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CITATION Read, A.J. 2008. Review of The Unnatural History of the Sea, by C.M. Roberts. Oceanography 21(1):112–113, http://dx.doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2008.76.

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downloaded from www.tos.org/oceanography ment of the GBR compared with many morphological impacts resulting from terrestrial national parks. The final part climate change on the GBR. Nick Harvey (nicholas.harvey@ of this chapter reflects on the importance Overall, I think the book is an excel- adelaide.edu.au) is the Executive Dean, of global climate change and the impact lent synthesis of current knowledge on Faculty of Humanities and Social of projected sea-level rise on the GBR the geomorphology of the Great Barrier Sciences, and Professor, Geography and from a geomorphological perspective. Reef. While I agree with the authors that Environmental Studies, The University of This discussion is very relevant for the understanding geomorphological reef Adelaide, South Australia. current global debate on the impacts processes is very important in the man- of climate change such as the Fourth agement of the GBR, I don’t think that REFERENCES Assessment of the Intergovernmental this book alone will convince managers Parry, M.L., O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J. van der Linden, and C.D. Hansen, eds. 2007. Climate Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in of that need because it is largely written Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. particular the report from Working for a different target audience. However, Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel Group II (Parry et al., 2007). At the the book will undoubtedly become an on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, regional level, this issue is also addressed essential reference for reef researchers Cambridge, UK, 1000 pp. in the recent volume on Climate Change and graduate students, and I give it my Johnson, J.E., and P.A. Marshall, eds. 2007. Climate Change and the Great Barrier Reef: A Vulnerability and the Great Barrier Reef (Johnson and strongest endorsement. I congratulate Assessment. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Marshall, 2007), which incorporates a the three authors on producing such a Authority and Australian Greenhouse Office. 818 pp. detailed discussion on potential geo- comprehensive text.

The Unnatural History of the Sea

We learn from history that we do not learn from history. —Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831)

By Callum M. Roberts, Island Press, sometimes not use them at all.” 2007, 435 pages, ISBN 9781597261029, Coming, as it did, from a president Hardcover, $28.00 US not known for his sensitivity to environmental issues, the establishment of the REVIEWED BY ANDREW J. READ Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument was a major victory for the On June 15, 2006, President George conservation of marine ecosystems. W. Bush created the world’s largest Commercial fisheries, and other forms fully protected marine reserve, the of resource extraction, are to be banned Papahānaumokuākea Marine National from the monument, providing an Monument in the Northwestern unparalleled level of protection to the reefs are in decline, due to the synergistic Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). Established fragile coral reef ecosystems of the effects of overfishing, coastal develop- by Presidential proclamation, the monu- NWHI. Coral reefs are often described ment, and climate change. One of the ment is the largest conservation area in as the rainforests of the sea because of most pervasive threats is overfishing, the United States. In his proclamation their biodiversity and, in some areas, particularly of large, predatory fishes. speech, the president noted that, “our high levels of endemism. In one stroke of his pen, President Bush duty is to use the land and seas wisely, or Throughout the world ocean, coral eliminated this threat to the extensive

112 Oceanography Vol.21, No.1 coral reef systems in the NWHI. But tive of pre-exploitation conditions. This for the reform of fisheries management. what of coral reef systems elsewhere in gap in our knowledge is exacerbated by He does so in a nontechnical and very the world? And what about the effects the problem of shifting baselines, a term accessible fashion, in keeping with the of fishing on other, less-celebrated coined by Daniel Pauly of the University rest of the book. He identifies seven marine ecosystems? of British Columbia, which describes the specific areas of reform that he believes To answer these questions, Callum tendency of each scientist to evaluate are necessary to create sustainable (and Roberts has written The Unnatural the degradation of marine ecosystems more profitable) fisheries: (1) reduce the History of the Sea, which he describes as over her or his lifetime, thus ratchet- amount of fishing, (2) eliminate risky “…an account of the history of fishing ing down expectations of ecosystem decisions, (3) eliminate catch quotas, and the effects it has had on the sea.” The structure and function. (4) require fishers to keep what they book is encyclopedic in scope, starting One of the great strengths of The catch, (5) use the best available fishing with the earliest accounts of fishing in Unnatural History of the Sea is the use technology to reduce bycatch, (6) ban the medieval period and continuing to of older sources. The first third of this or restrict the most damaging fishing the present. Roberts covers the history of book, entitled “Explorers and Exploiters gear, and (7) implement extensive European and North American harvests in the Age of Plenty,” is replete with cita- networks of marine reserves that are off of whales, seals, sea turtles, oysters, and tions to antique volumes. In the preface, limits to fishing. Roberts is best known fish and the effect of these removals on Roberts admits to “an incurable passion for his work on marine reserves and marine ecosystems. for dusty, ancient tomes,” and the reader he makes a strong argument for their The history of many fisheries, as is all the better for his obsession. Later efficacy in improving fish yields and seen through Roberts’ long historical in the book, Roberts describes some of conserving biodiversity. lens, is depressingly familiar. The initial the first reviews of the ecological effects I read Callum Roberts’ book while discovery of a new resource is followed of commercial fishing, including a taking a graduate class in Marine by a rapid and profitable harvest expan- British Royal Commission appointed to Conservation Biology to Midway Atoll in sion, which leads to overcapitalization, examine the effects of bottom trawling the newly created Papahānaumokuākea excess harvesting capacity, and eventual in 1863. The excerpts of the Commission Marine National Monument. After the collapse of both the resource and the report will make sadly familiar reading experience of snorkeling in a small fishery. Roberts argues, correctly in my to anyone acquainted with today’s battles marine reserve near Honolulu, my stu- view, that to fully understand the effects over fisheries conservation in Europe dents and I were amazed to see the abun- of marine fisheries, we need to compare or North America. dance and size of reef fish at Midway. the current status of marine ecosystems Any book of this scope will contain It was a profound experience to swim with their structures and compositions some shortcomings and a few errors, and alongside enormous jacks and through prior to exploitation. But this is a dif- The Unnatural History of the Sea is no huge schools of goatfish. Perhaps ficult task, as most marine ecosystems exception. Roberts does not give much Roberts’ book, and his optimism, will were first exploited long before the fields consideration to opposing points of view help to prove Hegel wrong. I hope so. of marine ecology and fisheries biology and occasionally presents controversial were conceived. Intensive fisheries have hypotheses without an adequate explana- ANDREW J. READ ([email protected]) existed in Europe for centuries, but sys- tion of the uncertainty associated with is Rachel Carson Associate Professor tematic observations of fisheries and fish these ideas. Nevertheless, the book is a of Marine Conservation Biology, populations (using fisheries-independent call to action rather than a dry, scholarly Nicholas School of the Environment data) began only at the dawn of the account of divergent viewpoints, and and Earth Sciences, Duke University, twentieth century. Thus, when we exam- I have no quarrel with any of Roberts’ Beaufort, NC, USA. ine trend data on the abundance of an fundamental conclusions. exploited population, the starting point In the last third of the book, Roberts of our time series may not be representa- lays out a series of recommendations

Oceanography March 2008 113