Overfishing In America
As some people know the saying “There are plenty of fish in the sea”, that
is not really the case. Fishing has been a passtime, and a way of life, for many
Americans since the 16th Century. Fishing is the term referring to catching fish
from oceans, lakes, or ponds. Many peo
(Tale Of Two Fisheries 4). Overfishing is when either recreational fisherman or
industrial fisherman catch too many fish at one time and it affects not only the
marine life balance, but also the economic balance. People need to realize that
overfishing is a real problem and needs to be fixed. Some people may ask how
do we solve the overfishing issue? The government is coming up with different
laws and regulations to set on big commercial fisheries
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that will hopefully help. Most people know that the world is 75% water so they think that there are plenty of fish out there for everyone, and that we can never run out.
Little do they
know the fish in the oceans populations are actually going down rapidly. The
population of fish in the ocean has went down almost 4% in the past decade.
Some people would look at 4% and think that is a really low number, but when
you have millions of fish in the sea that can be a very very big number. Most of
these fish are being caught by commercial fishing boats for consumption by the
people from all over the world. There are so many fishing vessels out in the
ocean right now. The DMV says that there are about 33,000 different fishing
vessels out in the ocean fishing for anything that will take their bait (Hakai 4).
This includes crab boats, tuna boats, and even boats that catch a variety of fish.
The 33,000 boats that the DMV knows about are all registered and that is why
they know how many boats are out there, but there are still thousands and
thousands of boats out there that are out fishing illegally and without a license.
Most of the Overfishing issue is coming from these boats that are out there
illegally. This is because no one knows about those boats. Every year the coast
guard catches about 3,000 fishing boats that are unregistered, fishing without
a permit, and not following the bag limit. The coast guard is doing all they can to stop all of these boats, but there are so many of them out there that it is very hard for them to regulate all of them. The ocean is way too big to catch every single illegal boat out there, it would be like finding a needle in a humongous hay stack. To fish anywhere everyone knows that you need to go to your local walmart, gas station, or bait shop, to buy a yearly license that must be renewed at the end of each year. The problem with this system is that it is very hard to enforce. There are so many people out on the water or on the banks of the water everyday that it would be nearly impossible for them to go up to each and every one of them to ask them about their license and make sure that they are fishing legally. The same can be said about bag limits. Bag limits are the amount of fish that you can catch each day. The bag limit can be different for every different type of fish. The number of fish you catch is not the only thing included in a bag limit, the size of the fish and in rare cases the weight of the fish is the deciding factor of whether or not you are allowed to keep the fish. Most fisherman that have a license respect the bag limit and follow the rules, but those fishing illegally tend to pay no attention to the bag limits and can either overfish or keep fish that are not big enough to keep. Park Rangers, Game Wardens, and even the Coast Guard do everything in their power to keep everyone fishing legally and not overfishing but it is a very difficult task. In 2016, just in Wyoming alone there was a total of 455 cases of illegally fishing or just keeping the wrong size fish or keeping too many fish to take home. Some places have a catch and release policy which means you are not allowed to keep any of the fish that you catch, you have to throw them back into the water. People can face huge fines up to 10’s of thousands of dollars if they are caught keeping fish in a strictly catch and release area. The amount of money that the people are fined comes from the amount of fish or the size of the fish. All of the cases are different and are handled differently in court depending on the circumstances. Fishing, more specifically commercial fishing, plays a huge role in the United States economy, and the Global Economy. The fishing industry has more than 2 and a half times the employees than that of the natural resource industries such as farming. The oceans well being is what keeps all of those people employed and is what helps keep our economy stable. There were approximately 5.4 million people in 2010 were supported by the ocean and the wildlife living in it. These jobs contributed about 633 billion dollars, which is roughly 4.4 percent of the United States Gross Domestic Policy, into the economy. There are new companies and agencies that are now trying to spread the word about ocean health quickly diminishing. These agencies have always been around but recently they have been putting out a bigger voice and getting more people to notice them. If the United States and other countries across the world do not start taking more action to help preserve our wildlife in the oceans then the whole entire global economy could potentially crash. The loss of jobs would leave over 1.5 million people in the United States without a job(America’s astounding progress 2). All of those people not having jobs would mean that more people will be trying to collect more unemployment. With that many people trying to collect unemployment taxes would have to go up to help pay for all of those people. With all of the fish populations going down rapidly it isn’t if the economy will be affected, it is when will the economy be affected. The United States will take a huge money hit and could potentially ruin some trade deals with other countries. Fish prices will skyrocket and if fisherman do not give the population