Alarming facts, indeed. But not surprising when you realize that less than 1 per cent of British waters are adequately protected - compared with up to 10 per cent of the land. Successive governments have looked on as decades of mismanagement have led to unprecedented destruction of life in the sea. After all, the fishing industry and conservationists share the same vision - abundant fish stocks and healthy seas. Despite the crisis looming on the horizon, many people still consider fish a renewable, harvestable resource like corn, rather than a species that may become endangered like the panda or tiger.
Fish are, however, under more pressure than ever before.
The exploitation of marine wildlife has led to extinctions globally and locally. For example the Atlantic gray whales and the great auk became extinct following massive overexploitation, while the northern Atlantic right whale is extinct in British waters. This isn't just a threat to ocean wildlife, it's a threat to our cultural heritage. Intertidal wetlands are not immune from this mismanagement either. Habitats such as coastal lagoons, saltmarsh and mudflats have been systematically destroyed for coastal development, agricultural use and tourism.