Overfishing of a water resource is defined as the depletion of fish populations beyond acceptable levels. This definition seems simple enough on the surface, but how do we determine what levels are “acceptable”? There are two ways of looking at this measurement. In biological overfishing, fish populations decline because they can’t breed fast enough to replenish the stock being taken from the environment. In bioeconomic overfishing, economic costs are also considered in determining acceptable levels–for instance, the ability of a fishery to maintain profitability.
In a recent article for the journal Vision titled “One Fish, Two Fish, All Fish, No Fish,” Mark Hulme writes that slight recoveries have been seen since the introduction of stricter regulations in the early 1990s, but only in some species. Many species have seen no recovery at all, and even those that have are unlikely to recover to preindustrial levels.
One of the biggest causes of the decline, says Hulme, is the industrial method of fishing which results in almost 7 million tonnes (metric tons) of bycatch annually. Trawling is a major contributor, but bycatch is common to many fishing methods. Despite bycatch-reduction measures, Hulme writes that “discards still consist of hundreds of marine species including turtles, sharks, seahorses and coral.” Shrimp trawlers account for about 27 percent of all bycatch–which may outweigh the shrimp by 20 to 1, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Hulme’s takeaway message is not to boycott fish. He is quick to note that some fishing practices avoid the harmful, wasteful methods he describes. Rather, his point is that humans have significant power over the environment, and along with that power comes a responsibility to exercise care and kindness as we interact with it.
Read the full story in Vision’s Earth Day Special Report.
About Vision:
Vision.org is an online magazine with quarterly print issues that feature in-depth articles covering current events, social issues, environmental issues, family relationships, history, religion and the Bible, and other philosophical, moral and ethical issues. For a free subscription to Vision’s quarterly magazine, visit their Web site at http://www.vision.org/visionmedia/default.aspx.
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