time to rebuild itself, then our oceans will potentially lose so many populations of marine life economy it might not be able to rebuild itself. Americans depend on fish just as much as the economy does. For marine life to rebuild itself it needs time. Fish do not take as long as humans to repopulate due to the fact that they lay many eggs instead of having a few babies at a time. All fish lay different amounts of eggs. The problem with the overfishing is that when the commercial fisherman continue fishing and never give them a break then the fish will not have enough time to settle down and lay their eggs. Fish do repopulate very fast but, we are catching fish faster than they can repopulate. A fish can lay anywhere from 100-1000 eggs. Some of those eggs can die naturally by natural causes or by other fish eating the eggs. That is not what marine biologists and conservationists are worried about. They are worried about the fisherman that are catching the fish illegally or catching too many fish and leaving the eggs unprotected from predators (Conathan 1). There are some fishing boats that even try to find the fish eggs. Most marine life follows a pattern throughout the year. They migrate down south when it is cold and move back north when it gets too cold. Marine biologists have noticed that commercial fishing is actually causing fish to avoid the normal routes or patterns that they would normally follow. The fish are doing this because they are so used to being fished in the same spot over and over again they begin to understand that the location they are at is unsafe and they need to find somewhere else to go. The change in migration patterns could potentially cause huge problems (overfishing bad for fish 4). The fish that normally do not live in salt water could end up finding their way to salt water causing them to either adapt to that water or die. Introducing all of these different species of fish to each other and to different areas of the ocean could cause some major balance issues when it comes to who is the prey and who is the predator. The fish could begin to kill each other off causing more problems than overfishing is causing. A single fishing boat can catch about 3 tons of fish in one day. This overfishing reached a peak in 1996. Researchers originally thought that fisherman caught about 84 million tons of fish in a single year, but recent discoveries have led researchers to think that they took almost 130 million tons of fish that year (Getting Serious 5). That number has gone down since then but not by much. We have only decreased the amount of fish caught a year by about 380,000 tons (Plumer 2). This number is small compared to the big picture but it is moving in the right direction. This decrease in the amount of fish caught gives researchers two possibilities to think about. It could either be from the fishing regulations and bag limits finally working or, there are not as many fish in the ocean as there once was so it is becoming harder to catch a lot of fish. Different conservationists are trying to convince fishing industries to take a break from fishing, not completely stop because that would cause the fishing industries to go out of business. The conservationists are not trying to make the large fishing companies to go bankrupt because fishing is a huge part of American cuisine, and an even bigger part of the economy, they just want to give the fish time to repopulate instead of being constantly bombarded by fishing boats. Helping the marine life balance itself can benefit the fish and benefit the fishing industries. They would have a few years of not catching near the amount of fish but after those few years are up they will be able to catch fish and fill bag limits easily without harming the oceans. If the fishing companies do not start doing something to help with the overfishing then there will no longer be commercial fishing. In conclusion overfishing is a serious issue and should be dealt with in a serious manner. If the government does not do something about these problems then the economy, the fisheries, and the people will be taking a huge hit. The only way to fix all of these problems is to take action. It will take everyone's help and support but with a little teamwork and communication, it can be done. Works Cited “America's Astounding Progress in Ending Overfishing.” America's Astounding Progress in Ending Overfishing | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2018, date accessed 24 march 2018. A Tale of Two Fisheries: Fishing and OverFishing in American Waters | Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, 14 Sept. 2017. Date accessed 22 March 2018. Conathan, Michael. “The End of Overfishing in America.” Center for American Progress, 25 Mar. 2011, date accessed 25 March 2018. “Getting Serious about Overfishing.” The Economist, The Economist Newspaper, 26 May 2017, date accessed 26 March 2018. “ Overfishing Bad for Fish, but Worse for the Economy.” Environmental Defense Fund, 3 May 2017, date accessed 20 March 2018. Plumer, Brad. “Just How Badly Are We Overfishing the Oceans?” The Washington Post, WP Company, 29 Oct. 2013, date accessed 20 March 2018. Magazine, Hakai. “Proposed Policies Could Make America Overfished Again.” Hakai Magazine, 6 Oct. 2016, date accessed 23 March 2018
Since three-forth of the world is composed of bodies of water, it’s natural that a great number of people rely on fishing for their livelyhood or just for their recreation needs. There are numerous of fish species swimming under the lakes, seas, ponds, and rivers. Most anglers consider fishing as the delight in their purpose-driven life, a sport, as they say.
In the late 1990s fishermen were getting stressed and many of them turned in their boats. This is because the government made new rules and regulations for the fishing industry. These rules are supposed to help endangered fish, although some are not helping at all. The government allows small boat fishermen to catch only 500 pounds of cod per day and requires them to toss any extra overboard before they reach shore.
