T. Morato, R. Watson, T. J. Pitcher, D. Pauly, (2006). Fish and Fisheries 7, 24-34.
Global landings of demersal marine fishes are demonstrated to have shifted to deeper water species over the last 50 years. Our analysis suggests deep-water fish stocks may be at serious risk of depletion, as their life histories render them highly vulnerable to overfishing with little resilience to over-exploitation. Deep-sea fisheries are exploiting the last refuges for commercial fish species and should not be seen as a eplacement for declining resources in shallower waters. Instead, deep-water habitats are new candidates for conservation.