Changing levels of predation on benthos as a result of exploitation of fish populations

In many coastal areas fishing constitutes the dominant anthropogenic impact on coastal ecosystems. That fishing has altered the abundance and size spe ctra of fish communities is beyond doubt. We use time series of the abundan ce, in the North Sea, of 8 demersal fish species and data on food consumpti on rates to reconstruct a time series of benthic predation pressure. The ch anges in fish biomass that have occurred, primarily due to fishing pressure , have led to a change in the quantity and taxonomic composition of the ben thos consumed by fish predators. Such alterations in the flow of material b etween ecosystem compartments are likely to cause further changes in ecosys tem function as an indirect result of fishing.