The Dangers of Overfishing

Identification

• Overfishing, simply, is catching too many fish to the extent that not enough fish are left to sustain an adequate population. According to "The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture - 2010," which the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations published, the percentage of overexploited, depleted and recovering world marine stocks has increased. Overfishing could lead to the disappearance of certain populations of marine creatures, which could have a cascading effect on the rest of marine life.

Dangers to Fish Species

• Mankind's fishing capabilities are so advanced today, that people are able to catch fish at a much faster rate than the fish are able to reproduce. Technologies, such as sonar, help fishermen locate large schools of fish. The ships are outfitted to take in and store huge quantities of fish. Not enough fish are left to be able to reproduce and replenish the supply. Some fish species are in decline.

Dangers to the Ocean Ecosystem

• When a population of fish decreases or disappears altogether, it has an effect on the entire ecosystem. According to Greenpeace, top predator fish, such as tuna and swordfish, will soon be fished out. These species will then be replaced by smaller species and may eventually be replaced entirely by species that humans cannot consume. As the top consumable fish populations diminish, humans continue to move through the food web, looking for other consumable marine species, thereby exploiting those species as well.

Dangers to Fishing Industries

• Once a fish population is fished out, it has a damaging effect on the fishing industry. Those who depend on fishing for their livelihood may be put out of work as entire fisheries shut down. One often-cited example is the 1992 collapse of the fishing industry in Newfoundland, Canada. By some reports, as many as 40,000 workers lost their jobs. Organizations, such as the National Coalition for Marine Conservation and the Marine Fish Conservation Network, are working to bring together those in the fishing industry with others concerned with marine conservation to find solutions to the overfishing problems.