Why overfishing happens

In fact, studies have shown that if fishing effort is significantly reduced when a stock is in decline, recovery can be expected within a decade. Canada can begin to address overfishing and severe fish stock declines by developing rebuilding plans for depleted species, halting targeted fisheries for populations in the critical zone, and ensuring that species recovery is part of the objectives of marine protected areas and other marine conservation measures.

SeaChoice is a sustainable seafood partnership of the following three conservation groups:. Search For the Media Contact Us. Overview Aquaculture Fisheries Markets Resources. Photo: Hans-Petter Fjeld, Codfish The Challenges Modern Advances Equate to Bigger Catches With more accurate technology and efficient fishing gear — and larger vessels able to stay out fishing for longer periods of time — we are catching more fish, much quicker than we have in the past.

Some Fish are More Vulnerable to Overfishing than Others Typically, fish species that are large and have long life spans are more vulnerable to overfishing than smaller fish with shorter life spans. A Lack of Fish Population Data can Lead to Overfishing Understanding stock status requires regular scientific monitoring of the fish populations being harvested. Extra Info The profits of fishing. Causes of overfishing. Extra Info Sustainable management — the Alaska pollock fishery Dwindling fish stocks — too complex for simple explanations Whether a fish stock survives over the long term or is fished to the point of depletion depends on how much of the fish is caught.

What is overfishing? Overfishing is catching too many fish at once, so the breeding population becomes too depleted to recover. Overfishing often goes hand in hand with wasteful types of commercial fishing that haul in massive amounts of unwanted fish or other animals, which are then discarded. As a result of prolonged and widespread overfishing, nearly a third of the world's assessed fisheries are now in deep trouble — and that's likely an underestimate, since many fisheries remain unstudied.

Why does overfishing matter? Please contact us at contact globalcitizen. What is the issue with overfishing? Today, fish are a significant source of protein, income, and livelihood for millions living in or on the edge of poverty in vulnerable coastal communities.

People need to stop eating unsustainable seafood, or at least learn about the dangers, and honestly quite terrifying reality, of overfishing on a global scale; and governments, international organizations and NGOs need to start implementing and enforcing strict laws on fishing practices and quotas.

It seems everyone loves fish. In fact global consumption of fish has massively increased in recent decades. Betches--a mildly offensive blog even quotes sushi as being the wine of food. Image: Flickr: Ocean Overfishing occurs when humans take fish from the marine and freshwater sources at a rate faster than fish can repopulate.

Overfishing is a result of modern advancements in the fishing industry, prior to techniques such as trawling, dredging, etc. Bycatch is any catch that is either unused or unmanaged. Bycatch covers all marine life pulled up that is not able to be immediately sold on the global market.

Unmanaged catch refers to species where no law or process for sustaining that species is documented. Despite advances in fishing technology, bycatch from global fishing production increased by over 2 billion tonnes. Overconsumption, mislabeling, unsustainable practices all contribute to increasing biomass of bycatch. You can help by checking labels and knowing which types of seafood produce the most bycatch.

Check out this comprehensive guide from FishChoice to learn more about which fish and shellfish options are sustainable.