The ocean, long considered to have inexhaustible resources, today shows alarming signs of exhaustion. An investigation presented in the form of a comic book, On a mangé la mer by Maxime de Lisle and Olivier Martin, paints a grim picture. Its message is clear: humanity, whose survival depends on the health of the oceans, is at a tipping point.
The evolution of fishing techniques has radically transformed the human relationship with the sea. While traditional fishing allowed for the renewal of fish populations, the industrialization of the sector has disrupted all balances. Modern trawlers, equipped with sophisticated technologies such as sonar, can now track schools of fish with frightening efficiency and fish at previously inaccessible depths. Their ultra-aggressive practices on ecosystems often destroy all local life, and contribute to waste on an enormous scale.
The comic book On a mangé la mer opens with the Margiris affair, which occurred off the coast of La Rochelle in the winter of 2022, perfectly illustrating this excess. This « factory ship, » banned in several countries but legally operating in French waters under the Latvian flag, was uncovered by the NGO Sea Shepherd, which found 100,000 dead blue whiting in its wake. The boat’s nets, measuring 600 meters long and 200 meters wide, allowed it to capture up to 250 tons of fish per day – the equivalent of the annual catch of five traditional trawlers. The reasons behind the release of these edible fish into the sea remain unresolved…
A Global Ecosystem Threatened with Collapse
The figures provided by the authors of the comic, gathered from various sources (scientists, NGOs), are alarming: in a century, global fish catch volume has increased tenfold, far exceeding the oceans’ capacity to renew themselves. In certain areas, fish stocks have decreased by fiftyfold, and the seas along the French coast have lost 80% of their marine life. This overexploitation is accompanied by particularly destructive and sometimes illegal practices, such as « high grading, » which involves throwing away lower-value fish to maximize the boat’s storage capacity and profits.
The authors remind us that the importance of oceans in maintaining planetary balance cannot be overstated. Their role as climate regulators is often forgotten, yet they provide 50% of atmospheric oxygen and absorb 90% of the excess heat generated by human activities. Their destabilization would therefore have catastrophic global consequences.
Multiple and Interconnected Threats
Overfishing is just one of the many threats facing the oceans. Climate change is causing water acidification (leading to coral destruction), while various forms of pollution (chemical, plastic, sound) are deteriorating marine ecosystems. New, particularly destructive techniques, such as electric fishing or deep-sea trawling, are further aggravating the situation, sometimes wiping out entire ecosystems for profit.
On the coasts, intensive aquaculture, sometimes presented as a solution, also poses serious environmental problems. The example of salmon farms is particularly striking: their concentrated waste destroys marine life in surrounding areas, even eliminating bird populations that rely on fish for food. In Chile, these facilities are also criticized for their massive use of antibiotics, with uncontrolled consequences on health.
The impacts of overfishing go far beyond the environmental sphere. The authors demonstrate that the depletion of fishery resources in Africa, largely due to foreign industrial fishing, contributes to migratory flows toward Europe by depriving traditional fishermen of their livelihoods.
Insufficient Political Responses
Despite the urgency of the situation, political responses remain insufficient, even counterproductive. In France, although the fishing sector accounts for only 0.1% of GDP, political decisions have, for decades, prevented the adoption of protective measures in the name of economic interests. The authors recall, for example, that while the European Parliament voted in 2022 to ban the most destructive fishing practices, the French government opposed this decision.
In the face of this critical situation, solutions do exist. The creation of marine protected areas shows encouraging results: these zones demonstrate that marine life can regenerate quickly, in just a few years. However, it is crucial to ensure their effective protection, as 60% of these areas are currently illegally trawled.
On an individual level, prioritizing the consumption of fish from local and sustainable fisheries is essential. Citizen mobilization can also push back harmful industrial projects, as evidenced by the abandonment in 2021 of an Emirati salmon farm project in Boulogne-sur-Mer, thanks to local protests.
As 2025 has been declared « Year of the Sea » in France, the urgency of global and ambitious action has never been more pressing. The preservation of the oceans requires collective awareness and concrete measures commensurate with the stakes, which affect nothing less than the survival of humanity.
On a mangé la mer, An Investigation into the Fishing Crisis in France by Maxime de Lisle and Olivier Martin, Futuropolis Editions (128 pages, 22 euros).
Source: blast-info
