Running Head: OVERFISHING 1

Overfishing: A Global Crisis

Jenna Benson
Itineris Early College High School

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Overfishing: A Global Crisis

There are several serious dangers threatening our oceans today: pollution - which
includes debris, chemicals, and oil, climate change, and overfishing. Out of all of these
threats, overfishing the biggest one that our oceans are facing. Only in recent years, as
the effects of overfishing have become increasingly evident, have we begun to study its
influence on the environment. There is no end in sight for overfishing unless we choose
to enforce strict regulations that will allot time for our oceans and their wildlife to heal
and regenerate. Despite the massiveness of the problem, many people are not aware of
what overfishing is and how it will impact the earth if we allow it to continue at the rate it
currently is. It is vital to understand what overfishing is, how it is caused, its effects on
the environment, and how it can be prevented to save our oceans before they are
entirely depleted.

WHAT IS OVERFISHING?

Before one can understand how overfishing is harming the environment, it is vital to
understand what overfishing even is. Overfishing occurs when a population of fish is
unable to reproduce as quickly as it is being caught. This can happen in almost any
body of water - including rivers, ponds, and lakes - but we find it occurring
predominantly in the ocean. The first cases of overfishing occurred in the 19th century
when fisheries depleted whale populations in order to acquire blubber - used for lamp oil
at the time (“Overfishing”, 2010). The problem only
continued to worsen from this point on causing the
endangerment of California sardines and Atlantic
cod and herring in the mid-20th century
(“Overfishing”, 2010). By the end of the 1900s,
these local endangerments expanded around the
globe, becoming increasingly destructive to marine
life and environments. Around 90 million metric
tons of fish and seafood were captured by the year
1989; our oceans were visibly and significantly
depleted (“Overfishing”, 2010). Since then, catch
yields have only declined and fisheries have been
Industrial fishery unloading Orange roughy
unable to target larger species like Bluefin tuna, catch. World Wildlife Fund. (2012).
Orange roughy, and Chilean sea bass - all of
which whose populations have been exhausted.
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CAUSES

There are two main reasons that overfishing has progressed primarily in the past couple
of centuries: technology and malpractice (“Overfishing”, 2012). Formerly, fishing was a
sustainable practice. Fishing vessels in the past were incapable of reaping and storing
catches as substantial as today’s and technology at
the time kept fisheries from traveling far into the
ocean (Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of
Science [DUJS], 2012). Now, however, as large
fishing operations have been able to transition to
massive factory ships rigged with advanced
catching equipment and sometimes even the
machinery to process and package fish on board,
these are facts of the past. Fishing vessels, now
equipped with GPS and sonar technology to locate
clusters of fish, release nets that can reach depths
Commercial fishing vessel. Rezac, Jiri. as far down as 120 kilometers (75 miles) and
(2013). trawler vessels are able to reach depths as far down
as 170 kilometers (106 miles) (DUJS, 2012). These powerful vessels also allow
fisheries to fish deeper and travel farther than we have ever been able to.

In addition to new technology, malpractice is a tremendous contributor to overfishing.

There are several ways illegal fishing practices and lack of regulations advance the
depletion of our oceans. For one, fisheries rarely follow scientific guidance when
deciding their fishing quotas, and the industry itself is incredibly difficult to trace, leading
to poor management and a lack of oversight. This inattention, however, is nothing new
to fisheries, and it is especially prevalent when fishing on the high seas - water that is at
least 200 miles away from land - where international laws are either nonexistent or
completely neglected (“Overfishing”, 2012). Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing
(also known as IUU fishing) is also a major cause for the continuation of overfishing
(“Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated”, 2014). It is challenging to precisely measure the
extent of illegal fishing, but it is estimated that IUU fishing supplies approximately 20
percent of the world’s catch (“Overfishing”, 2012). IUU fishing is only worsened when
fisheries function underneath flags of non-compliance - when a fishing operation
becomes registered to fly a country’s flag, but said country fails to ensure its vessels are
using legal fishing methods. Registering vessels is an advantageous practice for flag
states, the main reason “open registers” are held - when there is no nationality
requirement for registration. Working under a flag of non-compliance protects vessels
and benefits them in several ways, including providing an inexpensive and fast
registration, the opportunity to dodge their home countries’ fishing laws, lowered or
nonexistent taxes, and the option to re-flag (“Flags of Non-Compliance”, 2016). Re-
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flagging - also called flag hopping - is when a vessel changes its name and the flag it
operates under, making it almost impossible for authorities to track it down to be
charged. Vessels can re-flag as often as they want, leaving them practically invisible.
While flag states must keep track of vessels registered with them and their fishing
authorization information (the species of fish a vessel is allowed to capture or the fishing
equipment that is being used on board), they are not required to share this information
with other flag states, making flag hopping a convenient way to escape punishment and
get away with IUU fishing (“Voluntary Guidelines”, 2014).

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS

The effects of overfishing have become especially evident in recent decades. Many
species of fish have been declared endangered and are on the verge of extinction and
our methods of fishing have jeopardized ocean formations and reefs. The reach of
overfishing is vast, and while there are many ways it adversely affects humans the
environment, there are a few main ways it does damage.

