A Threat To Our Oceans

A Threat To Our Oceans

Billions of fish and marine animals are unnecessarily killed each year as a result of overfishing. Fishing is an important part of many coastal economies, but overfishing is harmful to the environment and can hurt the fishing industry. Action should be taken to stop overfishing since taking away too many fish can impact the rest of the ecosystem, other animals can become tangled in large volume fishing equipment, and people who depend on fishing are negatively impacted. 

The World Wildlife Fund website says, “Overfishing can impact entire ecosystems,” which means that even if one species is depleted, all other organisms will be affected. The organisms that the fish used to eat begin to overpopulate because they have lost a predator, and the animals that used to eat the fish lose a food source. Excess removal of fish leads to a chain reaction that ends up damaging the balance of entire marine communities. With 80% of fish stocks on the way to collapse, many oceanic ecosystems are already being destroyed and in need of aid. 

Another effect of overfishing and the practices that it encourages is bycatch. Bycatch is the term for unwanted marine life that ends up entangled and trapped in fishing equipment. According to overfishing.org, up to 80% of some catches is bycatch. In 2011, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) found that “17 percent of fish caught commercially were harvested unintentionally.” Millions of sharks and thousands more marine mammals, birds, and turtles are killed or injured every year as a result of being bycaught and many of these species are endangered and close to being extinct.  

Perhaps the most devastating and relevant result of overfishing is the impact that it can have on people. Many communities around the world depend heavily on fish, not only for nutrients, but also for income. One example of the disastrous effects this has on people was in Newfoundland, Canada. Newfoundland used to have a large population of cod and fishing was a major part of their economy; then, the once prosperous industry suddenly halted when one season there were no more cod. The poorly managed fishing practices in the area completely wiped out the fish population and left tens of thousands of people out of work and with a ruined ecosystem, as well as without a primary food source. 

A solution to the ongoing crisis of overfishing needs to be put in place before consequences are irreversible. Ecosystems are being destroyed, unwanted animals are being caught and killed as bycatch, and the remaining fish can’t reproduce fast enough to sustain the practice. This irresponsible system needs to be stopped, and plans to recover these environments need to be produced. Some countries, including the United States, have put laws in place to help sustainable fishing. In Mexico, where there are also regulations, red snapper populations have more than tripled since 2007. With the right actions, the damage done to our oceans and our society can be reversed, but only if people work together to solve the problem. 

by: Lauren Giuliana

Sources: 

 "Overfishing | 21st Century Challenges." https://21stcenturychallenges.org/overfishing/. Accessed 22 Oct. 2019.

"Reducing and Minimizing Bycatch | Talking Fish." https://www.talkingfish.org/2014/protecting-ocean-ecosystems/reducing-and-minimizing-bycatch. Accessed 20 Oct. 2019.

 "Why is overfishing a problem - Overfishing.org." http://overfishing.org/pages/why_is_overfishing_a_problem.php. Accessed 20 Oct. 2019.

 "Overfishing: The most serious threat to our oceans ...." https://www.edf.org/oceans/overfishing-most-serious-threat-our-oceans. Accessed 20 Oct. 2019.

 "Overfishing | Threats | WWF - World Wildlife Fund." https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/overfishing. Accessed 20 Oct. 2019.