beginning of this chapter. He noted that cars are bad for the environment, and yet we would not be able to ban them. We have just had to make certain car types and regulations on automobile technology to make them less awful to the Earth. These same restrictions could be used on fishing to turn our current overfishing problem into a sustainable fishing solution. One suggestion was to only use sailboats instead of modern motorboats. "This would be like suggesting that everyone stop using cars and ride horseback instead." (Kurlansky 110). Fishing is already dangerous enough, so going back to sail power is not an option. Bottom draggers are one of the biggest criminals when it comes to overfishing. They catch way too many fish and are not completely foolproof; sometimes they break off and catch/kill many fish before sinking to the bottom of the ocean to serve as food providers for bigger, smarter fish. When people have suggested to ban bottom dragging, fishermen wreak havoc with outrage and disbelief. Luckily, fish caught by bottom draggers tend to be more beat up and bruised. This means that in the market, people are less inclined to buy bottom dragged fish as it appears to be of a low quality.
Chapter 9
"So they've tried to limit the effects of overfishing over the years with regulations, and to some extent some of these measures have proven successful-but why are the fish populations still shrinking? Clearly something is going wrong. The destruction continues." (Kurlansky 118)
Pollution is a huge remaining factor, besides overfishing, that is causing the fish population to decline. Human waste, garbage, and the poisonous by-products of industries have been dumped in the oceans and other water sources for centuries. Some areas of the sea are called dead zones because of the large amounts of phytoplankton that die from pollution and then rot. The rotting of the dead phytoplankton uses up all of the oxygen in the water, making an area in the sea where fish are not able to live. Oil spills and drilling for oil underwater poses tremendous risks to ocean life. PCBs, such as mercury and poly-chlorinated biphenyls, are even more difficult to clean up. Small animals eat these poisons, and then larger animals eat tremendous quantities of the poisoned small animals. The higher up on the food chain the animal is, the larger the concentration of poison is. The animal at the top of the food chain will be the most highly contaminated-and that animal is for the humans to eat. Many poisonous metals (such as mercury, chromium, and lead) have made their way into the oceans as well. Some children with low school performance have been tested and found to have high levels of mercury from eating bad fish. Because of all the pollution, fish can die out without ever having overfishing involved.
Pollution is a huge remaining factor, besides overfishing, that is causing the fish population to decline. Human waste, garbage, and the poisonous by-products of industries have been dumped in the oceans and other water sources for centuries. Some areas of the sea are called dead zones because of the large amounts of phytoplankton that die from pollution and then rot. The rotting of the dead phytoplankton uses up all of the oxygen in the water, making an area in the sea where fish are not able to live. Oil spills and drilling for oil underwater poses tremendous risks to ocean life. PCBs, such as mercury and poly-chlorinated biphenyls, are even more difficult to clean up. Small animals eat these poisons, and then larger animals eat tremendous quantities of the poisoned small animals. The higher up on the food chain the animal is, the larger the concentration of poison is. The animal at the top of the food chain will be the most highly contaminated-and that animal is for the humans to eat. Many poisonous metals (such as mercury, chromium, and lead) have made their way into the oceans as well. Some children with low school performance have been tested and found to have high levels of mercury from eating bad fish. Because of all the pollution, fish can die out without ever having overfishing involved.
Chapter 10
"A rise of two degrees would bring about catastrophic changes. Polar ice caps would melt and sea levels would rise enough to overflow many coastlines, ports, and major cities." (Kurlansky 137).
Global warming is one more huge factor that is hurting fish everywhere. The primary cause of the global rise in temperature is thought to be the increase in greenhouse gases on Earth. Greenhouse gases are needed to keep the temperatures warm enough for life on Earth, but with too many, the Earth starts to warm up. Global warming makes fish move to different areas of the ocean in search of colder water. Also, the freshwater ice in the ocean will make seas less salty and therefore ruining the water delicate fish have to live in. Global warming would effect all fish, so something needs to be done about this.
Global warming is one more huge factor that is hurting fish everywhere. The primary cause of the global rise in temperature is thought to be the increase in greenhouse gases on Earth. Greenhouse gases are needed to keep the temperatures warm enough for life on Earth, but with too many, the Earth starts to warm up. Global warming makes fish move to different areas of the ocean in search of colder water. Also, the freshwater ice in the ocean will make seas less salty and therefore ruining the water delicate fish have to live in. Global warming would effect all fish, so something needs to be done about this.
Chapter 11
"If Darwin is right, we are doomed. All species will have modifications that will develop into new species, and the original species will become extinct." (Kurlansky 144).
As humans cause the extinction of other species, we are basically causing our own extinction. In the ocean's dead zones, there is bacteria growing that does not need oxygen to replace the phytoplankton and fish that used to live in the water. After the poaching of seals had stopped, the codfish numbers have decreased because of the seals that eat it and the fishing for it. The Atlantic great white shark has come in to eat some of the seals without food. The same sort of thing has happened to dolphins. "Now that we have upset nature's balance it becomes extremely difficult to put it right again." (Kurlansky 148).
As humans cause the extinction of other species, we are basically causing our own extinction. In the ocean's dead zones, there is bacteria growing that does not need oxygen to replace the phytoplankton and fish that used to live in the water. After the poaching of seals had stopped, the codfish numbers have decreased because of the seals that eat it and the fishing for it. The Atlantic great white shark has come in to eat some of the seals without food. The same sort of thing has happened to dolphins. "Now that we have upset nature's balance it becomes extremely difficult to put it right again." (Kurlansky 148).