Overfishing
Big Issue - Overfishing
Nothing has pushed marine life to the edge of extinction more than aggressive commercial fisheries aided by modern technology. Between 1950 and 1992 the bounty taken from the ocean tripled. Fish, sharks, dolphins, whales and other animals stand little chance of survival against a fleet of industrial trawlers and factory ships equipped with the latest high tech fishing equipment and sonar systems. International waters are largely unregulated and represent a wild frontier where unscrupulous fishermen can fish without red tape and fear of repercussions.
Seafood continues to increase in popularity. Considered (often inaccurately) to be a healthy alternative to meat products its consumption has been encouraged by health agencies and its trendy image has been granted superstar status. The globalization of markets has made it the most traded commodity in the world and while exploding onto restaurant menus’ and supermarket shelves, the scramble for seafood has caused untold destruction to our oceans.
Dining on sushi, sashimi, swordfish steaks, shrimp cocktail or other marine wildlife favourites has severe costs that go beyond the price of a meal. Not only are many species being fished to extinction, but the method in which they are caught also wreaks havoc and long-term devastation on the marine environment. This deteriorating state that our oceans are being plunged into is bad news for the health of our planet and bad news for humanity.
Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing activities create huge problems for fisheries management. Unable to include data from IUU fishing catches the mathematical models used to calculate estimates on the sustainability of fish stocks and total allowable catches are often inaccurate. IUU operators are also less likely to abide by fisheries regulations such as minimum catch size and are more likely to ignore environmental and conservation legislation. IUU fishing ranges from recreational fishers catching above their quota to large-scale industrial fleets plundering stocks in foreign or local waters. Unless it is a species that is illegal to trade, once illegally caught fish enter the market it is almost impossible for the public to differentiate them from legally caught seafood.
KEY FACTS:
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Seafood continues to increase in popularity. Considered (often inaccurately) to be a healthy alternative to meat products its consumption has been encouraged by health agencies and its trendy image has been granted superstar status. The globalization of markets has made it the most traded commodity in the world and while exploding onto restaurant menus’ and supermarket shelves, the scramble for seafood has caused untold destruction to our oceans.
Dining on sushi, sashimi, swordfish steaks, shrimp cocktail or other marine wildlife favourites has severe costs that go beyond the price of a meal. Not only are many species being fished to extinction, but the method in which they are caught also wreaks havoc and long-term devastation on the marine environment. This deteriorating state that our oceans are being plunged into is bad news for the health of our planet and bad news for humanity.
Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing activities create huge problems for fisheries management. Unable to include data from IUU fishing catches the mathematical models used to calculate estimates on the sustainability of fish stocks and total allowable catches are often inaccurate. IUU operators are also less likely to abide by fisheries regulations such as minimum catch size and are more likely to ignore environmental and conservation legislation. IUU fishing ranges from recreational fishers catching above their quota to large-scale industrial fleets plundering stocks in foreign or local waters. Unless it is a species that is illegal to trade, once illegally caught fish enter the market it is almost impossible for the public to differentiate them from legally caught seafood.
KEY FACTS:
- 90% of the large fish species have been taken (eaten) from the world’s oceans since the 1950s when industrialized fishing began.
- Over 76% of the world’s fish stocks are already fully exploited or overfished
- Fish stocks have collapsed in one third of the world’s fisheries
- Total world marine capture fisheries for 2005 was estimated at 84.2 million tons
- In 2006 the world consumed 58.7 million tones of wild fish
- If the current rate of fishing continues within the next 50 years there will be a negligible amount of fish left in the ocean, putting an end to any viable wild fisheries.
- Between 1994 and 2003 the global fish catch fell by 13%, despite the use of new fishing technologies.
- Some fisheries have failed to show any signs of recovery even after decades of protection. (e.g The northwest stock of Atlantic cod, currently listed as ‘vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List of threatened species, was closed in 1990.)
- 200 million people currently depend on the fishing industry for their livelihoods.
- 2.6 billion people in developing countries rely on seafood as a source for 20% - 50% of their protein.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
- Make informed choices about the seafood you eat.
- Buy sustainable seafood certified products to know you are making a difference:
- The Marine Stewardship Council is a global organisation that promotes the best environmental choices in sea food.
- Which fish can you eat sustainably? See the guides below to help make an informed decision.
- FishWatch is a site dedicated to letting the consumer make informed choices about sustainable seafood and is run by the US National Marine Fisheries Service.
- Regulated and policed fisheries, which introduce quotas on the amount of fish caught are essential help prevent the collapse of a fishery. Support quotas and pressure your local government to create and enforce them.
- Spread the word.
- Check out these aritlces about the European Union's Common Fisheries Policy, Water Out Of Fish and We've Got It All Wrong on Fishing Strategy Says EU to explore how one of the world's biggest fisheries is struggling to change its ways.