This article was mirrored here faithfully for ease of access and
printing. D. Pauly and J. Dalsgaard, Fisheries Centre, 2204 Main
Mall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British
Columbia, Canada V. Christensen, R. Froese, F. Torres Jr.,
International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management,
M.C. Post Office Box 2631, 0718 Makati, Philippines. * To whom
correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: email@example.com
The mean trophic level of the species groups reported in Food
and Agricultural Organization global fisheries statistics
declined from 1950 to 1994. This reflects a gradual transition
in landings from long-lived, high trophic level, piscivorous
bottom fish toward short-lived, low trophic level invertebrates
and planktivorous pelagic fish. This effect, also found to be
occurring in inland fisheries, is most pronounced in the
Northern Hemisphere. Fishing down food webs (that is, at lower
trophic levels) leads at first to increasing catches, then to a
phase transition associated with stag