Another environmental problem is overfishing, which is described as the harvesting of a species of fish from a body of water at a rate that exceeds its natural reproduction rate.
Overfishing happens when more fish are captured than the population will replenish by natural reproduction, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Although overfishing can seem to be a profitable activity, it is a serious environmental problem that has far-reaching consequences for both aquatic and terrestrial life.
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Overfishing, for example, has depleted fish populations in many fisheries around the world. Approximately 85% of the world’s fisheries may be overexploited, declining, or recovering from exploitation.
For this article, the purpose is to explore the causes, effects and sollution of overfishing.
Causes of Overfishing
Simply put, overfishing happens when more fish are captured than can be reproduced to replenish the population. Fishing is a concern today for a variety of reasons, including the fact that it has been used by humans for a long time. Overfishing can be caused by a number of factors, including:
- Difficulties managing fishing zones due to a shortage of resources and the inability to monitor activity.
- In most parts of the world, there is little or no regulation of the fishing industry, which means that fishing fleet practises and activities are not or hardly controlled.
- In international waters, there are little or no laws governing fishing activities, allowing fishing vessels to avoid areas where rules do apply.
- There is a lack of understanding about fish stocks and quotas in a universal standard.
- Issues with customs and importation, where the provenance of fish is not questioned, resulting in illegal activities such as mislabeling one type of fish as another.
- Fishing that goes unreported and is almost impossible to track.
- Many countries provide subsidies to fishermen, causing their numbers to be higher than they should be (it is estimated that there are 2 ½ times more fleets than are required).
- Fishing areas are still unregulated – only about 1.5% of oceans have been designated as protected areas, and the majority of these are still open to fishermen. As a result, areas can be affected or depleted.
Effects of Overfishing
- Environmental Damage
Critical predators and prey are eliminated from the food chain when areas are overfished. This has an impact on the creatures above and below them. Sharks are one of the most often mentioned examples of overfishing victims. When sharks are overfished, the number of their prey, such as rays, rises. More rays means less shellfish and other smaller fish species, which affects the food chain at the next stage.
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- Algae Growth
Overfishing has a lesser-known side effect in that it causes algae to develop out of reach, wreaking havoc on coral reefs, fish stocks, and other ecosystems.
- Coral Reef Health
Smaller fish thrive as larger marine predators such as sharks and dolphins are eliminated from the oceans. Coral reefs are often harmed as a result of this.
- Financial Loss
On the human side of the equation, large-scale fishing operations that deplete the available fish supply affect smaller-scale, community-based fishing operations.
Solutions to Overfishing
Overfishing has a wide range of consequences, many of which will not be realised until it has a detrimental impact on human life on the world. A variety of environmental organisations around the world are working to make the fishing industry more long-term sustainable. The following are some of the methods that have been implemented:
- Working With Governments
Because of the lack of controls and precise policy, as well as the fact that fishing has been a part of human history and civilization, several organisations, such as the World Wildlife Fund, are assisting countries in developing sufficient and efficient management protocols.
- Helping Developing Countries
Since fishing is such an important industry in many poor and developing countries, conservation efforts are focusing on assisting these areas in developing procedures to ensure long-term viability.
- The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
The MSC is a WWF initiative that aims to develop a standard that can be used to help commercial fisheries sustain productivity while also protecting the environment. They now have a certification that fisheries can earn by modernising their methods and marking seafood for sale so that customers know it came from a reliable source.
- Educating Retailers
Conservationists are now collaborating with retailers to educate them about how to buy seafood from sustainable fisheries, which is another way they are attempting to address the issue of overfishing. The hope is that by increasing public support for the cause, more pressure will be applied to fisheries to adhere to the requirements.
- Reducing Subsidies
Many governments provide subsidies to the fishing industry in an attempt to hold it afloat. The problem with this is that it encourages fishermen to increase their operations, resulting in subsidies that exacerbate the problem of overfishing.
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- Labels For Consumers
Consumers are now being targeted by groups who want them to be more conscious of the seafood they buy and eat. There are pamphlets and helpful guides available to inform customers about which fish are threatened due to overfishing and where they come from. Many of them, including the one from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, have options for less endangered fish.
- Responsible Farming
Fish farming, when performed correctly, will provide a sustainable source of food and energy for the world’s population. Species like arctic char and bass, which are vulnerable to overfishing, have seen success with this method so far.
- Stop Trawling
The practise of trawling must be stopped as soon as possible in order to solve the problem of overfishing. Scraping the bottom of the waterbody to catch fish is unquestionably a terrible idea.
