Could the oceans run out of fish by 2050? GMA docu 'Oras na' paints grim scenario

It’s the year 2050 and you’re craving for a seafood dinner. Lapu-lapu, tuna and marlin are just some of the favorites you have in mind. You sit in a restaurant and place an order. But these fish are no longer on the menu. They are literally out of stock – from the oceans. Sneak Preview: Richard Gutierrez plays out predicted 2050 scenario in ORAS NA.   Is this scenario even possible? According to researchers from Canada’s Dalhousie University, the answer is "yes." With the current demand for seafood and the rate of exploitation of marine resources, scientists predict that a collapse of fisheries is likely by the 2050 mark. Local experts from UP’s Marine Science Institute agree. Dr. Perry Aliňo, a marine biologist, explains. “Eighty to 90 percent of our fishing grounds are already overexploited. We need to reduce fishing efforts by 50 percent (to allow the fish population to renew itself),” says Dr. Aliňo. He also notes that while a 2050 deadline has been set by studies, extinction of fish species is already happening today. Corals, mangroves and breeding grounds for fish and other marine organisms are also under threat of destruction. Today, only 5 percent of the country’s original coral cover remains intact. Sneak Preview: Richard Gutierrez with a fisherman out at the West Philippine Sea.   GMA News and Public Affairs, the same team that brought Filipino audiences thought-provoking documentaries like Signos, Wildlife for Sale and the multi-awarded Planet Philippines, presents a documentary special that took many months in the making. ORAS NA, 2011’s biggest environmental project captures visual evidence that suggest time may indeed be running out for our most important resources. Sneak Peak: The ORAS NA team sets up time lapse cameras to illustrate the demand for seafood at the country’s biggest fish port   Learn more about the predicted seafood crisis and other important ecological deadlines this November with GMA News and Public Affairs’ environment documentary ORAS NA, hosted by Richard Gutierrez. ORAS NA airs Sunday, November 20 on GMA’s SNBO.