Global Food Supply and the Sea

Although the United States and other affluent nations have more than an adequate food supply, other nations daily face the specter of starvation. The world now has a critical population/food dilemma of potentially major proportions. Production from the sea and the land is not keeping pace with a world population that is doubling every thirty-five years. Unless this age-old Malthusian problem is solved, millions face starvation and ultimately death.

The Role of the Sea

The situation has stimulated substantial international interest in the sea as a source of food and raw materials. The potential of the sea—not as a panacea, but as an important source of protein to augment the world's food supplies and thereby as a means of mitigating the crises we face—is a continuing theme throughout this book. At present, fish provide approximately 9 percent of the world's protein. Fish are sought not only for food but also for recreation and pleasure.

Understanding Fishery Resources

What forces determine the present supply and demand for fishery products? More important, what steps are needed to utilize the full potential of the sea as a source of food and recreation? This book explores these forces and thus provides an insight into food potential from the sea.