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There has been a very serious decline in the numbers of shallow­water fish as a result of overfishing. People still want to eat fish, so the fishing industry must look at other sources, especially the deep waters of the Atlantic. __1__

Conservation measures will have to be put in place if these deep­sea fish are to survive. Research on five such species shows that numbers have declined by between 87 percent and 98 percent. __2__ Many species could well disappear completely if the present trend continues. These are species that have been swimming in our oceans for hundreds of millions of years.

The problem is emphasised by the fact that the decline in numbers happened in less than twenty years. Deep­sea fish take a long time to reproduce and normally live for many years. __3__ The average size of such fish also declined, with one species showing a 57 percent decline in average size. This is of particular concern, as large fish tend to produce more offspring than small ones.

__4__ The deep­sea species have been caught as if they were the fast­breeding (¿ìËÙ·±Ö³) fish like sardine and herring. It is like killing elephants as if they reproduced at the same rate as rabbits. The damage done by overfishing goes beyond the sea environment. Millions of people make a living in the fishing industry. __5__ Measures must be taken to not only conserve ecosystems, but also sustain livelihoods and ensure food security.

A.Billions of people rely on fish for protein.

B£®Many people now choose not to eat deep­sea fish.

C.Unfortunately, their reproduction rate is very low.

D.This puts them in the category of “critically endangered”£®

E£®None of these facts has been taken into account by the fishing industry.

F£®Overfishing is a major cause of the decline in populations of ocean wildlife.

G£®This has resulted in a sharp decline in the numbers of many of the species caught.