BYCATCH

Most fishing equipment used in the fishing industry is unselective, meaning that it is
unable to discern what fishers want to catch and what they actually catch. As a
consequence, non-target species are often entangled in nets or pierced by hooks to be
accidentally captured or killed. These incidents are known as bycatch and they do not
only happen to species similar in size to the target
species. Any marine animal can be a victim of
bycatch - from coral reefs and aquatic plants to
massive whales to seabirds that do not even reside
in the ocean. Sharks and dolphins are often caught
in nets used in the tuna industry, resulting in
hundreds of remains being washed up onto shores
annually (DUJS, 2012). For this reason, bycatch is
one of the biggest dangers to cetaceans, like
dolphins and porpoises, today (“The Impact”, 2010).
The baiji porpoise, vaquita porpoise, and the North
Atlantic right whale have all been devastated by
bycatch - the baiji to the point of extinction and the
vaquita and right whale into endangerment (“What Hammerhead shark caught in a gillnet.
Skerry, B. J. (2013).
is Bycatch?”, 2011). When a cetacean is caught in
fishing gear, they panic and can sustain terrible gashes and broken bones along the
way. Eventually, they suffocate as they struggle underneath the water, or gear caught in
wounds and mouths results in starvation or infection over the course of months or years
(Dolman, 2018). This is something known to affect mammals as large as sperm whales,
as they are painfully choked and drowned to death.
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Annually, it is estimated that around 7.3 million tons of marine wildlife are unintentionally
caught and killed (“What is Bycatch?”, 2011). Some fisheries end up with more bycatch
than intended catch and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has
found that incidental catching is one of the major contributors to the fact that 25 percent
of the world’s catch is thrown overboard upon capture (“What is Bycatch?”, 2011; DUJS,
2012). These numbers reflect more than just a couple of sacrifices or anomalies; they
represent an issue that endangers the survival of the species caught between fishers
and target species.

DEGRADATION OF CORAL REEFS

Coral reefs are one of the most lively and critical components of the ocean currently at
risk because of overfishing. One-quarter of the ocean’s fish breed and give birth in
coral reefs, which is what supplies the fishing industry and its both large-scale and
small-scale fishing operations (Harvey, 2010). In addition to being biologically
important, coral reefs are important economically and recreationally. Tourism
associated with coral reefs helps fund local communities. The Great Barrier Reef in
Australia collects $1 billion USD yearly from tourism, while the Florida Keys collect $3
billion USD yearly (Harvey, 2010). Furthermore, reef formations help reduce the impact
of coastal erosion and soften the blow of tidal waves during storms and tsunamis. Not
only do they help generate money for the surrounding people and communities, but
reefs also prevent damage to said communities and people, saving millions of dollars
per year in potential damage.

Coral reefs are jeopardized due to a handful of fishing practices. Because coral reefs
act as nurseries, young fish and spawning aggregations are especially susceptible to
being overfished, throwing off the delicate reef ecosystem when these organisms are
taken away (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA], 2016). The
ecosystem also becomes unstable when bycatch removes algae-eating fish from coral
reef environments (NOAA, 2016). Further damage is caused when fishing equipment
used by trawler vessels mows over reef formations and oceanic rock structures,
obliterating them entirely.

ENDANGERMENT AND EXTINCTION

While blame can undoubtedly be placed on bycatch for the accidental endangerments
and extinctions of certain marine wildlife, the fishing of target species is another piece of
he puzzle. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has declared
around three-quarters of the world’s fish stocks significantly depleted, over exploited,
fully exploited (DUJS, 2012). It only takes 10 to 15 years for 10 percent of a species to
be wiped out once it has been targeted by commercial fisheries, and several species
have become extinct due to this reality (DUJS, 2012). Five-eighths of tuna species face
endangerment, while three have been so exhausted by overfishing that they likely won’t
be able to recover (DUJS, 2012). In addition to fish, sharks have been threatened by
overfishing. Valued for their fins, it is estimated that shark populations worldwide have
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declined by 90% (DUJS, 2012). This is especially concerning because shark

populations tend to regenerate slowly, as they live longer lifespans and require more
time to reach maturity.

DISRUPTION OF ECOSYSTEMS

As a result of the mass removal of entire species, particularly fish that serve as
predators, marine ecosystems are impacted immensely. When predators are removed
from their marine environment, smaller prey, no longer concerned with being hunted,
are able to thrive and reproduce rapidly. In turn, even smaller organisms, like algae,
multiply and harm the surrounding area, including coral reefs. Other animals that rely on
the predators as a source of food will be affected by their disappearance as well.
Disrupting marine ecosystems has been found to reduce genetic diversity, and it will
only be reduced even more if we let overfishing progress.

