Group 3 : The Far-Pacific

Coral reefs: animal, vegetable or mineral?

• Political economist concerned with decline of living conditions

• Suggested family size of lower class people should be lowered

• His ideas about population growth were foundation for Darwin’s Evolution theory

Thomas Malthus (1766-1834)

Malthusian Overfishing

• Human populations increase at a rate beyond the capacity of the resource base to supply

• Contrasts Market overfishing – high prices, efficient harvest & delivery systems rapidly exhaust fish populations

• Market overfishing – greed• Malthusian overfishing – survival

Changing Cultures in the South Pacific

• Cultures are being displaced• Locals resort to destructive

methods rather than starve• Money replaced more

traditional barter systems• Introduction of money started

process of environmental decay

• Breakdown of local traditions abetted depletion of reefs

• Wealth of knowledge lost

Hong Kong

Hong Kong Seafood Market

Shark Fins