Ocean Overfishing Research Paper
Ocean OverfishingNicole HarrisENV/320June 23, 2014Frederick GrossOcean Overfishing Overfishing is a problem that occurs when fish are caught faster than they can reproduce. This is a problem that has been occurring for centuries and continues to be a problem today. Commercial fishing has driven many fish species to the brink of extinction. A scientific report done in 2003 estimates that industrial fishing “has reduced the number of large ocean fish to just
10-percent of their pre-industrial populations.” ("National Geographic", 2014). Overfishing leads to a reduction of biological diversity, species diversity and ecological diversity, which in turn, can impact evolutionary patterns in fish species. According to Palkovacs …show more content…
617) Over 200 billion pounds of fish and shellfish are caught each year for consumption. It is estimated that in the U.S. alone, 20-percent of fish caught are thrown away, “wasting 2 billion pounds of seafood and killing hundreds of thousands of whales, dolphins, sharks, seals, and sea turtles.” (Keledjian, Brogand, & Lowell, 2014, p. 5). Some fisheries throw away more by-catch
(dead or dying sea life) than they bring to shore for consumption. This rate of waste cannot continue without causing our oceans to die. Countries “have the legal right to regulate fishing within their exclusive economic zones
(EEZ’s), which extends two hundred nautical miles from shore.” ("Council On Foreign
Relations", 2009).. But outside the EEZ is the high seas, which are not governed by any one country. These areas are unregulated and are raped of many sea creatures by illegal fishing vessels. There have been many attempts to regulate fishing practices. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea tried to place responsibility “on national governments to form policies and regional agreements that ensure responsible management and conservation of fish stocks in …show more content…
Limiting the time a vessel can be on the water and limiting the catch could prove to be appropriate if it can be enforced. There are already laws that limit catches, but there is no way to enforce these laws all over the world. Privatizing portions of the ocean does not seem feasible, there is no way to show clear turf boundaries. It is not like a plot of land where we can install a fence to keep our property to ourselves. There will always be litigation when it comes to someone over-stepping their boundary lines, and how can we really sell off plots of the ocean? The catch share program sounds like a terrific program, but there is still the factor of illegal fishing which is always going to be present as long as there is not enforcement of catch laws. Overfishing has been an issue since humans started fishing for profit. As long as there is a demand for fish, there will be overfishing. With an astounding amount of fish and by-catch being thrown away each year I’m not really sure what is going to stop overfishing. Without stricter laws and better enforcement from every country, there may not be an opportunity to
10-percent of their pre-industrial populations.” ("National Geographic", 2014). Overfishing leads to a reduction of biological diversity, species diversity and ecological diversity, which in turn, can impact evolutionary patterns in fish species. According to Palkovacs …show more content…
617) Over 200 billion pounds of fish and shellfish are caught each year for consumption. It is estimated that in the U.S. alone, 20-percent of fish caught are thrown away, “wasting 2 billion pounds of seafood and killing hundreds of thousands of whales, dolphins, sharks, seals, and sea turtles.” (Keledjian, Brogand, & Lowell, 2014, p. 5). Some fisheries throw away more by-catch
(dead or dying sea life) than they bring to shore for consumption. This rate of waste cannot continue without causing our oceans to die. Countries “have the legal right to regulate fishing within their exclusive economic zones
(EEZ’s), which extends two hundred nautical miles from shore.” ("Council On Foreign
Relations", 2009).. But outside the EEZ is the high seas, which are not governed by any one country. These areas are unregulated and are raped of many sea creatures by illegal fishing vessels. There have been many attempts to regulate fishing practices. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea tried to place responsibility “on national governments to form policies and regional agreements that ensure responsible management and conservation of fish stocks in …show more content…
Limiting the time a vessel can be on the water and limiting the catch could prove to be appropriate if it can be enforced. There are already laws that limit catches, but there is no way to enforce these laws all over the world. Privatizing portions of the ocean does not seem feasible, there is no way to show clear turf boundaries. It is not like a plot of land where we can install a fence to keep our property to ourselves. There will always be litigation when it comes to someone over-stepping their boundary lines, and how can we really sell off plots of the ocean? The catch share program sounds like a terrific program, but there is still the factor of illegal fishing which is always going to be present as long as there is not enforcement of catch laws. Overfishing has been an issue since humans started fishing for profit. As long as there is a demand for fish, there will be overfishing. With an astounding amount of fish and by-catch being thrown away each year I’m not really sure what is going to stop overfishing. Without stricter laws and better enforcement from every country, there may not be an opportunity to