(Newser) – The world's fishing industry has now exploited nearly every part of the world's oceans and has no choice left but to shift to more sustainable methods, a new study concludes. "We knew the expansion was going on, but this is the first time we have quantified it," a scientist at the University of British Columbia tells Reuters.

The industry's catch peaked in the late '80s at 90 million tons, up from 19 million in 1950, but has been steadily declining since. (Because of lousy practices, not conservation.) "The sooner we come to grips with overfishing, the sooner we can stop the downward spiral by creating stricter fishing regulations and more marine reserves," says another of the researchers.