Consequences of overfishing
In 1999, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation thought that 70 to 78% of fish stock needed help to stop their populations from declining and also to recreate species reduced by overfishing. Of almost 1000 species, the exact state of 68.3% were unknown and of the left-over 31.7%, nearly 1/3 are overfished.
As well as reducing the amount of fish that people want, overfishing also causes serious consequences for the marine environment. By people overfishing, they are also threatening non-fished sea life as people are taking away their natural food supply. Sea Lions, Fur Seals and Otters are some species that have been placed at risk as a result of overfishing.
An incident occurred in Chesapeake Bay caused by violation of the fish quantity rules. The oysters depleted and as oysters play a very important part in the oceans as a filter feeder, the oxygen balance ended in the reduction of sea life in certain places which are called ‘Dead Zones.’ When a species is overfished another less welcome creature frequently moves into the area and takes over. In Southern Africa where fisheries have crashed recently, jellyfish have taken over.
Overfishing also results in not only the natural balance of health, but it also end in enormous financial loss. Approximately 200 million people rely on the oceans for jobs and food. Fish industries, governments, environmental scientists and fish eaters all need to stop overfishing and restore the depleted fisheries.
Antarctic krill is still the largest exploitable stock and it’s exploitation also looks like the biggest threat to the ecosystem so far. People have discovered many profitable uses for krill. Unfortunately this sends fishing fleets into the Antartic where they remove fish that the wildlife of the Antartic relies on for food and does a lot of damage to the environment as well.
Trawlers have started to threaten delicate deep-sea ecosystems by going into deeper waters to catch the fish with their nets. As well as removing the fish they disrupt the ecosystem of the ocean by scraping the seabed and damaging the habitat of all the marine life in the area.
Fish consumers are often unaware of what they are buying as some specie’s stocks are so low that other inferior breeds are being passed off as the more expensive fish.