{"id":11547,"date":"2023-02-14T20:36:25","date_gmt":"2023-02-15T01:36:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/?p=11547"},"modified":"2025-02-11T14:33:10","modified_gmt":"2025-02-11T19:33:10","slug":"overfishing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/overfishing\/","title":{"rendered":"Overfishing"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Written By: Tianna<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Edited By: Ravjyot Ughra<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Designed By: Cece Ndiwa<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Published By: Miriam Alonge Wato<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Too Many People, Not Enough Fish: The Effects of Overfishing<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Surf n\u2019 turf, coconut shrimp, fresh sushi, pescatarian diets: most people can\u2019t say no to some good seafood, but there have been several detrimental effects to our ecosystems due to <\/span><b>overfishing.\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>What is overfishing?\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Overfishing is the act of catching too many fish at once to the point that it throws off the balance of ecosystems. Overfishing can be associated with many things such as:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Commercial fishing<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">The harvesting of fish for barter, trade, or sale\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Companies hauling in large amounts of fish for sale\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Bycatch\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">The unintended catch of marine life (such as sharks, turtles, and dolphins)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>What causes overfishing?\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">There are many causes for overfishing, the main one being poor fishery management. Many fisheries lack the proper rules to keep marine life safe. They are often governed by rules that make the problem worse, or they lack rules altogether. There is also a lack of protective regulations on our oceans and marine life. Without protective regulations, there are no consequences to our environment being harmed. Both of these combined means that ecosystems are being destroyed left and right. Along with, increasing human demand has caused a spike in overfishing. Since there are more people who want fish, there are more fish being caught.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Where is overfishing most prevalent?\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Overfishing is an issue all over the world. Many places such as the Arctic, Coastal East Africa, the coral triangle, the Gulf of California, and the Gal\u00e1pagos face the adverse effects of overfishing. The main species being overfished is tuna (albacore, bigeye, bluefin, and skipjack). Sadly, because of bycatch, many other species get caught in the nets and suffer the effects of unregulated fishing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11549 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/unnamed-1-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/unnamed-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/unnamed-1-510x288.jpg 510w, https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/unnamed-1.jpg 512w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 8pt; color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Image from: <\/span><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/montereybayfisheriestrust.org\/stories\/albacore-tuna\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Albacore Tuna: What to know, when &amp; where to get it \u2014 Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>What are the effects of overfishing?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Because of so many fish leaving the area at one time, the breeding population becomes so depleted it is unable to properly recover. This means that we are taking too many fish out at once, hindering repopulating and causing species to face extinction. This endangers not only the species but the surrounding ecosystems that rely on everything being in a state of balance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">There is a fishing technique called bottom dragging, where a net is released and dragged on the ocean floor. Bottom dragging wrecks sponged, coral, and any other species that provide habitats for local marine life. Not only does overfishing kill hundreds to thousands of fish to be sold commercially, it also kills anything left by completely destroying the surrounding environment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Did you know that 55% percent of the world\u2019s reefs are affected by overfishing? And when the fish population declines, algae begins to grow and suffocate any surviving corals. Overfishing is one of the main reasons a lot of our marine life face\u2019s extinction. Approximately 50 million sharks a year get killed because of being victims of bycatch. In the U.S alone 4,600 sea turtles are captured, killed, or injured yearly by fishing industries. In the Atlantic over 10,000 dolphins suffer the effects of bycatch and get injured or killed. Also, fishing nets are one of the top polluters in our oceans and scientists predict that around 90% of the world\u2019s coral reefs will be dead by 2050. These statistics are only a handful of what happens with overfishing. Our marine life faces extinction if we don\u2019t try to reverse this.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-11550 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/unnamed-2-300x162.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"335\" height=\"181\" srcset=\"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/unnamed-2-300x162.jpg 300w, https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/unnamed-2-510x277.jpg 510w, https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/unnamed-2.jpg 512w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 335px) 100vw, 335px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 8pt; color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Image: <\/span><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.barrierreef.org\/the-reef\/threats\/coral-bleaching\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coral Bleaching &#8211; Great Barrier Reef Foundation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>How can overfishing be reduced (and hopefully stopped)?\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">As of right now, spreading awareness on overfishing is the best thing an individual can do. Overfishing is a topic everyone kind of knows about but also isn\u2019t necessarily aware of how much the problem has increased. By telling people about overfishing, bigger action can be taken. Regulating fisheries, holding them accountable, and advocating for fishing rights and marine life protection will be the biggest driver in stopping overfishing. Right now fisheries have little to no rules. Signing petitions, educating those you know who fish, and donating to marine protection foundations can potentially help save our marine life. Also, eating alternatives to sea life will help. By reducing the demand for seafood, overfishing is bound to decrease. There are many plant based alternatives that are better for the environment and taste just as good! So don\u2019t forget what you learned in this article, spread the awareness of overfishing, and together hopefully the fisheries can fix the destruction they caused.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">_______________<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Works Cited<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Otto, Calen. \u201cWhat Are the Causes of Overfishing and How Does It Affect the Environment?\u201d <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sentient Media<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, 29 October 2021, https:\/\/sentientmedia.org\/how-does-overfishing-affect-the-environment\/. Accessed 7 January 2023.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOverfishing: The most serious threat to our oceans.\u201d <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Environmental Defense Fund<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, https:\/\/www.edf.org\/oceans\/overfishing-most-serious-threat-our-oceans. Accessed 7 January 2023.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cUN alert: Mediterranean is world&#8217;s most overfished sea.\u201d <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oceana Europe<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, 9 July 2018, https:\/\/europe.oceana.org\/press-releases\/un-alert-mediterranean-worlds-most-overfished-sea\/. Accessed 7 January 2023.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhat is Overfishing? Facts, Effects and Overfishing Solutions.\u201d <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">World Wildlife Fund<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, https:\/\/www.worldwildlife.org\/threats\/overfishing. Accessed 7 January 2023.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Overfishing is an issue all over the world. Many places such as the Arctic, Coastal East Africa, the coral triangle, the Gulf of California, and the Gal\u00e1pagos face the adverse effects of overfishing. The main species being overfished is tuna (albacore, bigeye, bluefin, and skipjack).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11558,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11547"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11547"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11547\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14166,"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11547\/revisions\/14166"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11558"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11547"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11547"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11547"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}