Fish Stocks at Risk of Collapse, Study Says

Researchers say the world's fish and seafood populations could collapse by 2048 if current trends in habitat destruction and over-fishing continue.

In an analysis of scientific data going back to the 1960s and historical records over a thousand years, the researchers found that marine biodiversity -- the variety of ocean fish, shellfish, birds, plants and micro-organisms -- has declined dramatically, with 29 percent of species already in collapse.

But the new study has attracted quite a bit of criticism from experts who say it overstates the threat. The debate has been playing out in the pages of scientific journals -- in this case, the latest issue of the journal Science.

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