Around the world, plants and animals are rapidly becoming smaller because of the manner in which man hunts and harvests them. From CBC News:
A study [undertaken by Canadian and US universities] found that changes in organisms harvested by humans — among them fish, ungulates, invertebrates and plants — occur 300 per cent faster than they would in the organisms' natural environment.
This is because humans generally tend to "target large, reproductive-aged adults," says the study, which will be published in Tuesday's edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
"Fishing regulations often prescribe the taking of larger fish, and the same often applies to hunting regulations," said lead researcher Chris Darimont in a statement.
"Hunters are instructed not to take smaller animals or those with smaller horns. This is counter to patterns of natural predation, and now we're seeing the consequences of this management."
Animals are also breeding at a younger age and are getting smaller, the study says. Populations of some fish are on average 20 per cent smaller than 30 years earlier while other creatures are reaching reproductive maturity 25 per cent earlier."
I was introduced to this issue about 20-years ago in Florida. I landed a really nice redfish but the guide measured it and said it had to go back. I couldn't believe it, the thing was really big. That was the point said my guide. The state wanted to preserve the biggest specimens as prime breeding stock. Suddenly the light went on. It all made sense and my fish quickly swam away from the boat. I had to settle for an undersize redfish later that day.
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