People, in general, are very classist; not classist in a Karl Marx way, but in a mammal-favoring way. The eighties and nineties were notable for conservation efforts for pandas, several types of whales, polar bears, seals, and so on. But what protection have the fish had? Very little, probably because nearly everyone in the world eats fish. In fact, much of the world (outside the fishing sphere) has been virtually unaware of the disappearing fish until quite recently.
With drastic numbers, some as high as 93 percent, showing the decline of larger ocean fish, there is surprisingly little media coverage concerning overfishing. Other environmental concerns, such as climate change, sustainable energy, and even mammalian conservation always get first billing on the news docket. This is shocking: few environmental concerns will affect humanity as immediately as the loss of ocean fish.
What is Marine Overfishing?
The ocean is so vast that it’s nearly impossible for people to comprehend. According to the Smithsonian, it contains 99 percent of the planet’s living space. It’s quite difficult to paint a picture of what exactly is happening to the fish, but here is a hypothetical parallel:
Try and picture a mile-wide area in an African savanna, with all its wildlife. Lions, various grazers, reptiles, birds, etc all co-exist in this particular area. Add in a team of hunters, each in trucks on parallel sides of this area, a giant net spread between them. They then each drive a mile, swooping up everything in this net. Once they reach the end of the mile, they filter through which animals can be eaten, throwing away the inedible creatures, a large percentage of their catch. Most of the inedible animals are dead or injured to the point of no return.
This method is incredibly wasteful, it appears, though this is exactly how overfishing is getting a hold on the oceans. Thousands of fleets across the world set off with large trawling nets.. They always have a target species, and with regulations in place, can only catch those specific creatures of often a specific size. What doesn’t fit in their quotas is called “bycatch,” which is thrown overboard. Bycatch is a huge contributor to overfishing.
How are Ocean Fish Disappearing?
Fish were once considered too resilient to suffer from fishing, as early scientists and fishers could see that many species of fish lay millions of eggs. How could a creature that is so prolific ever be affected so adversely by human consumption?
The answer is simple. As far as fish eggs go, nearly every creature in the ocean wants to eat them (including people, incidentally). Of the millions of eggs laid by a single fish, relatively few make it to hatching, and even the hatched fry have to fight desperately for survival. So a plethora of eggs does not equal a plethora of fish.
Once the fish make it through the first year, they stand a better chance, survival-wise. That is, unless they are caught. Fish that are caught and/or discarded before sexual maturity do not have a chance to reproduce, which is negatively affecting fish stocks across the world.
Why Does Overfishing Matter?
It has become a trend in health and fitness to eat fish in the western world. If people want to lose weight, they eat fish. With the new obsession with the Omega-3 fatty acids, fish are starting to compete with the beef and poultry industries. Americans are encouraged to eat fish to help prevent heart disease, strokes, osteoporosis, and even to slow down the aging process, according to some.
And all these things are likely true. Fish is extremely healthy. But American appetite (not to mention Asian, Scandinavian, or Mediterranean countries) has become an unsustainable fashion. With new fishing technology come new and more efficient ways to drain the ocean of its life, and if the fishing industries world-wide continue their practices without change, it could lead to an extinction of species the world once depended on.
This all relates to how overfishing affects humans; overfishing also has negative effects on oceanic ecosystems. Species that aren’t targeted by fishers can become unnaturally dominant, whereas in the regular chain of species success, they would be lower on the proverbial food chain. They can then act as invasive species in their own ecosystem.
What Will Stop Overfishing?
Regulation. With fishers worldwide left surprisingly unchecked (and with ineffective quotas in place), regulation is needed to prevent or limit bottom trawling. Moratoriums could be helpful, as well, as Canada has done with their cod stocks. Limiting the number of days a haul can set off per month could also be extremely helpful in allowing fish stocks to recover.
In the end, consumers have a lot of power. Buying sustainable fish and avoiding the imperiled species can make a sizable dent on a world-wide problem.
