Effects of Overfishing on the Environment and Society
It’s estimated that most of the world’s marine ecosystem is fished far beyond the capacity to sustain a fish population, with many species finding themselves on the threshold of extinction. This in itself is a troubling condition that could have calamitous repercussions and long-term effects on humanity’s consumption and dietary needs. Still, on a global scale, this consequence is only one of many problems.
One of the greatest dangers of overfishing is the chaos that it creates in a perfectly balanced ecosystem. Overfishing can have an adverse effect on marine biodiversity (Jetson, K., 2014). For example (Mobox, 2017; Raffaelli, 2004; Shakouri. B. etal. 2010):
1. Predators, like sharks and dolphins are susceptible to nets. In many cases they are innocent bystanders, caught in a trawler’s nets. This is known is in the industry as bycatch. These animals help maintain balance in the ecosystem by keeping down potentially harmful species. Overfishing can also negatively impact fish that are near the bottom of the food chain. As predator numbers begin to plummet, the species that rely on the predators also start to suffer.
2. GROWTH OF ALGAE. Algae is essential for an oceanic ecosystem, but too much of it can be disastrous. As fish populations begin to dwindle and fewer fish feed on algae, the amount of algae will increase. The acidity of algae, not to mention other organic and chemical properties of it, can negatively impact fish population, plankton, and reefs.
3. POOR CORAL REEF HEALTH. An explosion of algae due a lack of scavengers has put the world’s coral reefs at risk. The algae itself isn’t harmful, but it produces Dissolved Organic Carbon which in large amounts, can deprive a reef of energy to sustain itself. This can also affect the fish population as it can make the coral reef uninhabitable for them.
4. CREATION OF ENDANGERED SPECIES. Species like Bluefin tuna, Abelone, Atlantic and Pacific cod, Spiny lobster, and many more are getting pushed to extinction. (United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation, 2004)
5. Ghost fishing is when nets, gear, artifacts and the objects used for fishing are unceremoniously dumped into the ocean. These tools attract scavengers of the deep; creating perfect traps to ensnare all manner of marine animals.
Overfishing can also affect societies too. These ways include: (WWF, n.d.)
1.FINANCIAL LOSSES. Many coastal nations rely on the fishing industry for a huge portion of their gross domestic product, often on the sale taxes it generates. It also threatens the livelihood of fishermen who depend on the sea to provide for their families.
2.THREATS TO LOCAL FOOD SOURCES. Coastal communities, rely on fishing as their main source of protein. With the depletion of the fish population, they find their very way of life threatened.
Though fishing is a way to provide food for the growing world’s population, it has had many detrimental effects worldwide. We are killing one of our major food sources and unless humanity takes drastic actions, we could be facing a major food crisis in the future. Additionally, we are destroying ecosystems and habitats; clearly something is wrong. If something is not done, the negative effects of overfishing will worsen and we will see the depletion of many more species of fish.
REFERENCES
Jetson, K. (2014). Impact of Overfishing on Human Lives.
Available: http://marinesciencetoday.com/2014/04/09/impact-of-overfishing-on-human-lives/#ixzz5V0PIktXw
MoBox Marine (2017). Overfishing Is A Huge Problem. Here's What You Need To Know.
Available: https://moboxmarine.com/blogs/mobox-marine-blog/overfishing-is-a-huge-problem-heres-what-you-need-to-know
Raffaelli D. "How extinction patterns affect ecosystems". Science 306: 1141-1142, 2004.
Shakouri, B., khoshnevis Yazdi, S., & Fashandi, A. (2010, November). Overfishing. In Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering (ICBEE), 2010 2nd International Conference on (pp. 229-234). IEEE.
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. (2004). General situation of world fish stocks. Available: http://www.fao.org/newsroom/common/ecg/1000505/en/stocks.pdf.
WWF. (n.d.). Saving a precious resource.
Available:http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/how_we_work/conservation/marine/sustainable_fishing/.
One of the greatest dangers of overfishing is the chaos that it creates in a perfectly balanced ecosystem. Overfishing can have an adverse effect on marine biodiversity (Jetson, K., 2014). For example (Mobox, 2017; Raffaelli, 2004; Shakouri. B. etal. 2010):
1. Predators, like sharks and dolphins are susceptible to nets. In many cases they are innocent bystanders, caught in a trawler’s nets. This is known is in the industry as bycatch. These animals help maintain balance in the ecosystem by keeping down potentially harmful species. Overfishing can also negatively impact fish that are near the bottom of the food chain. As predator numbers begin to plummet, the species that rely on the predators also start to suffer.
2. GROWTH OF ALGAE. Algae is essential for an oceanic ecosystem, but too much of it can be disastrous. As fish populations begin to dwindle and fewer fish feed on algae, the amount of algae will increase. The acidity of algae, not to mention other organic and chemical properties of it, can negatively impact fish population, plankton, and reefs.
3. POOR CORAL REEF HEALTH. An explosion of algae due a lack of scavengers has put the world’s coral reefs at risk. The algae itself isn’t harmful, but it produces Dissolved Organic Carbon which in large amounts, can deprive a reef of energy to sustain itself. This can also affect the fish population as it can make the coral reef uninhabitable for them.
4. CREATION OF ENDANGERED SPECIES. Species like Bluefin tuna, Abelone, Atlantic and Pacific cod, Spiny lobster, and many more are getting pushed to extinction. (United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation, 2004)
5. Ghost fishing is when nets, gear, artifacts and the objects used for fishing are unceremoniously dumped into the ocean. These tools attract scavengers of the deep; creating perfect traps to ensnare all manner of marine animals.
 |
| fishing net caught on coral reef |
Overfishing can also affect societies too. These ways include: (WWF, n.d.)
1.FINANCIAL LOSSES. Many coastal nations rely on the fishing industry for a huge portion of their gross domestic product, often on the sale taxes it generates. It also threatens the livelihood of fishermen who depend on the sea to provide for their families.
2.THREATS TO LOCAL FOOD SOURCES. Coastal communities, rely on fishing as their main source of protein. With the depletion of the fish population, they find their very way of life threatened.
Though fishing is a way to provide food for the growing world’s population, it has had many detrimental effects worldwide. We are killing one of our major food sources and unless humanity takes drastic actions, we could be facing a major food crisis in the future. Additionally, we are destroying ecosystems and habitats; clearly something is wrong. If something is not done, the negative effects of overfishing will worsen and we will see the depletion of many more species of fish.
REFERENCES
Jetson, K. (2014). Impact of Overfishing on Human Lives.
Available: http://marinesciencetoday.com/2014/04/09/impact-of-overfishing-on-human-lives/#ixzz5V0PIktXw
MoBox Marine (2017). Overfishing Is A Huge Problem. Here's What You Need To Know.
Available: https://moboxmarine.com/blogs/mobox-marine-blog/overfishing-is-a-huge-problem-heres-what-you-need-to-know
Raffaelli D. "How extinction patterns affect ecosystems". Science 306: 1141-1142, 2004.
Shakouri, B., khoshnevis Yazdi, S., & Fashandi, A. (2010, November). Overfishing. In Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering (ICBEE), 2010 2nd International Conference on (pp. 229-234). IEEE.
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. (2004). General situation of world fish stocks. Available: http://www.fao.org/newsroom/common/ecg/1000505/en/stocks.pdf.
WWF. (n.d.). Saving a precious resource.
Available:http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/how_we_work/conservation/marine/sustainable_fishing/.
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