Overfishing 'threatens marine life collapse'

Alarm about falling fish stock levels is behind a new documentary to be released tonight called The End of the Line.

An Australian-based alliance of environmental groups, Save Our Marine Life, hopes the film will raise awareness about declining fish species and methods of fishing that kill and harm endangered species.

They are concerned that some 95 percent of Australian waters remain unprotected, threatening an abundance of marine life found nowhere else in the world.

Species overfished include orange roughy, yellowfin tuna and western rock lobster.

"The writing’s on the wall," said Michelle Grady, spokeswoman for alliance member Pew Environment Group.

"If we don’t provide adequate sanctuaries, we will see fisheries collapse."

She said it was imperative the federal government provided sanctuaries to protect fish stocks, starting with a vast area stretching from Kangaroo Island in South Australia to Geraldton in Western Australia.

Less than one percent of that 1.4 million sq km area is protected under current laws, she said.

One unique species, the western rock lobster, once supported a $400m-a-year fishing industry but overfishing has now brought it to the brink of collapse.

"Sanctuaries would provide good risk management and insurance for the future," Ms Grady said.

Genevieve Quirk from Greenpeace said both state and federal governments had taken their eye off the ball when it comes to keeping tabs on fish stocks.

"We are in the middle of an overfishing crisis," she said.

"This film reveals what's happening under the sea."

Out of 98 fishing areas controlled by the Commonwealth, "one in six were overfished and the status of more than half was unknown", Ms Quirk said.

This lack of knowledge makes it hard to tackle the problem of overfishing and the replenishment of stock, she said.

But part of the blame lay with consumers, she said.

Australian Marine Conservation Society has published a seafood guide and ranks whiting, bream, flathead and tropical trevally as environmentally-friendly choices, with orange roughy to be avoided.

Richard Stevens, of the WA Fishing Industry Council denied that over-fishing was a problem.

"In WA, the professional fishing industry is tightly controlled by state legislation. Australia is seen as a leader in sustainable fishing."

He said maintaining the goodwill of consumers meant that sustainable practises must be used.

Ninemsn contacted the Federal Primary Industries Minister Tony Burke for comment but did not receive a response.