Did you know that there has been a 39% decrease in marine species over the past 40 years? Overfishing is negatively impacting marine ecosystems, damaging habitats, and causing animals to become extinct. It can further affect human populations who rely on certain marine species as a source of food. With that said, it is important to understand what overfishing is and the consequences it can pose on the environment and humans. 

What is Overfishing? 

Overfishing is the largest threat to the sustainability of our marine wildlife. Overfishing is when we take too many fish from the ocean, and the remaining fish are unable to replenish and reproduce their populations to a healthy level. Essentially, it is when we take fish at a faster rate than they can reproduce! 

What are the Causes of Overfishing?

  1. Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing

Illegal fishing refers to fishing without a license, fishing in a closed area, and fishing with prohibited gear. It is estimated that approximately US $10-23.5 billion annually is used for IUU, threatening the sustainability of fish populations, ecosystems, and the livelihoods of real fishermen. 

  1. Subsidies 

Did you know that governments spend US $22 billion of public money on harmful fisheries subsidies in 2018? These harmful subsidies fund the construction of new fisheries, increase fishing capacity by reducing costs which perpetuates the problem of overfishing. 

  1. Unsustainable Fishing

Involves using nets, fishing methods, and other equipment that catch too many fish to a degree that they are endangered. It also involves catching other marine animals other than fish in the process which is known as by-catch. By-catch is often destroyed and thrown back into the ocean. This affects the reproductive process of marine animals which again, is harmful for the environment. 

  1. Economic and Food Needs

The number of fish that fisheries bring depends on the market and needs of consumers. Over the past century, human populations have increased and thus, the need for food and fish has also multiplied. Thus, this forces fisheries to catch more fish, leading to overfishing. 

  1. Poor Regulations of Fisheries

Due to the lack of tracking activity and resources, there are difficulties in regulating fishing areas. Thus, most practices and activities of fisheries are barely monitored which can lead to overfishing. 

  1. Unprotected Oceans

In international waters, there are limited or no rules in regards to fishing practices, which means that fisheries can overfish in areas that do not have regulations! 

What are the Negative Impacts of Overfishing? 

  1. Degraded Ecosystems

Overfishing has a negative toll on entire ecosystems. Thus, it can affect the size of fish remaining and how well/fast they can reproduce. When an excess amount of fish are caught from the ocean, there is an imbalance that can affect the food chain and lead to the loss of other marine species. 

  1. Decreasing Food and Economic Security 

The demand for fish is significantly increasing around the world which means more businesses/jobs are dependent on fish stocks. Millions of people depend on the fishing industry for their livelihood and half of the world’s population uses fish as a source of protein. The increasing demand for seafood is a major cause of overfishing.  

What You Can Do

  1. Educate your peers and spread the word! 
  1. Join a Campaign and Support Organizations

Here are a list of organizations that are working towards more sustainable oceans: 

  1. World Wildlife Fund
  2. Environmental Defense Fund
  3. Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
  1. Make Smart Consumer Decisions

Try to eat sustainable seafood: 

  1. Buy local
  2. Use seafood guides to make good seafood choices at a grocery store or restaurant. 
  3. Avoid consuming big fish such as tuna and shark which have been heavily overfished for years. 

5 thoughts on “What is Overfishing and Its Impacts?”

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