Persuasive Essay On Overfishing

Overfishing occurs when more fish are caught than the population can replace through natural reproduction (http://www.worldwildlife.org, 2015.) Overfishing is a huge problem that should be worked on. One country cannot change everything but, something must be done. Overfishing needs to be managed, fishermen need catching limits, and we need to protect breeding grounds year-round and make consequences severe when fishermen are engaged in illegal activities. It is negatively affecting our eco-system; marine life cannot reproduce fast enough to sustain their species. In spite of the price, jobs, and demand for food, overfishing should be illegal because fish play a huge role in the circle of life, regulate the environment and balance the eco-system.

Not only does a decline in the health of our oceans influence the marine and ecosystem and biodiversity, but the world’s climate, economies and human life. The ocean covers nearly two-thirds of the Earth’s surface and encompasses 99 percent of the living space on our planet. It is home to millions of varied species and trillions of individual creatures—including the phytoplankton plants that produce about half the oxygen humans and other animals breathe. The vast waters of the ocean also absorb massive amounts of carbon dioxide, which helps slow the pace of climate change. “The path we are on today is pushing ocean ecosystems to the edge of their viability” (Callum, 2014, p.28.) Fishing vessels are obliterating the sea floor and its biological diversity, including undiscovered species. This causes dead zones were only few species can survive. Species like jellyfish are now dominating in many areas and scientist fear they may take over much of our most productive waters. Callum goes on to explain how this happens, “The jellyfish joyride begins when high nutrients combine with a fall in the abundance of their predators. When plentiful, jellyfish suppress their predators further by eating more of their young and so pave the way for a full-blown population explosion" (2014,

Fishermen should be held accountable for what they fish. More government oversight is needed. According to Elinor Ostrom, who won the Nobel prize for economics in 2009, to avoid a tragedy of the commons requires giving everyone entitled to use them a say in running them; setting clear boundaries to keep out those who are not entitled; appointing monitors who are trusted by users; and having straightforward mechanisms to resolve conflicts (In deep Water; governing the high seas, 2014). Harsher punishments for offenders’ need enforced. To help protect the fisheries they could offer an incentive, so fishermen will be more willing to take precautions when fishing. Vital breeding grounds need to be protected. Most are unaware of the effects their fishing is having. Education must play a vital role. Learning to farm vegetables would go a long way in helping the oceans to replenish. While fish farming has often been touted as a “solution” to the world’s growing hunger for fish, this production method also comes with its own environmental hazards. Five pounds of “trash” fish are needed to make just one pound of fishmeal for farmed fish. This is extremely wasteful. These farmed fish can also get into streams and spread disease. This is not a good solution. One solution would be to declare more of the world’s oceans as marine protected areas (MPAs). Just 1.6% of the world’s