Pros And Cons Of Overfishing

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).

One such country would be in Japan. An example of a fish nearing extinction there would be the Bluefin tuna. Bluefin tuna is a successful

ocean inhabitant, the biggest of the tuna and a top-of-the-food-chain fish with few natural predators. However, with the current fishing methods and increasing demand for sushi and sashimi (Boyd, 2014), stocks of Bluefin tuna in the Pacific Ocean have declined critically. More than 9 out of 10 Bluefin tunas caught were too young to have reproduced, which means they could be the last generation (theguardian, Overfishing causes Pacific bluefin tuna numbers to drop 96%, 2013).
Urgent action is needed as the Bluefin tuna, which in 2012, was estimated to have plummeted by 96% from unfished levels during nearly a century of overfishing (theguardian, Overfishing causes Pacific bluefin tuna numbers to drop 96%, 2013).

Japan was criticized for not supporting the extra conservation measures that would allow the species to recover quickly. Furthermore, they are the ones who stand to gain the most if the population rebuilds, and the most to lose if the population drops. This is so as about 80% of the global Bluefin tuna catch is consumed in Japan, where it is popular for their sushi and sashimi (theguardian, Warning over Pacific bluefin tuna stocks as Japan meeting ends in stalemate,

2015).
If this problem is not rectified, it will reduce the stock of targeted species, such as the Bluefin tuna in this case. At the same time, some untargeted fishes may be caught and then discarded at the seaside or shore. It can also cause changes to the marine ecology and destroy the food chain (Jetson, 2014). For instance, Bluefin tuna being the top predator, eats sardines for their meals. Without these Bluefin tuna, the sea will be overpopulated with sardines, thus causing the prey of these predators to be affected (Project, n.d.).Economic would be affected as many people rely on fishing for their livelihood and nutritional needs. With no productive fish left in the sea, the fisheries will be bound to go out of business (Jetson, 2014).
This issue can be addressed by setting a quota for endangered species to be caught, which gives them time to reproduce (Iwata, 2014). In a way, with these quotas, people are more likely to follow, as they don’t want to pay extra money or go to jail. (B., M., & C, 2006)
(436 words)
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4zDTq8nNE8
References
B., A., M., S., & C, T. (2006). Retrieved May 12, 2016, from http://www.shs.d211.org/science/faculty/bms/HIP/Period1/Tara_Overfishing.pdf
Boyd, J.

(2014, September 20). Retrieved May 10, 2016, from Aljazeera: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2014/09/japan-hopes-replenish-tuna-stocks-2014920999407676.html

Geographic, N. (2016). Retrieved May 10, 2016, from National Geographic: http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/explore/pristine-seas/critical-issues-overfishing/

Iwata, M. (2014, July 3). Retrieved May 10, 2016, from The Wall Street Journal: http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2014/07/03/japan-moves-to-curb-overfishing/

Jetson, K. (2014, April 9). Retrieved May 12, 2016, from Marine Science Today: http://marinesciencetoday.com/2014/04/09/impact-of-overfishing-on-human-lives/

Project, T. F. (n.d.). Retrieved May 12, 2016, from The Fish Project: http://thefishproject.weebly.com/the-bluefins.html

theguardian. (2013, January 9). Retrieved May 10, 2016, from theguardian: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jan/09/overfishing-pacific-bluefin-tuna

theguardian. (2015, September 3). Retrieved May 10, 2016, from theguardian: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/sep/04/warning-over-pacific-bluefin-tuna-stocks-as-japan-meeting-ends-in-stalemate

WWF. (2016). Retrieved May 12, 2016, from WWF:

http://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/overfishing