Describe your global issue in detail.
my global issue is over fishing Catching too much fish for the system to support leads to an overall degradation to the system.
Fishing with a high intensity to reduce the breeding stock levels to such an extent that they will no longer suppport a sufficient quantity of fish for sport or commercial harvest. deplete the stock of fish in (a body of water) by too much fishinghttp://overfishing.org/pages/what_is_overfishing.php
Who/what region is involved?
its an issue in North America, East China and Europe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overfishing
How does this issue affect the United States? (Economic, social/humanitarian, other)
severe deterioration http://oceeuropean-seas
How does the number of people in the world affect this issue? Billions of people rely on fish for protein, andalso way to many people fish and go over there limit for how many fish they can catch a day .http://worldwildlife.org/threats/overfishing
What are the short term, within the next year, consequences (neg. or positive) of this issue?
overfishing can have a devastating impact on ocean communities as it destabilizes the food chain and destroys the natural habitats of many aquatic species.it will cause environmental change and it will cause less fish for buisnesis http://www.seaweb.org/resources/articles/writings/safina1.php http://dujs.dartmouth.edu/winter-2012/the-threats-of-overfishing-consequences-at-the-commercial-level#.Uyr8QuhX-uY
What are the long term consequences (neg. or positive) of this issue? The reality of modern fishing is that the industry is dominated by fishing vessels that far out-match nature's ability to replenish More than 85 percent of the world's fisheries have been pushed to or beyond their biological limits http://worldwildlife.org/threats/overfishing http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/oceans/overfishing/
Research possible solutions for your issue? Solutions for the region and global solutions.
allow every fisherman or every vessel to only catch a specific amount of fish each. This would then need to be monitored closely by fisheries by weighing and/or counting every caught crop. Putting limits on the amount of fish that can be caught does make the prices to consumers and restaurants rise http://www.ask.com/question/solutions-to-overfishing
What is already being done regarding this issue? Is it working?
Fisheries are encouraged to stick to their Quota to limit the number of fish that can be caught at any time. There are only a set number of days that fishing is allowed. This way, there is some fallow days for fish to breed and reproduce.No-fishing zones have been marked in many areas to allow fishes to recover.
Larabee, John, and Richard Price. "Tide of Troubles has Fish Industry Reeling/ Crisis Caused by Pollution, Development, Over-Fishing." USA Today 10 Mar. 1994: 9A
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.
Simply, overfishing depletes fish stocks. The consumer demand for fish has risen dramatically over the past decade or so, so much that fisheries are designing new and innovate ways to catch more fish, and at a faster rate to meet consumer demands. What fisheries do not realize, though, is that their removal of fish from the oceans is too great and far too fast for new fish stocks to be made. So, no mating is occurring, leaving the oceans emptier each day. If this rate continues, all fish in the ocean will be almost non-existent. Already, we are experiencing a major decline in fish population: "In 2003, a scientific report estimated that industrial fishing had reduced the number of large ocean fish to just 10 percent of their pre-industrial population. "(par.6).Overfishing brings the main consequence of decrease in the fish population. People rely on fish for survival (in some countries, fish is their only source of food), and they rely on marine life for products (goods like lipstick, petroleum jelly, make-up, etc.)
Countries, fisheries, and consumers all need to share the responsibility for conserving endangered marine life. First, governments should base their policies on scientific factors and should look for better economic incentives to stop fisheries from overfishing. Second, fisheries should use methods that are not so destructive to the fish population. Finally, consumers should avoid buying endangered seafood, even if they have to pay a little more. If these parties recognize that it is worthwhile to conserve marine species, then they must accept this responsibility.
...in suggests, mutual coercion must be applied. Enforced government regulation of the fisheries can achieve this, and extend the restoration of endangered species of fish.
Another way to manage resource is to set national quotas. The quota system will conserve the stock and optimize harvesting levels. When the quota is in place, wildlife will be protected from over-exploitation. Quotas may be auction to the highest bidder; therefore the winner will enforce rules for harvesting. Open-access problems can be managed if individuals or a certain group controls property rights. While controlling the property rights, regulations may be enforced for better results. Regulations can determine what is allowed or not allowed on the land. To be economically efficient and conserve wildlife, people should harvest at certain time of the day. This will reduce overexploitation and give time for the stocks to reproduce. Ultimately, regulation, quotas, taxes and control will help overexploitation decline at a dramatic rate.
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
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 specie. Overfishing causes a ripple effect that hurts the entire ecosystem. The balance of chain depends largely on the interaction between the predator and the prey. For example, if the larger fish are removed than its prey begins to overpopulate, due to the lack of population control. The balance in the oceans are a urgent problem, around 90% of predatory fish stocks are depleted. The ripples can extend even further to land creatures like
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 ...
We are also catching to many fish and the fish are not able to sustain their population. There are plenty of fish on the endangered list due to over fishing and some of these fish are surprisingly commonly consumed across the United States. I’ll fill you in on the top ten: Alaskan Halibut, it’s a largest flat fish and it’s found in the North Atlantic. #2 is the Beluga Sturgeon, it’s usually consumed for its fillets and eggs that are known as “true caviar”. #3 is Acadian Redfish. #4 is Orange Rough, #5 is the Winter Skate (usually made into fishmeal or lobster bait). #6 the Bocaccio Rockfish, the most endangered in the West. #7 is the European Eel, when these juveniles are caught out at sea they have not yet spawned. #9 is the Goliath Grouper, their harvesting has been banned. #10 is the Maltese Ray, that is now only found in one area of the world, The Strait of Sicily. Most of these fish are being caught as bycatch, meaning they weren’t the intended target species. Our methods of fishing are a big contributor to this problem and bottom trawling, which is mainly used, is one of the most destructive ways to fish. Bottom trawling uses heavy nets that are dragged across the ocean floor catching everything, letting nothing escape. Simultaneously, this kind of trawling destroys reefs and habitats along the way and It could take decades to repair the damage done by bottom
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 has rapidly gone down in many parts of Australia's fish stocks. The two major factors that are a result of this issue is ; some areas already have decreased biological productivity , along a wide range of fishing efforts that are resulted from commercial and recreational fisheries. Species that are vulnerable to overfishing are continually overfished include the most effective southern bluefin tuna; blue warehou; silver trevally; orange roughy; and bigeye tuna that are found in the Pacific and Indian Oceans beyond the Australian Fishing Zone. Illegal fishing places put continued pressure on some species, with patagonian toothfish in the southern ocean and shark in northern Australia are being the most affected.
People can catch fish and skin them and clean them off, fry them and then eat them. Then there is deer, which you have to have a license to hunt. People also have to have fishing licenses or a park ranger or gain warden will fine you $75 and $20 more if you are caught with more fish that you are suppose to have.(Penalties for Fishing without a License,1). There are 3 types of fishing limits and restrictions, and they are catch limits, possession limits, and size restrictions.(Fishing limits and size retrictions,1). Catch limits means that you can only catch a certain amount of fish in one day. When you catch your limit, then you better not keep anymore or you will get fined. Possession limits means to target the fishing mortality rate. Then there is size restrictions of a fish, which is the size the fish has to be before you keep it. A fish has to be exactly 13 inches. If your fish is bigger or smaller than 13 inches then people will get fined.
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