cientists have vastly underestimated the number of fish in the sea – and say the majority of them have never been fished.
Australian researchers found that mesopelagic fish, which live between 100 and 1000m below the surface, constitute 95 per cent of the world’s fish biomass and are untouched by fishing.
They say the secret to the animal’s success may be its ability to evade fishing nets.
‘This very large stock of fish that we have just discovered, that holds 95 per cent of all the fish biomass in the world, is untouched by fishers,’ the researchers say.
The international team of marine biologists say mesopelagic fish in the earth’s oceans constitute 10 to 30 times more biomass than previously thought.
UWA Professor Carlos Duarte says mesopelagic fish fish that live between 100 and 1000m below the surface must therefore constitute 95 per cent of the world’s fish biomass.
They believe the finding could dramatically change our understanding of how the ocean’s operate.
‘Because the stock is much larger it means this layer must play a more significant role in the functioning of the ocean and affecting the flow of carbon and oxygen in the ocean,’ he says.
Associated Newspapers Ltd