Persuasive Essay On Overfishing

For several years now, overfishing has been in the spotlight as one of the most important environmental issues we can actually solve. As time goes on, our oceans are emptying incredibly quickly; over the course of the past few generations, the amount of available fish in the ocean has changed dramatically. This is largely due to the fact that technology has evolved in such a way that it allows for more effective mass fishing. As we develop new techniques to catch more fish, the level of technology begins to overwhelm the number of fish left to take. Even though this extreme and often illegal loss of fish is shocking, this issue is one that can be worked on and perhaps even solved. Short- and long-term solutions range from simply creating and enforcing more restrictions on fishing to ending the fishing of all wild species. The latter example may seem extreme to some, but others see it as the best solution to a problem that could worsen significantly within the next few years. If the fishing of all wild species would be halted, then ecosystems would be given time to rebuild as populations would grow. However, if the oceans were to near absolute depletion, then there would be no turning back; once all the fish are

Walter Starck, an important figure in the scientific investigation of coral reefs, claims that “overfishing simply isn’t happening [in Australia]” (Starck). A point consistently being made by those in support of this theory is that fishermen are too restricted by laws and therefore cannot overfish. Starck supports this by asserting that “the greatest environmental threat we face [comes] from environmentalism itself” (Starck). Environmentalists must learn not to exaggerate statistics or draw conclusions from weak data. If overfishing is truly not an issue, then ending the fishing of wild species would be