SOLUTIONS

Regulations and laws attempting to prevent overfishing have been around for years.
Governments and agencies have tried to stop the problem by promoting fishing quotas
and limiting zones and times available for fishing to allow time for reproduction, but
despite these efforts, overfishing continues. While it is difficult to determine the exact
solution to overfishing, it is increasingly evident that something drastic needs to be done
in order to restore fish stocks and prevent further damage. Some have presented ideas
like shutting off the entirety of the high seas so affected populations can recover, while
others suggest implementing vigorous laws and regulations that will keep IUU fishing
from slipping through the cracks (Edwards, 2016; “Overfishing”, 2010). No matter the
big step we choose to take to solve the problem, there are a few vital steps that need to
be taken as we move away from overfishing and into sustainability.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is a non-profit that works closely with environmental
issues, including overfishing. They are determined to end overfishing by working directly
with fisheries, seafood farmers, and market
influencers who purchase and supply the world’s
seafood. In addition, the WWF has come up with a
proposition to stop illegal fishing through the
implementation of stricter management and
checkpoints, technology that detects unregistered
fishing, and labels that let the consumer know if
the seafood they are consuming was sustainably
sourced (“Bait to Plate”, 2015). Many people
believe that it is partially or even entirely up to the
consumer to recognize the problem of overfishing
and prevent it by lessening the demand for

Sustainable seafood. Ybarra, G. (2014).

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seafood and researching whether or not the products they are purchasing were sourced
legally (Edwards, 2016).

THE IMPORTANCE OF FISH

Discussions revolving around overfishing become even more complex when we take
into consideration just how important fish is to so many people around the world. Billions
of people rely on fish as their main source of protein and income, and many of them live
in poverty (“Sustainable Fisheries”, 2016). While seafood has become more popular in
developed nations, it is a necessity for many living in developing countries (“Global
Consequences”, 2016). For these reasons, it is crucial to aggressively approach
overfishing while also considering those whose lives are directly impacted by the fishing
industry. Fishing is very closely tied to the diets, cultures, and economies of many
groups of people, so efforts made to repair the ocean need to be balanced and
conscientious. Organizations like the World Wildlife Fund work with small fisheries and
fishing communities to establish sustainable fishing practices, allowing them to maintain
their lifestyles without negatively impacting the environment.

To conclude, there is no definite answer to overfishing. While our approach must be

careful so as to not impede the livelihoods of billions, it is clear that there is no end in
sight for overfishing with our current methods. While overfishing has not become a well-
known, wide-spread issue until fairly recently, it is vital that people are informed about
how it affects them and the earth. Making conscious decisions regarding seafood
consumption and understanding the environmental crisis that has been created is a
good start to incite change that will prevent future damage to our oceans.
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References

Bait to Plate. (2015). Retrieved from https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/bait-to-plate.

Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science. (2012). The Threats of Overfishing:

Consequences at the Commercial Level. Retrieved from http://dujs.dartmouth.
edu/2012/03/the-threats-of-overfishing-consequences-at-the-commercial-level/#.
Wq_0qJPwb6Y.

Dolman, S. (2018). End Bycatch - stop deaths in fishing gear. Retrieved from http://us.
whales.org/wdc-in-action/end-bycatch-stop-deaths-in-fishing-gear-0.

Edwards, D. (2016). We Must Take Steps to Regulate Overfishing or Else Face

Fish-mageddon. Retrieved from http://dailyutahchronicle.com/2016/02/12/we-
must-take-steps-to-regulate-overfishing-or-else-face-fish-mageddon/.

Flags of non-compliance. (2016). Retrieved from https://stopillegalfishing.com/issues/

flags-of-convenience/.

Freund, J. (2012). Tuna [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://c402277.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.

com/photos/1266/images/story_full_width/overview-causes-SCR_290011.jpg?1
345541285.

Global Consequences of Overfishing. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.dfo-mpo.

gc.ca/international/isu-global-eng.htm.

Harvey, M. (2010). Coral reefs: importance. Retrieved from http://wwf.panda.org/

about_our_earth/blue_planet/coasts/coral_reefs/coral_importance/.

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.
fao.org/fishery/iuu-fishing/en.

Karvelas, Z. (2017). Overfishing: Why Should I Care?. Retrieved from https://

outlook.monmouth.edu/index.php/opinion/88-volume-88-fall-2016-volume-89-
spring-2017/4179-overfishing-why-should-i-care.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2016). How does overfishing

threaten coral reefs?. Retrieved from https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/coral-
overfishing.html.

Overfishing. (2010). Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/

oceans/critical-issues-overfishing/.

Overfishing. (2012). Retrieved from https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/overfishing.

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Rezac, J. (2013). Purse Seiner Fishing in the Indian Ocean [Photograph]. Retrieved
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photos/oceans/2014/GP04JLI.jpg.

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Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture are vital to reducing hunger and poverty for
millions. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.worldfishcenter.org/why-fish.

Sustainable Seafood. (2012). Retrieved from https://www.worldwildlife.org/industries/

sustainable-seafood.

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What is Bycatch?. (2011). http://www.bycatch.org/about-bycatch.

World Wildlife Fund. (2012). Industrial Fisheries [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://
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fao.org/fishery/topic/16159/en.

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