Unsustainable fishing methods are the ones used in order to catch and gather fishes at a rate that results in a decrease in fish populations over time. These methods are seen as facilitating the devastating fishing practices that destroy ecosystems within the oceans and are used as an aid for overfishing which results in the depletion of fish populations at a rate that can never be sustained.
Fisheries are essential both socially as well as economically and therefore, it is difficult to support a socio-economic sustainable management system, which considers the environmental impact of fishing methods, particularly in backward regions where people depend on fisheries for a living.
The strongest factor behind these overgrown and often destructive fisheries and their tacit support by the public at large is the notion that somehow the oceans will yield what we need, simply because we need it. While much of the deep ocean is unexplored and mysterious, we know enough about ocean processes and realize that its productive capacity cannot keep up with ever-increasing damage for fish.
The major direct environmental impact of fishing is that it reduces the abundance of species it targets. It is a constant belief that fishing does not inflict any direct threat to species extinction since marine fish mostly are very productive and the ocean expanse is wide. However, there is an expanding awareness that fishes cannot be severely overfished, but could also be endangered through over-exploitation. Fisheries may also alter the evolutionary features of populations.
With a larger amount of smaller marine animals comes greater damage to coral reefs and other elements of the ocean’s ecosystem. Moreover, since the fishing industry is so vast, a lot of sea creatures get caught in the process but don’t get used for food. Anything from dolphins to turtles can be impacted by the process of fishing fleets. The effects of overfishing are vast, and many of them won’t be known until they adversely affect human life. There are a number of solutions that can be used to make the fishing industry more sustainable in the future. Presently, less than 2% of the oceans are secured in marine parks. The establishment of more no-catch zones will help fish populations and their ecosystems to recover and replenish themselves and ensure fishing for future generations
Stop trawling! Trawling pulls large nets through the ocean that pick up every animal in the ecosystem in its pathway. This results in massive wasted bycatch and the dead fishes are returned to the sea because they weren’t the target fish.
Educate and spread the word! Help people make smarter consumer choices! Because we don’t have the kind of sea life to waste.
You Can also join campaigns and support organizations that are working towards more sustainable oceans such as
Environmental defense fund
Sea shepherd conservation society
Greenpeace Canada
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