Are Oceans Overfished?
Fishing is one of the main reasons why there is a significant decline in the aquatic resources but catching fish is not intended to be bad for the ocean. It is except for people running their vessels to catch fish faster than the stock can replenish. This process is called overfishing.
Are oceans overfished? Yes. For the past few years, overfishing has been going on at a very alarming rate. Tens of thousands of marine species have been getting caught, and some species have entirely disappeared due to overfishing.
A Must-Read: Fishing Gifts For Men
Ocean ecosystem has been reduced by more than 90% according to the marine scientist. So, in this short read, I will give you a better idea of how the ocean is suffering and how to solve it.
What Is Overfishing?
Overfishing merely is catching too many fish at once, and the breeding population declined and did not recover. Overfishing goes hand in hand with wasteful commercial fishing that hauls massive amounts of unwanted marine life and then discarded.
For this reason, almost a third of the world’s fisheries are now in trouble, and it may be underestimated because some fisheries remain unexplored and unstudied.
Why Does Overfishing Matter?
Overfishing is an important matter to discuss because it endangers the ocean ecosystems and billions of people who depend on their livelihood on it. Some people rely on seafood as their primary source of protein.
Without sustainable management, the fishing industry can face extinction and food crisis.
The primary cause of overfishing is poor fishing management. Some nations made some effort to protect their natural resources, but most of the countries created some rules that only make it worts.
Solutions For Overfishing
The effects of overfishing are broad, and many of those won’t be known until people are negatively affected. The good news is there are plenty of organizations that focus on making the fishing industries more sustainable in the long run. Here are some of the solutions to implement:
Working With The Government
It is one of the best ways to solve the problem when it comes to overfishing. The lack of policies, laws, and the fact that fishing is tied to the history of humans and civilization is what makes overfishing a severe concern.
There are plenty of groups like the World Wildlife Fund that urges and helps the country to prepare adequate and effective management protocols.
Educating Retailers
Aside from working with the government, you need to look at some retailers. Try to educate these retailers on different ways to [urchase their favorite seafood from a wide variety of sustainable fisheries.
The idea is to build support for the cause on this level, and eventually, fisheries will have to comply with sustainable standards and protocols.
Conclusion
Overall, there are other ways to stop overfishing, and it starts with communication. Reforms, subsidies, and declaring different policies that will serve off-limits to non-sustainable fishing is the best solution.
People can also participate by purchasing fish from different sustainable fisheries and fish farms. It will take a while to see good results, but every small step is still a step as long as you practice these solutions.
