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Problems of overfishing
Negative impact of overfishing
Problems of overfishing
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Overfishing is depleting the stock of fish by catching fish quicker than they can reproduce. It has a big effect on the ecosystems in the ocean. When one fish is removed from the fish population it causes a ripple effect on the food chain. Overfishing is a large problem in today’s society because when the fish are removed the ecosystem is harmed and the food supply will eventually run out. However, fish are needed. They are a huge part of the world’s diet. In order to have fish available for years to come, regulations must be set in place and followed. These regulations should include an off season for each fish species. While one species can be fished, another has time to repopulate. When the fish are depleted the oceans ecosystems are set off balance. The larger animals lose their food supply as the fish are taken. This results in less food for humans in the long run. As the food supply decreases for the animals they have to migrate to find food which can harm a new ecosystem. According to worldwildlife.org more than 85 percent of the fish habitats have been used past their biological limits and need strict laws set in place to reverse the damage already done. Fishing regulations would help the already …show more content…
It results in the extinction of certain species as they are fished. After a while all the edible and usable species will have been fished and become extinct. The International Business Times says that by 2050 all species will be extinct. This sounds far-fetched, but it has become reality. The fish population reproduces at a rapid speed, however fishers seem to be fishing them faster than they can repopulate. With the depletion of the fish, a poor man’s fish becomes a rich man’s fish. This means that the everyday fishes will become specialty fishes. The effects of overfishing will eventually harm the economy because fish will be terribly expensive, so no one will want to buy
Overfishing may have some benefits to it, but does it out way the negatives? By fulfilling our demand we can wipe out our whole oceans! Not just the fish, but water mammals too. Sure it can create jobs, but as what cost? It can help bring up our economy, but at the same time it can bring it down with many fish companies closing down due to lack of profit. Fish is a great source of nutrients, but too much can kill you! In other words, fish can be both beneficial and harmful to not only humans, but everyone and everything surrounding fish. There are three things people can do to help with overfishing, the first thing is to be aware of what you are eating. Is the fish on the fear of extinction list? Also asking yourself is the fish you’re about to eat really the fish you intend to eat? Another thing to ask is, was it shipped over seas? If it was it doesn’t benefit anyone, it won’t help the economy or you. Many fish shipped from a long ways creates pollution and may have lost its nutrients value from the long voyage. One last thing to do is if you see a sewer with a sign leading to the ocean, try not to leave trash near it, or better yet don’t litter at all! All the litter left out on streets or near sewers can cause pollution in oceans, lakes, and rivers which is very harmful for marine life. You can still enjoy fish, but not at such a high demand as
Jack: Yes, Overfishing is a global disaster. Over three quarters of the world is covered by oceans and are full of fish. You see, lots of people love to fish, but some people take it a bit over the top. Fishermen fish almost everyday but some of them fish for hours and hours catching a ton of fish. Millions of people rely on the ocean every day and other people in other parts of the world that need the fish in the water to eat and survive on.
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.
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).
This is known by the many fishing laws and policies that have been created for fishermen to obey in everyday life. Most are considered to be known without seeing the laws because it is basic morals and principals everyone should know. The most important one to the topic at hand is the right to fish comes with certain obligations and responsibilities to help ensure conservation of aquatic and costal resources and those affected (Lam 309, FAO.Code). This basically says when fishing, the fishermen has to take responsibilities for their actions. To conserve the lives of many aquatic animals, all rules must be followed accurately. If not it’s a risk to almost all the populations of aquatic species because it causes a chain reaction. If the food supply is damaged, the species dies, and that same species that dies could have also been a food source to another species that in turns dies as
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
In the real world, all this comes down to two serious problems. We are losing species as well as entire ecosystems. As a result, the overall ecological unity of our oceans is under stress and at risk of collapse. The affects the fish that is at the bottom of the food chain to overpopulate. If the fish that are at the bottom of the food chain overpopulate, the food they eat will become scarce This means that the fish that is at the bottom of the food chain will become extinct or endangered because of the lack of food. Another effect of overfishing that is fishing down the food chain. That will affect the species that are at the top of the food chain because the species that are at the bottom of the food is chain are important preys to them. That’s why fishers should be aware, that if they catch too much of the fish that is at the top of the food chain it will affect the whole system of predators and preys. If the fishers catch too much of fish, that’s at the top of the food chain, it would also affect the balance of predators and
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.
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 ...
I chose to discuss overfishing as my topic. The definition of overfishing is: form of overexploitation where fish stocks are reduced to below acceptable levels. Overfishing can be broken down to three main categories: overcapacity of vessels in the water, unsustainable fishing and food needs. Overfishing can occur in bodies of water of any shape and size.
“Overfishing occurs when more fish are caught than the population can replace through natural reproduction”. CITATION
Many of the small bait fish that eat microbes or shelled organisms would lose sources of food and their numbers would decline rapidly. This would lead to less food for the larger marine creatures like tuna or cod — undoubtedly resulting in a decline in the already faltering fishing industry. Fish prices would increase as supply goes down. It is very clear that ocean acidification will have detrimental effects upon the fishing industry.
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...
The first cause of the marine extinction is coming from over-fishing and commercial fishing. According to Marine Extinction and Conservation, commercial fishing has
Aquaculture provides food and nutrients to millions of people allover the world. Fish provides key nutrients and proteins and it benefits people of all classes. Fish is full of nutrients that the human body needs. Fish is distributed to people less fortunate and by providing these nutrients to people it can fight hunger for thousands of people all over the world. In the United States, 80% of our fish is imported and around 50% of those fish came from fish farms. Aquaculture plays a big role on the environment also. Many species of fish are severely over fished by commercial businesses and they soon cannot meet the food demand for the world market. Aquaculture provides a stable supply of fish and shellfish for the world market and it also takes the stress of overfished populations. Aquaculture can benefit recreational fish such as bass and other very important ecological species and habitats. With the expansion of Aquaculture, it provides thousand of jobs for jobless