New research illustrates ecosystem impact

FAIRBANKS, Alaska, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- A report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences says whale overfishing in the North Pacific led to one of the worst ecological disasters ever.

The paper offers a unified explanation of why populations of harbor seals, fur seals, sea lions and sea otters in Western Alaska substantially declined during the past several decades.

Lead author Alan Springer of the University of Alaska at Fairbanks proposed the decimation of great whale populations by overfishing removed a major source of food for killer whales, which forced killer whales to "fish down the food web," preying on other marine mammals.

New Scientist magazine said that had devastating impacts on marine ecosystems 50 years ago and led to today's destruction of Alaska's kelp-forest ecosystems.

Said Springer: "The lightening rod issue in Alaska is the decline of Steller sea lions. $100 million have been spent in the last three years to study Stellers because they are so intimately connected with species of commercial interest."