FACT 6 (over exploitation of our oceans) We are overharvesting the oceans way above what they can sustainably yeild, and all major fishing areas in the world are seriously overfished or are in a state of collapse. South African waters are no exception.
Some quotes to illustrate…
We have exceeded the sustainable yield of oceanic fisheries. Eleven of the world's 15 most important fishing areas and 70% of the major fish species are either depleted or overexploited. (Solar Living Source Book, Real Goods, 1999, p3)
All 17 major fishing areas in the world have either reached or exceeded their natural limits. (Robert et al, in International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology, 4, 1997, p84) 
Fishing annually extracts more than 80 million tons of sea creatures worldwide. An additional 20 million tons of unwanted fish, seabirds, marine mammals and turtles get thrown overboard, dead. Overfishing has depleted major populations of cod, swordfish, tuna, snapper, grouper and sharks. Instead of living sensibly off nature's interest, many fisheries have mined the wild capital, and famous fishing banks lie bankrupt… (Time.com Earth Day 2000 website report - Condition Critical, April 2000)
The collapse of the North Atlantic cod fishers destroyed 700 economies and put 300 000 Canadians out of work. Collapsing fisheries internationally will hurt 1 billion people, particularly in Southeast Asia. Presently, fishing fleets are 40% larger than oceans can sustain - a very dangerous situation given our dependence on this resource. (People and Ecosystems: The Fraying Web of Life - UN report, 2000).
In South Africa, perlemoen are in danger of being wiped out and eight of the 10 most important line-fish stocks have either collapsed or been over-exploited. Catch rates of many fish species have dropped by over 90% during the last century and the surviving stocks of some fish species represent less than 10% of their former population levels. (Study by UCT's Marine Biology Research Institute)

This information was made available by the;
Sustainable Living Centre, P.O.Box 261, Noordhoek, 7878, Cape Town
Tel (021) 789 2920 fax (021) 789 2954
email info@sustainable.co.za  web www.sustainable.co.za