as well The world’s coastlines are dotted with massive piles of oyster and mussel shells that commemorate feasts going back 300,000 years By 40,000 years ago the hunters of prehistoric Europe were carving salmon images and making the first hooks to catch river fish; and not long afterward, they ventured onto the ocean in boats From the late Middle Ages on, the seagoing nations of Europe and Scandinavia exploited the Atlantic’s abundant stocks of cod and herring, drying and salting them into commodities that were the foundation of their modern prosperity Five hundred years later, at the beginning of the 21st century, the oceans’ productivity is giving out It has been exhausted by feeding a tenfold increase in the human population, and by constant advances in fishing technology and efficiency With the help of faster and larger ships, sonar to see into the depths, miles-long nets and lines, and the mechanization of all aspects of the harvest, we’ve managed to fish many important food species to the verge of commercial extinction Formerly common fish — cod and herring, Atlantic salmon and swordfish and sole, sturgeon and shark — are increasingly rare Others — orange roughy, Chilean sea bass, monkfish — come and go from the market, temporarily abundant until they too are overfished The decline in the populations of wild fish has encouraged the widespread revival and modernization of aquaculture Fish farms are now our nearly exclusive source for freshwater fish, for Atlantic salmon, and for mussels Many of these operations effectively spare wild populations, but others further deplete them and cause environmental damage of their own It takes some effort these days to find and choose fish and shellfish that have been produced in environmentally responsible, sustainable ... Many of these operations effectively spare wild populations, but others further deplete them and cause environmental damage of their own It takes some effort these days to find and choose fish and. ..mechanization of all aspects of the harvest, we’ve managed to fish many important food species to the verge of commercial extinction Formerly common fish — cod and herring, Atlantic salmon and swordfish and sole,... The decline in the populations of wild fish has encouraged the widespread revival and modernization of aquaculture Fish farms are now our nearly exclusive source for freshwater fish, for Atlantic salmon, and for