[Issaquahking]

Notice...

Findings from the MAR-ECO research and other projects could help conservation efforts for these rich ecosystems, which are endangered by deep-sea trawling activity, the researchers say

The fish is endangered after the above comments of...

In fact, scientists know so little about these fish that 50 percent of the animals collected from deeper than 3,000 meters (1.86 miles) turn out to be unidentified species.Little is known about how they reproduce. Assuming the fish are few and far between down there, how do they rendezvous to allow a species to thrive?


Sounds like a bunch of do gooders not properly evaluating what they have for intelligent thesis...Which is it guys...You know nothing about the fish, yet you can conclude that it is endangered??? More time, and other experts brought in who have a more analytical mind sound like the call of the day to me.

[GreenFreeper]

findings from the MAR-ECO research and other projects could help conservation efforts for these rich ecosystems,

I want to know how we are going to be able to do anything to help conservation efforts of these creatures that we no very little about and have difficultly even finding.

[ahayes]

It's not an unreasonable assumption. Orange roughy live 800-1500 meters deep. The temperature is low that deep, contributing to a very slow metabolism. As a result, the fish may live 150 years, growing very slowly. They do not reach sexual maturity until 20-30 years old. Uncontrolled fishing of this species could easily result in its extinction because the population simply can not grow fast enough to keep up with demand. They are not unusual among deep sea fish in their slow reproduction rate. Examination of yield from other deep sea fish stocks show that their population size is decreasing as well.

It's stupid to charge forth full speed ahead fishing out the oceans as fast as we can when we can't even know that the yields are sustainable.