Effects Of Overfishing

1391 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The negative effects of overfishing

The oceans are the most important food providers on Earth, with its fish being the main source of protein for nearly 1.2 billion people, but the issue of overfishing causes fishermen to return home empty-handed more often. To overfish is to “deplete the stock of fish in a body of water by excessive fishing” (Oxford Dictionaries Web). Overfishing has begun around 1950, and all fish species may collapse within the next 50 years according to some scientists (Mosbergen Web). The depletion of fish species is caused by industrial fishing boats that install on average 1.4 billion hooks annually, with a fish serving as bait at the end of each hook. Likewise, these boats may throw nets that can catch 500 tons of fish, with openings of up to 23 000 meters squared. Fishermen have tried to remedy this problem with aquaculture. However, the latter does not create more fish as it simply trades low valued fish for higher valued ones since most farmed fish are carnivorous (Mosbergen Web). The overlooked problem of overfishing causes the depletion of fish stocks, involves inhumane killings of intelligent animals, and has staggering external costs such as by-catches and the destruction of a balanced ecosystem.
Current fishing operations negatively impacts and reduces fish stocks. International fishing limits are set above scientific recommendations; this prevents scarce stocks of certain species to restore. Scientists have recommended a capture of 10 000 tons of Bluefin tuna in 2008 in order to allow the species to recover. The European Union and other governments have set the limit to 29 500 tons, three times greater than the appropriate amount; however 61 000 tons of the fish have actually been reeled in (Mosbergen Web). Not only do these regul...

... middle of paper ...

...ve significantly reduced available fish stocks by failing to limit catches of endangered or threatened species such as the Bluefin tuna. The regeneration of the marine biodiversity is slow, and citizens have done everything but help. Additionally, the slaughter of dolphins and protected animals like the whale shark adds to the downsides of overfishing. Also, in order to sell to consumers the desired fish species, astonishing numbers of by-catch have to be rid of. Sometimes, less than half of the captured fish is brought back to the shore. The problem of overfishing further disrupts intricate ecosystems maintained by the already threatened coral reefs. Their destruction is synonym to a loss of habitat and refuge to numerous different marine animals. Overfishing must be the main concern of modern society because billions of people depend of fish stocks to survive.

Show More
Related

  • Four Fish Summary

    505 Words  | 2 Pages

    In this entertaining, search into global fish hatcheries, New York Times writer Paul Greenberg investigates our historical connection with the ever changing ocean and the wild fish within it. In the beginning of the book Paul is telling his childhood fishing stories to his friends, that night Paul discovers that that four fish dominate the world’s seafood markets in which are salmon, tuna, cod, and bass. He tries to figure out why this is and the only logical answer he could come up with is that four epochal shifts caused theses wild fish population to diminish. History shows that four epochal shifts happen within fifteen years causing certain fish species populations to diminish. He discovers for each of the four fish why this happened to

    Read More

  • Why Kill the Dolphins?

    1189 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the past twenty years a large amount of bottlenose dolphin have been killed due to the tuna fishery. In the Eastern Pacific swim large schools of tuna, these shoals tend to be under herds of dolphins, for some unexplained reason. Because of this, fishermen can easily find schools of tuna. The tuna are being caught under purse seine nets, which encircles the shoals of tuna and then is pulled back on board the fishing vessel, catching both tuna and dolphin. Initially the mortality rate was 500,000 each year for dolphins alone. Although some efforts are made to encourage the dolphins to leave the net by backing down part of the net, which allows the dolphins to escape, there are still a large number of mortalities (Bryant). On the other hand, in the last few years there has been dramatic progress in stopping the fishing industries from using purse sine nets. It has been found that dolphins are in immediate danger of extinction if these fishing techniques don’t stop.

    Read More

  • Autobiography Of A Skipjack Tuna

    735 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...e use of FAD-associated purse seine caught tuna and will only sell tuna caught using environmentally responsible methods, currently defined to include pole & line and un-associated purse seine.” (JW). Some other conservation groups include the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission who works with the Government of member nations in the group to examine the human effects on tuna population and give recommendations on the amount that should be caught to keep a sustained population. WWF is another large group who collaborate with numerous other groups to help the population. Two such collaborations are with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) who work by certifying tuna fisheries, and encouraging retailers to buy from MSC certified fisheries and the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation who help in the conservation and management of tuna populations (WWF).

