Persuasive Essay On Overfishing

Alexander Tran

Ms. Paulson

Core B

February 13, 2017

Overfishing

According to National Geographic, in 2003, only 10% of large ocean fish from the pre-industrial era were still around (Overfishing). Overfishing is when a body of water is depleted of the fish due to excessive fishing. Due to overfishing, we have cut off 90% of our large marine fish off the planet. Even after such a mass effect, we are still rapidly emptying our oceans. Overfishing is harmful and should be stopped, for it destroys one of our main food supplies, makes marine species go extinct, and disrupts marine ecosystems.

Firstly, overfishing is a threat to humanity. If we continue to overfish, many cultures that heavily rely on fish as a food source will no longer have fish

Our large fishing trawlers rip apart and destroy the ocean floor. The Marine Conservation Institute states, “Bottom trawling is unselective and severely damaging to seafloor ecosystems. The net indiscriminately catches every life and object it encounters. Thus, many creatures end up mistakenly caught and thrown overboard dead or dying, including endangered fish and even vulnerable deep-sea corals which can live for several hundred years. This collateral damage, called bycatch, can amount to 90% of a trawl’s total catch. In addition, the weight and width of a bottom trawl can destroy large areas of seafloor habitats that give marine species food and shelter. Such habitat destructions can leave the marine ecosystem permanently damaged,” (Destructive Fishing). Although we only intend to can a few fish, we end up catching too much fish, as well as other things, such as rocks and seaweed, that we didn’t need to tear from the ocean. National Geographic states, “Faced with the collapse of large-fish populations, commercial fleets are going deeper in the ocean and father down the food chain for viable catches. This so-called "fishing down" is triggering a chain reaction that is upsetting the ancient and delicate balance of the sea's biologic system,” (Overfishing). Similarly, the document Effects of climate and overfishing on zooplankton dynamics and ecosystem structure: regime shifts, trophic cascade, and feedback loops in a

By emptying our oceans, lakes, and rivers, we are harming ourselves, the fish, and the earth. Imagine the world without pescatarians, aquariums, and extremely limited seafood. The ocean would be dull and devoid of animals since we destroyed the food chain and their habitat. Instead of extracting tons of fish from the sea, we should resort to fish farming, a more sustainable method of harvesting fish. I am an avid eater of sushi and I used to have a taste for wild caught fish. However, after becoming informed on the issue with overfishing, I understand that we need to leave the ocean alone. Fisheries make money by catching fish, and overfishing is what earns them money. However, we need to decide whether the economy is more important than the environment, or vice-versa. The next time you want to buy a wild caught salmon fillet, take the time to think. Is dining exquisitely worth destroying the world