Alarmed by the sharp depletion of fish stocks, 7 environmental groups, led by the Natural Resources Defense Council of the USA, recently launched a campaign to save the world's large pelagic (open ocean) fishes. Indiscriminate fishing practices, fuelled by burgeoning demands for the high-priced shark oil and other products, are threatening the giant inhabitants of the high seas. These include the sharks, swordfish and marlins. The groups are campaigning for a legally binding, enforceable international treaty against overfishing.