    Read More

  • Essay On Canada's Fishing Industry

    1832 Words  | 4 Pages

    Overfishing is defined as a form of overexploitation where fish stocks are brought down to unacceptable levels. In the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s 2 yearly report (SOFIA), it states how over half of the fish stocks, worldwide, are fully exploited. Other research has shown it only takes 10-15 years of industrial fishing to obliterate a tenth of the intended species. Overfishing causes a ripple effect that hurts the entire ecosystem. The balance of the chain depends largely on the interaction between the predator and the prey.

    Read More

  • Analysis of The End of the Line by Rupert Murray

    1045 Words  | 3 Pages

    Rupert Murray’s The End of the Line focuses on the depletion of the oceans fisheries and the devastating effects it has already begun to have on ecosystems and less affluent populations. The film opens with a description of the tribulations of Newfoundland. Once possessing waters so populous with cod that one could “walk across their backs in the water,” improved technology and larger fishing vessels began to deplete the fish stocks. Despite placing a moratorium on fishing in 1992, the fisheries had already been depleted to the point of complete collapse. Similar processes are occurring around the world, as only .6% of the ocean is restricted to fishing vessels. According to the film, much of the ocean’s catch has declined by 90%; the continuation of current trends if continue, stocks will collapse by 2048.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis: Dogara, By Kieron Monks

    1442 Words  | 3 Pages

    Fishing has been around for centuries, it has been a tool for survival as well as a competitive sport that people love. In the present day, fishing is still loved and practiced as a favorite activity and a pastime across the globe. Unfortunately, fish species are being threatened by the amount of illegal, unreported, and

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of Overfishing

    603 Words  | 2 Pages

    Overfishing refers to an act of fishing more than what the population can replace through normal reproduction (WWF, 2016). This was led by international government efforts to increase fishing capacity in the mid-20th century, which then led to the increase in availability and affordability of protein-rich foods. With this, profitable commercial fleets became aggressive, scouring the world’s oceans and developing sophisticated technologies to find and catch their targeted species. Thus, with a wide selection of fish species available at affordable prices, customers soon became used to them (Geographic, 2016).

    Read More

  • Animal Agriculture Essay

    1182 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are many impacts that fishing and land animal farming have on the ocean, which are detrimental to ocean ecosystems as well as many other aspects of the environment. Overfishing, killing fish at a much quicker rate than the fish can repopulate, is one major problem. Three-fourths of the world’s fisheries are either fully exploited, overexploited, or depleted (Cowspiracy). Researchers have estimated an end of all viable fisheries by 2018 if the current trends of fishing continue (Mason). According to the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch, hundreds of thousands of animals die every year as bycatch, with one of the worst offenders being shrimp fisheries, catching up to six pounds of bycatch per pound of shrimp. Endangered species are also caught, including predators which are important in keeping the balance in ocean ecosystems (Smith). While many organizations such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch recommend consumers to eat more “sustainable” fish, this will not stop the massive environmental impacts. Sustainable fishing for one does not account for the natural flux in the population of species of fish; what is considered a sustainable amount of fish to harvest one year may deplete the fishery in another year (Smith). Sustainable fish also are becoming even less sustainable as companies that label sustainable fish must find more For example, after Wal-Mart pledged to selling Marine Stewardship

    Read More

  • The Ripple Effects Of Shark Overfishing

    642 Words  | 2 Pages

    However, shark finning does not just endanger the different shark populations. Known as the ripple effect, the overfishing of sharks puts the entire ocean ecosystem at risk (Fairclough). Sharks, the top predators of the ocean, keep the marine ecosystems under control, so when their numbers are imbalanced, the entire ocean is as well. As stated by shark activist, and author of Jaws, Peter Benchley in an interview, “Without sharks, you take away the apex predator of the ocean, and you destroy the entire food chain” (Fleshler). Without sharks to regulate the populations lower on the food chain, species usually kept under control by sharks can run rampant. Without sharks, the sudden increase in the prey populations can then also take a

    Read More

  • Effects Of Overfishing

    829 Words  | 2 Pages

    Overfishing is a growing world problem. In 2013, 93 million tonnes of fish were caught

