The peer-reviewed (pause to geneflect) Science magazine says the world is going to run out of fish.

As reported in the Seattle Times:

Global fishing trends point to a collapse of most wild seafood harvests by midcentury, according to a team of international researchers who pored through historical data, catch records and studies to document the decline of marine species all over the world.The researchers found that harvests of nearly 30 percent of commercial seafood species already have collapsed. Without major changes in fisheries management, they say, the trend will accelerate.

“It looks grim, and the projections into the future are even grimmer,” said Boris Worm, a marine biologist and a lead author in the peer-reviewed study, which was published today in the journal Science…

But the Seattle Times continues…

“It’s just mind-boggling stupid,” said Ray Hilborn, a University of Washington professor of aquatic and fishery sciences.”I’m worried about some areas of the world — like Africa — but other areas of the world have figured out how to do effective fishery management.”

It seems those of us who don’t believe CO2 emissions will put the Washington Mall underwater by the end of the century aren’t the only ones who take “peer-review” with a grain of salt.P.S. Also check out the Seattle Times story for this little tidbit:

In a note to colleagues that was mistakenly sent to The Seattle Times, [study leader author Boris] Worm wrote that the projection [that fisheries will collapse] could act as a “news hook to get people’s attention.”

Reminds me of global warming activist Stephen Schneider’s semi-famous quote: “We have to offer up scary scenarios, make simplified dramatic statements, and make little mention of any doubts we may have. Each of us has to decide what the right balance is between being effective and being honest.”The line between science and PR gets blurrier all the time.