Overfishing

Overfishing

What is overfishing?

Overfishing is catching too many fish in one go, depleting the breeding population so

they cannot reproduce. Overfishing often goes hand in hand with wasteful types of

commercial fishing that catch huge amounts of unwanted fish or other animals, which

are discarded. As a result of prolonged and large-scale overfishing, nearly a third of

the world's fisheries assessed are now in deep trouble because many fisheries remain

unregulated.

Is poaching bad?

Yes, because it contributes to the imbalance of the ecosystem and causes harmful

and catastrophic effects. It is considered one of the means of destroying the

environment and the most important reason for the extinction of animals, the increase

in diseases, and the decline of ecotourism worldwide.

Its impact on:

The individual

Large numbers of wild reserve guards were exposed to danger while performing their

duties. Outbreaks of animal diseases among humans, such as SARS.

The decline of ecotourism is due to overfishing, bearing in mind that many developing

countries' economies depend on it, as the lack of animal numbers leads to a decline in

the demand for this type of tourism.

Animal

The decrease in the numbers of some animal species, their exposure to the danger of

extinction, and examples of that are the African elephant and rhinoceros.

Environment

An imbalance in the ecosystem, such as overfishing, leads to the decrease of

predators that aid in keeping the number of prey within the natural limit, eventually

massing the amount of prey. And thus, an increase in the consumption of plants

(products), i.e., the negative impact on the entire food chain—and slowing down the

growth of the ecosystem.

Ways to combat it:

Given the dangers of poaching and illegal trade in wildlife, several international

organizations have decided to cooperate to reduce this phenomenon and find

solutions, including the fund Nature (WWF), the Wildlife Trade Observation Network,

and the efforts of governments and local communities. Here are some of these

solutions: 

Providing support and assistance to communities in need to meet their requirements

and promoting alternative, more sustainable hunting methods to benefit from local

wildlife. Encourage consumers and suppliers only to buy and produce sustainable

wildlife products certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Forest

Stewardship Council (FSC). Governments to impose strict laws to protect endangered

species and push and limit the demand for the products of these species.

Equipping and training wildlife rangers; to be able to face risks

Conclusion: 

Overfishing has shown many harmful impacts to the environment, however, this blog provides and overview about the causes, effects and solution regarding overfishing.