When economic incentives overshadow moral reasoning, people often disregard, or temporarily repress moral arguments, and eagerly turn toward the economic incentives. In January 2009, a 440 lb Bluefin tuna sold for $173,000 (Keim, 2009). The average weight and size of a bluefin tuna is 770 lbs and 2-2.5 m. This high selling price reflects an irresistible incentive to catch these immense fish and sell them to the highly demanding market. Demand for bluefin tuna has grown so high that demand is starting to supersede the supply. In anticipation of resolving this problem, commercial fisheries began large-scale fishing of the tuna. Bluefin Tuna have very fast swimming speeds, which allow them to migrate between cold temperate feeding grounds and warm water spawning grounds regularly (Fromentin and Powers, 2005). Atlantic Bluefin Tuna can sustain cold (down to 3°C) as well as warm (up to 30°C) temperatures while maintaining stable internal body temperature (Block et al. 2001). One problem with the unrestricted fishing of Bluefin tuna is their susceptibility to being overfished. Northern Atlantic Bluefin Tuna in particular have life spans of over 30 years. This causes them to be more vulnerable to getting caught at some point in their lifetimes. In addition it takes them eight years to mature which leads to a very slow reproductive cycle (Fromentin and Powers, 2005). By the time they reach eight, there is a very good chance that they will already be caught eliminating their chance for reproduction. Egg production, for the individual species that do make it to maturity, appears to be size-dependent: a smaller, younger female produces an average of five million eggs, while a larger, older female can carry up to 45 million eggs (Rodriguez-Ro...
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.
Overfishing is a major problem in economy today. The practices of fishing too much or too often result in a decrease of the fish population. Constant removal of fish from the oceans (fishing) accounts for both adult and baby fish. With the consistent decrease in adult fish, mating becomes more difficult or even impossible, resulting in an overall lack of fish in the oceans. Pepijn Koster defines overfishing as, "Overfishing can be defined in a number of ways. However, everything comes down to one simple point: Catching too much fish for the system to support leads to an overall degradation to the system. Overfishing is a non-sustainable use of the oceans." (par.1). When fish stocks cannot be replenished faster than they are being depleted, a reduction in fish population occurs, which is what is referred to as overfishing.
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.
This leads to those fish becoming endangered and even extinct. For example, "up to 2,000 of the animals were drowning in gill nets in the Gulf of Maine each year--enough to eventually wipe out the species” (Cone). Some species can’t reproduce fast enough to continue having a stable population. This leads to endangerment and eventually extinction. In addition to this, "the vaquita... become entangled in nets set for the totoaba, and drown" (Malkin). Aquatic animals, such as the vaquita, are being over caught and killed in nets that weren’t even meant for them. Most of the anglers don’t even use the vaquita that was unintentionally caught. On the other hand, "...fish is the primary source of protein for one in six people on earth” (Whitty). To stop using drift nets to collect fish would deny many people much needed foods. Even so, "Erik Anderson, who has fished New England's waters for 30 years, would haul up his gill net and occasionally discover a harbor porpoise, entangled and dying, trapped in the mesh along with his harvest of cod and flounder" (Cone). Although some people may have to find a different source of protein, the demise of drift nets will save entire
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
The primary areas of concerns entail not only local nutrient pollution into water systems, via waste feed, but feces, as well as, chemical pollution, with chemical and antibiotic treatments, and the spread of diseases via farm escapees to wild fish populations. According to Farmed and Dangerous.org (n.d.), salmon farming remains one of the most harmful aquaculture production systems. due to open net-cages maintained directly in the ocean, hence producing farm waste, chemicals, disease and parasites , which flow directly into the neighboring waters, harming other marine life, such as industry, as sea lions and seals. Furthermore, farmed
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 ...
This is a list of things that I have learns over the years fishing on sportfishing boats. Some of this may seem common knowledge if you’re an avid angler but if you newbie then this might be helpful. I’m sure this is not a complete list so if you have something to add feel free to send me an email so I can add it to the list.
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
Overfishing is the most major problem related to oceans, but it is also the most overlooked. Fishing has been going on for thousands of years, and fish have always been seen as a renewable resource, that would replenish itself forever for our benefit. But around the world there is evidence that fish are not recove...
More than forty thousand merchant ships, and countless number of smaller coastal craft, ply world oceans which comprise nearly seventy percent of the earth’s surface. Each year approximately ten million containers of cargo, containing raw materials to finished goods are transported by seas. The ships are owned by different states, private companies or individuals and manned by mixture of seafarers from different countries, mixed together from various nationalities. These ships are perhaps the most autonomous entities on earth as rule of law allows frequent change of their allegiance or identity by choosing a flag to suit their requirement.
Unless the current situation improves, stocks of all organisms that are currently fished for food are predicted to collapse drastically by 2048 (WWF 2.) Briggs emphasizes that over-fishing “has induced population collapses in many species. So instead of having less than a hundred species at risk, as was the case some 30-40 years ago, there are now a thousand or more