In a classical what-came-first, the chicken or the egg, a game of blame is pinning environmentalists against fishermen in the Mediterranean.
Overfishing in the Mediterranean is a problem that has already caused serious consequences. Although warned for years to stop the indiscriminate practice of fishing in the Mediterranean basin, the dismissal of the warning has meant that jellyfish population has been boosted to a point where they are no longer safe for the fisheries.
Some of the scientists are asking that jellyfish be fished and used for various commercial products including food and cosmetics to offset the population explosion.
By overfishing, the main predators had been removed from the food chain causing the jellyfish to boom. They in turn, feed on fish larvae, creating a vicious cycle of destruction that spells trouble for fish population all over the Mediterranean.
In fact, fish have still not recovered from a surge of Pelagia jellyfish that occurred in the Adriatic sea more than 20 years ago.
Global warming is also to blame for jellyfish population explosion, together with fertilizer and other chemicals that find their way to the sea from rain and rivers.
A new discovery has also unsettled scientists: a new type of jellyfish, called the immortal jellyfish, which seems to have acquired the capability to reverse its ageing process, thereby compounding the problem. However, this jellyfish could present interesting clues to reverse the aging process in humans.
Source : France 24/ 5.30.13
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