Overfishing, Climate Change Driving Dozens of Fish Species into Extinction

Overfishing off the west coast of Africa threatens to drive many species to extinction, which could cause food shortages for local people, conservationists have warned.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said the Madeiran sardine and other important sources of food could be wiped out.

Some 37 species were classed as threatened with extinction and 14 more were said to be “near threatened” from Angola in the south to Mauritania in the north.

Illegal fishing in these waters is a significant problem with complaints that European fishing fleets are taking too many fish.

Pollution, degradation of habitats, the spread of invasive species and the warming of the waters caused by human-induced climate change are also all putting pressure on fish populations.

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/overfishing-species-extinction-african-food-crisis-threat-iucn-warning-niger-angola-mauritania-a7534901.html

Euan/Flickr CC

#solar