In almost the blink of an eye, Canada's east coast cod fishery collapsed completely. The famous Grand Banks fishery was dead. First sounded by European explorers in the late 15th century, the banks were internationally known to be a famous fishing ground for the Northern cod. Sadly, this is no longer the case. While many theories abound surrounding its destruction, including over-fishing, weak scientific fishery modeling, and foreign rapaciousness, the fact is that after a 15-year moratorium the ecosystem of the Grand Banks has changed irrevocably. This is a timely issue as environmental concerns are front of mind for all levels of government and for the public. What conclusions does the decimation of the cod hold for us for our natural resources that are being wrenched from our landscape, rivers and oceans?

Alex Rose is a writer and journalist based in West Vancouver. During his career he helped to write and edit three Royal Commissions and Provincial Inquiries, including one on the fisheries, which resulted in changes to public policy. He is a contributor to the National Post Saturday Review, The Globe and Mail, and BC Business Magazine. He is the author of three books; his most recent is ,em>North of Cape Caution, an investigation of ecotourism.

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