The timing and magnitude of historical exploitation in the ocean

Intensive exploitation in the ocean has been ongoing for centuries, but it has accelerated exponentially in the past eight decades. This semi-quantitative review considers the history of exploitation of major groups of marine taxa including fish, mammals, reptiles and birds, assessing the magnitude and timing of exploitation. It finds that while trajectories differ across taxonomic groups, by far the largest removal of biomass from the ocean in human history has come through the targeted exploitation of wild-caught fisheries since World War II, with exploitation peaking for many taxa in the second half of the twentieth century. Next, we integrate historical ecology and environmental history to assess the social drivers of these different trajectories, identifying key economic, cultural, geostrategic and technological developments that underpinned both the acceleration and end of exploitation for different groups. We conclude by discussing universal factors driving exploitation, and the ways in which history can inform the future of human relationships with the sea. While the interaction of capitalism, colonialism and consolidation of economic interests has driven overexploitation, key examples of species recovery exist, and increasing attention to the role of place-based management is helping to imagine more sustainable relationships with the sea. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The biosphere in the Anthropocene’.