The Unnatural History of the Sea
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The Unnatural History of the Sea Customer Reviews
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♥♥♥♥♥
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Most comprehensive view on the state of our seas I've ever read
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This review refers to the paperback version, 2007, Gaia thinking.
The author builds a very extensive window on the condition of all marine life over the past 1000 years. His research is based on ancient texts, skipper logbooks, diaries of explorers and in more recent times more comprehensive fishery data and scientific articles. The book is full with citations from all these sources which give the reader a close look on the experiences of those who where amazed by the marine life.
The bounty he describes in the seas from the past are at times hard to imagine. Sturgeons as big as cows in European rivers, fish shoals who push the river water upwards, uncountable numbers of whales in their breeding bay in California. Although it is clear that the author is passionate about marine life, he presents the facts without bias and the book has an extensive reference list at the end.
The book focusses on the central theme of over-fishing and its detrimental impact on the state of all marine life. As the book advances (into time) fishing effort increases and marine life gradually deteriorates. Reading chapter after chapter makes you sad, helpless and angry to see in what dire state we pushed all the seas of the world.
However, the book ends with three fairly brief chapters to restore the balance. The changes in fishery management that the author proposes are quiet surprising but on the same time elegant and more reasonable to achieve compared to current practices. The final chapter is a documented call for extensive world marine reserves. The abundance he describes in some present day reserves is fuelling hope for better times.
If you love the sea, if you love fish or fishing, please read this book.
Only minor point is fairly few pictures in the book, although the old photographs with huge fish caught make up for most of it.
Read it, be shocked and spread the word, so we can fix what was broken. |
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