Effects of Fishing on Marine Ecosystems and Communities

Book excerpt: Over-exploitation of the world's fish resources receives considerable attention and is a source of justifiable concern. However, fishing does much more than simply remove the species of interest. What are the other problems that fishing might cause? Are there knock-on effects caused by removal of the target species for other parts of the system? What incidental damage does fishing cause and how much do we really know and understand about the consequences of our actions? The Effects of Fishing on Marine Ecosystems and Communitites draws together, within one volume, an expert and comprehensive assessment of the problem.