In a development that scientists have predicted for years, cod have virtually vanished from the North Sea due to overfishing, according to a report by the U.K.-based Wildlife Trusts. The species is now commercially extinct, meaning it no longer makes economic sense to try to catch it. The report also chronicles the decline of other species, ranging from the horse mussel to the sunset coral. Especially at risk is the bottle-nosed dolphin, which could become extinct in British waters within a decade. The dolphin population has already declined precipitously — in some areas, by as much as two-thirds — with many dolphins falling victim to fishing nets. Wildlife Trusts is calling for stricter fishing laws to protect the bottle-nosed dolphin and other species.
