"The English Channel is all but fished out, leaving fishermen scraping the bottom of the barrel in their quest for a commercial haul.

Sharks, rays, cod, haddock and many other species at the head of the food chain are at historic lows with many removed from the area completely, according to UK marine biologists, who analyzed catches over the past 90 years and found significant evidence of the practice of fishing down the food web.

'It is clear from our analyses that fishing pressure has caused significant changes to food webs of the English Channel over the past 90 years,' said Plymouth University Professor Jason Hall Spencer, with the School of Marine Science and Engineering, and the Marine Institute."

Bob Berwyn reports for the Summit County Citizens Voice July 15, 2014. [2]