Over Fishing, Problems and Solutions

Over fishing is a serious problem that the world faces today. With sea food consumption at an all time high and the oceans resources being fished almost to extinction. We have to look towards the future of maintaining our oceans resources. "Only 10 percent of all large fish-both open ocean species including tuna, swordfish, marlin and the large ground fish such as cod, halibut, skates and flounder-are left in the sea"(National Geographic, pg. 1) To help maintain and preserve our oceans resources countries have been setting up no fishing zones. A new industry has been created with fish farming and individual tradable quotas. Is this enough to preserve and replenish the ocean 's resources we have pillaged?Close to 40% of the seafood we eat nowadays comes from aquaculture; the $78 billion industry has grown 9% a year since 1975, making it the fastest-growing food group, and global demand has doubled since that time."(Stier, pg.1) To offset this global hunger for sea food countries have been using fish farms to raise fish for consumption. The problem with fish farming is trying to get the input less than the output, it takes "44 lbs of such feed to get 1 kg of tuna ready for a sushi bar near you."(Stier, pg. 1) The problem with tuna also is that "because despite prodigious efforts, especially by the Japanese, no one has been able to raise tuna from eggs."(Stier, pg. 1) tuna consumes a lot of fish meal and fish oil because they eat live fish. Since tuna cannot be raised from eggs fish farms have to trap live tuna in school and transport them to calmer water to grow up. We need to raise more fish that are herbivores and omnivores to keep the world 's fish meal and fish oil supplies in check. Fish farming does have its draw backs as well. Aquaculture on and industrial scale can cause destruction to coastal habitats through waste, diseases, and possible escape of exotic species. "We need to farm fish in ways that more closely "mimic the oceans", combining multiple

References: Big Fish Stocks fall 90 Percent Since 1950" National Geographic News, May 15, 2003, Retrieved December 20, 2009, From http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/pf/49486836.htmlG. Heal, W. "Schlenker Sustainable Fisheries" Nature 2008, Volume 455, Retrieved December 20, 2009. From Ebscohost"No Fishing Zones Studied for Ecosystem Protection" MyOutdoor TV. 2009. Retrieved December 20, 2009 from http://www.myoutdoortv.com/news/no-fishing-zones-studied-for-ecosystem-protection.htmlK, Stier "Fish Farming 's Growing Dangers" Time September 19, 2007, Retrieved December 20, 2009 From Read more: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1663604,00.html