{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1698675,
        "msgid": "scientists-fish-growth-declining-due-to-overfishing-1777031522",
        "date": "2026-04-24 16:44:44",
        "title": "Scientists: Fish growth declining due to overfishing",
        "author": "",
        "source": "ANTARA_ID",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Agriculture",
        "summary": "Australian scientists from James Cook University have warned that overfishing and environmental changes are eroding the biological foundations of many fisheries, leading to a global decline in fish growth rates over the past century. Analysing nearly 7,700 growth records from 1,479 marine species between 1908 and 2021, the study found an average 9% drop in growth performance in managed fisheries, particularly among commercially valuable species. The research highlights the need for stricter catch limits, size and habitat protections, and long-term monitoring to mitigate these impacts and support fishery recovery.",
        "content": "<p>Sydney (ANTARA) - Scientists from Australia warn that overfishing and\nenvironmental changes are eroding the biological foundations of many\nfisheries and reducing fish growth globally over the past century. To\nreach this conclusion, a team of researchers from James Cook University\n(JCU) in Australia analysed nearly 7,700 growth records covering 1,479\nmarine species from 1908 to 2021, and found a decline in growth\nperformance since around 1908, with the largest declines concentrated in\ncommercially valuable species. The research team measured growth\nperformance, a biological characteristic describing the balance between\ngrowth rate and body size, over a 113-year period. The lead researcher,\nHelen Yan, said that various pressures triggered by human activities are\ncausing large-scale changes to fish ecology and life cycles. \u201cManaged\nfisheries have experienced an average decline in growth performance of 9\npercent over the past century. This indicates that fish are growing to\nrelatively smaller sizes and\/or at slower rates,\u201d said Yan, who\nconducted the research as part of her doctoral studies at JCU. She added\nthat size-based commercial fishing practices, rather than temperature,\nare the main driver of the global fish growth decline pattern, although\nclimate change may exacerbate its impacts. Intensive fishing leaves a\nclear biological footprint on fish populations, Yan continued, stating\nthat the trend is most evident in temperate regions where fishing\npressure is recorded as the highest. The team of scientists warns that\nsmaller fish sizes and slower growth could alter food webs, reduce catch\nyields, and complicate recovery efforts, while emphasising the need for\nstricter catch limits, size and habitat protections, and longer-term\nmonitoring to detect biological changes.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/scientists-fish-growth-declining-due-to-overfishing-1777031522",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}