The line chart compares changes in the population of four fish species – Atlantic Cod, Haddock, Yellow fin Tuna and Swordfish – from 1982 to 2007.
Overall, the population size of Atlantic cod and Yellow fin Tuna was significantly higher than the other two species; however, their numbers declined more steadily. It is also clear that the number of swordfish was disproportionally small than the others. As a result, the disparity in the population size was narrower toward the end of the period than the initial difference.
In 1982, there were more than 2 million Atlantic cod fish compared to 1.5 million Yellow fin tuna, 75,000 Haddock, and a few thousand Swordfish.
After a decade of a steady decline to 1,500,000, the population of Atlantic cod recovered to about 1,750,000 fish, only to shrink to around 1,250,000 in 2007. In contrast, Yellow fin tuna population peaked at 2,000,000 in 1992, and then went on to fall, reaching to its trough at a million in 2007.
The populations of the other two fish species – Haddock and Swordfish – were comparatively lower, and the figures were more stable. Specifically, the number of Haddock was above 50,000 fish, which experienced only a negligible drop. Swordfish numbers, similarly, remained unchanged at a marginal few thousand fish till the end of the period.