Fishermen 'scraping the barrel' in English Channel - Telegraph

Fishermen 'scraping the barrel' in English Channel - Telegraph: "Fishermen are "scraping the bottom of the barrel" in the English Channel with stocks of cod and haddock fast running out, according to new research.
The common skate, a large iconic fish, which existed in huge numbers has all but disappeared from the channel.
Sharks, rays, and many other species at the head of the food chain are also at historic lows, with many having vanished from the sea altogether.
An analyses of catches over the past 90 years shows top predators that once filled the nets have been replaced by increasing amounts of shellfish - at the bottom of the food chain - scraped of the sea bed.
The phenomenon is known as 'fishing down the food web' and has been caused by decades of overfishing, reports the journal PLOS ONE."



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