    Read More

  • The Effects of Overfishing on the Restaurant Industry

    1580 Words  | 4 Pages

    To fish or not to fish is a personal choice. The fact that the oceans are being overfished is a growing concern for individuals, organizations, and governments throughout the world. In this paper I want to discuss the effects of overfishing on the restaurant industry, and possible solutions to solve the problem. Fishing is an ongoing source of food for people around the world. In many countries it is a food staple in their everyday diet. In more modern societies eating fish has become a sensual experience, and not just for the wealthy. It hasn't been until population explosions in the last century that the demand for seafood has led to more effective fishing techniques and technologies. Now the demand for popular fish like the salmon, tuna, sea bass, cod and hoki, which is the key fish in McDonalds filet o' fish, is diving wild populations to dangerously low levels. The methods used to catch the amount of fish demanded by the industry do not leave sustainable populations in the wild. In an attempt to preserve the fish population, governments have set limits on the minimum size that may be harvested and how many of each may be taken. Boundaries have been set up saying which areas can be fished and which ones should be left alone. A number of smaller fisheries have gone out of business because of the limits imposed by the government. This leads to even less fish being harvested and brought to market. Therefore the amount and varieties of fish at markets are smaller and can cause shortages for wholesalers and restaurants. Some restaurants will no longer have the variety on their menus that they used to enjoy. If a restaurant thrives on its seafood menu they may be unable to cope with the shortages and will go out of business. In the ...

    Read More

  • Overfishing Persuasive Essay

    874 Words  | 2 Pages

    Why? Our oceans cover nearly three fourths of the surface of our earth. According to overfishing.org, eighty percent of all life on earth is in the ocean, and us humans are threatening and driving them to extinction by overfishing. What is overfishing? Overfishing is defined as “To fish (a body of water) to such a degree as to upset the ecological balance or cause depletion of living creatures.” (Merriam Webster Dictionary) Recent studies from the Environmental Defense Fund reveal a bleak truth: Overfishing is depleting our oceans of sea life around the world. 87% of the world’s assessed fish stocks are at their breaking point, classified as overexploited or fully exploited. 1 out of 2 fish stocks in the U.S. are either overfished or at risk of being overfished. Moreover, 100 million sharks are killed each year. Carl Safina, world-renowned author of books such as Song for the Blue Ocean, once said, “If you're overfishing at the top of the food chain, and acidifying the ocean at the bottom, you're creating a squeeze that could conceivably collapse the whole system.” Overfishing is classified as the most dangerous threat our oceans are facing today. Worldwide, about 90% of fish stocks are gone forever. In 1990 our oceans contained at least six times more fish than they do today. Collapsing fish stocks create large ecological dead zones in our

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Overfishing

    1623 Words  | 4 Pages

    Overfishing is a harmful practice, that will eventually lead to the collapse of aquatic ecosystems, if it’s not dealt with promptly. Overfishing emerges from the combination of our over consumptive society mixed with the great profits that come from hauling in a good catch. The consumers demand for fish in Japan seems to be at an increasingly high rate due to the enjoyment and cultural values that arise from sushi and other traditional dishes involving seafood. Approximately 23 percent of Japan’s protein intake comes from the ocean, and as a nation consumes 7.5 million tonnes of seafood annually. CITATION

    Read More

  • Overfishing In Australia Essay

    875 Words  | 2 Pages

    One example that results overfishing is the Southern Bluefin Tuna. The Bluefin tuna is classified as “severely endangered” due to its declining population and fixed spawning site. Since the Bluefin tuna faces threats, commercial and recreational fishermen target on their young, making profits from the high risk species (Australian Marine Conservation Society, 2016). 2.0 Causes of overfishing 2.1 By-catch By-catch contributes significantly to the overfishing issue in Australia. It is defined as the unintentional catch of fishes when catching targeted species.

    Read More

  • Tragedy Of The Commodity Summary

    1098 Words  | 3 Pages

    Analysis of The Tragedy of the Commodity: The Overexploitation of the Mediterranean Bluefin Tuna Fishery In the context of deteriorating bluefin tuna stocks, Stefano B. Longo and Rebeca Clausen successfully critique the classic theory of the tragedy of the commons by ecologist Garett Hardin, in their article “The Tragedy of the Commodity: The Overexploitation of the Mediterranean Bluefin Tuna Fishery”. 
Hardin’s theory was widely accepted as a model for the overfishing of bluefin tuna, however, Longo and Clausen observe here that the tragedy of the commons is overly simplistic. The authors dive deeper beyond Hardin’s shallow explanations to demonstrate that it is the commodification of our ocean’s resources, instead of self-interested users exploiting a common resource, that leads to overfishing and the depletion of fisheries.

    Read More

More about Effects Of Overfishing

Open Document