Fishing in low-income countries with growing populations has led to severe depletion of fish numbers in the tropics, a new global study has found.



Fishing in those regions now accounts for more than 40% of the wild marine catch, the study found.



The number of fish caught in the tropics – particularly in south-east Asia – has increased while the marine catch has decreased in the rest of the world. Many wild marine fisheries will not be able to increase production until effective management plans are put in place to rebuild the overfished stocks, the study found.



Fish accounts for 16% of the world’s animal protein intake, increasing to 20% in low-income food-deficit nations, most of which are in the tropics.



The findings are an early insight from the landmark State of the Tropics report, which involves 12 research institutions from around the world, including Australia’s James Cook University.



A senior research fellow at the university’s Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture, Andrew Tobin, said much of the overfishing had occurred in Indonesia and China, up by 4.7m and 3m tonnes respectively in the 60 years to 2010.



“Most Australian fisheries are well managed and very few are classified as overfished,” Tobin said.



“This report shows there is certainly a mentoring role for Australia to play in south-east Asia, and we should share the lessons we have learned domestically.”



A recent government assessment of about 150 Australian fisheries found only two were in an unsustainable position, he said.



But it was important not to get “over-emotional” about the state of fish stocks elsewhere in the tropics, he said.



“It is possible to have sustainably overfished stock, which just means that the fish population is not as abundant as it could be – so it is still possible to fish from that population, but just in smaller numbers than you could if better management was in place,” he said.



“The good news is that with proper management, we find fish populations can replenish relatively quickly.”



But Australian Marine Conservation Society campaigns officer Toomi Mahto said Australia was not completely off the hook.



“There are three fish species caught in the tropical north of Australia – northern red snapper, saddletail snapper and coral trout – which we have very limited information about in terms of the health of those populations as a result of fishing,” she said.



“These three species are frequently the target of fisheries in WA, the Northern Territory and Queensland, and we don’t have enough research on the state of this stock.”



The full findings from the State of the Tropics report will be launched by the Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, on 29 June.

