Ocean Sentry
(From metrobostonnews.com) Boston – With a mouth full of large teeth and its long, thin tail, the Atlantic wolffish is a true rarity among ocean fish species. But two decades of overharvesting and habitat loss have caused it to become truly rare. Those concerned for the future of this predator that rests on ocean floors filed a petition yesterday with the federal government seeking endangered species protection.
Still located in two or three small regions off New England coasts, the wolffish is a critical component to the food chain, conservationists said.
“It controls a lot of other species which if left uncontrolled can trigger cascading effects in the marine environment that are very destructive to the health of the ocean,” said Peter Shelley, vice president of Conservation Law Foundation. “That will be very bad news for New England.”
Federal statistics say that the amount of wolffish caught by commercial fishermen dropped 95 percent from 1983 to 2007.
