Not so many fish in the sea Cyrus Martin  Current Biology  Volume 27, Issue 11, Pages R439-R443 (June 2017) DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.05.049 Copyright © 2017 Terms and Conditions

Maxed out: While total global fish production, indicated here in millions of tons, has steadily increased since the middle part of the last century (left), this is largely explained by the expanding aquaculture industry, such as the farming of salmon (right). The tonnage of wild-caught fish peaked in 1996 and has gradually declined since then. (Image on left: Wikimedia Commons. Image on right: Richard Dorrell.) Current Biology 2017 27, R439-R443DOI: (10.1016/j.cub.2017.05.049) Copyright © 2017 Terms and Conditions

Mismanagement and unintended consequences: A century ago, cod were plentiful off the coast of New England. This 1880 picture of a Monhegan Island fisherman with his catch (left) shows the size of a typical specimen. Due to overfishing, the cod fishery has collapsed and has not shown signs of recovery despite strict restrictions. This has had unintended effects on other species, such as the lobster (right), which the cod preys on. In Maine, lobsters have increased greatly in numbers, with record catches being turned in. But, often, overfishing can have negative consequences by, for example, restricting the supply of food for other animals. (Image on right: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.) Current Biology 2017 27, R439-R443DOI: (10.1016/j.cub.2017.05.049) Copyright © 2017 Terms and Conditions

Raising fish as vegetarians: Fish that eat other fish, like salmon and tuna, place a strain on wild fish stocks because of the fish meal and fish oil that they are fed. But other fish, like carp, can be raised with much less or no fish in their feeds because they are naturally vegetarian. Efforts are currently underway to see if species like salmon could be fed plant-based protein, such as from soybeans or algae, without sacrificing growth. (Image: Peter Halasz.) Current Biology 2017 27, R439-R443DOI: (10.1016/j.cub.2017.05.049) Copyright © 2017 Terms and Conditions