December 29, 2021
Our world’s oceans have an important role to play when it comes to sustaining human life. Sure, they are a great place to venture for a relaxing family vacation. Who doesn’t love laying on the beach all day to soak up the sun? But the value of the oceans go far beyond their natural beauty. The oceans keep us alive by producing over half the world’s oxygen and absorbing 50 times more carbon dioxide than the atmosphere, moving heat from the equator to the poles in order to regulate the weather patterns, both of which are essential for human life.[1] So, why are we killing it?
When considering humanity’s effects on the ocean, at the forefront of most people’s minds is material pollution. Humans dump countless tons of plastics into the ocean every day. These plastics take their toll on the ocean and its inhabitants. They also accumulate into massive gyres of trash. For instance, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is estimated to hold 87,000 tons of plastic and other waste materials, and is twice the size of Texas.[2] But there is another form of ocean exploitation—one that has received less attention in recent years. The fishing industry and seafood consumption is quite literally destroying the ocean, and ultimately us. Fishing is a major source of ocean pollution and plastic contamination due to lost fishing materials. Overfishing has also become a major issue in the industry. The increased demand for seafood has forced fishermen to go out day after day to swallow up the marine life at unsustainable rates.[3] Not to mention, the methods used for fishing also haul in large amounts of bycatch, including dolphins and other creatures not intended to be caught. They are often killed once they reach the boat, and then tossed back into the water. There is also the dredging method, used to remove sediments and debris from the bottom of waterbodies.[4] This method alters the original composition of soils and can damage the habitats of many ocean creatures. Due to our untenable practices, scientists have now predicted that our oceans could be fishless by 2048 if we do nothing to combat the issue.[5] Our continued overfishing, pollution, habitat destruction, coupled with the devastating impacts of climate change, will lead to the disappearance of many marine species. Diversity of the ocean is key to both the ocean’s survival and our own. This biodiversity is critical because all the species play important roles in their ecosystems, each performing various specific functions essential to those ecosystems. These functions can include capturing and storing energy, erosion, pest control, and even climate regulation.[6] Many fish species have the ability to filter toxins from the water, protect shorelines, and reduce the risk of algal blooms—all functions that also benefit humans who interact with these ecosystems. Already, nearly 29 percent of fish and seafood species have declined by about 90 percent. Widespread decline of these species and their services could have devastating effects on the increasing population of people living near coastlines around the world.[7]
The primary problem with regulating overfishing is that it’s nearly impossible. Fish species migrate throughout the year, crossing jurisdictions as they go. For example, tuna will migrate from off the coast of Japan all the way to California. Countries can have varying degrees of fishing regulation, meaning that fish stocks could be depleted as they migrate to waters outside of a country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Currently, rules on the quantity of fish that may be caught, who can catch them, what fishing techniques that individual or entity may use, and when fishing is allowed are all set by regional fishery management organizations (RFMOs). These are international bodies consisting of governments that share a financial or practical interest in the management of fish stocks. Unfortunately, but not unsurprisingly, RFMOs haven’t been able to overcome the overfishing problem.[8] The oceans cover a vast area, making it difficult for countries to patrol for illegal fishing operations, or for companies to ethically and accurately market their seafood as “sustainably caught” or “dolphin safe”. But there are a few strategies countries can implement in order to mitigate the problem, starting with the protection of vulnerable marine species like sharks, turtles, and whales. These key species play vital roles for the ocean and its health. Major disturbances in their populations can cause a ripple effect across other species. A drop in one predatory species, for example, can cause the population of its prey to rise exponentially. This leads to food source depletion of the prey population, causing a population drop for all the other species relying on that food. Countries can also improve oversight of longline and shipment activities. Longline ships send out thousands of lines of hooks up to 80 miles in length in order to catch high-value species, like tuna. In the process, these hooks can catch non-targeted species of marine life, as longline fishing is one of the least-regulated methods of fishing. There are some frameworks already in place in certain countries working towards the oversight and regulation of fisheries. For example, the Port State Measures Agreement, drafted in 2009 and implemented in 2016, codifies and standardizes international rules for how a port state should verify catches that are landed in its ports from vessels of another state.[9] There is also the Cape Town Agreement, a multinational agreement that’s been adopted by the United Nation’s International Maritime Organization, but not yet ratified by the organization. If ratified, it would raise the global safety standard for the fishing industry. The agreement outlines the design, construction, and equipment standards for fishing boats at least 24 meters in length. It would also coordinate efforts to bring together fisheries, labor, and safety inspections.
While rules and regulations are slowly beginning to reflect the concerns researchers have long voiced, our oceans do not have the time to stand by and wait for governments or international bodies to create and enforce laws. Fishless oceans may become a reality within decades, leading to disaster because of the roles that fish play, like climate regulation, toxic water filtration, and the protection of shorelines. In terms of large-scale solutions, governments around the world should work toward creating more marine protected areas, strong management practices of fisheries, and increase oversight in order to prevent illegal fishing and fishing methods.[10] Individuals can also do their part to help slow the impacts of overfishing. Consumers, especially those living in non-coastal regions, can eliminate fish and seafood from their diets. By taking this one step, people can contribute in their own way to the health and wellbeing of our oceans. While asking everyone to stop eating fish is a huge and likely unattainable ask, lowering the demand of seafood even somewhat would ultimately lead to a decline in the massive amounts of overfishing occurring around the world every day. As we approach the deadline of 2048, it becomes increasingly difficult to counteract the devastating impacts of overfishing on the world’s oceans with the tools currently available. Only through cooperation between governments, industry, and individual consumers do we have the power to stop this problem in its tracks.
[1]“Why Should We Care about the Ocean?” NOAA’s National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 24 May 2017, https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/why-care-about-ocean.html.
[2]Akpan, Nsikan. “Great Pacific Garbage Patch Weighs More than 43,000 Cars and Is Much Larger than We Thought.” PBS News Hour, Public Broadcasting Service, 22 Mar. 2018, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/the-great-pacific-garbage-patch-weighs-more-than-43000-cars-and-is-way-bigger-than-previously-thought.
[3]Johnson, Kim. “The Top Three Reasons to Stop Eating Fish.” Animal Equality, 2 Sept. 2020, https://animalequality.org/blog/2020/04/03/the-top-three-reasons-to-stop-eating-fish/.
[4] US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “What Is Dredging?” NOAA’s National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, 6 Sept. 2013, https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/dredging.html.
[5] DeNoon, Daniel. “Salt-Water Fish Extinction Seen by 2048.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 4 Nov. 2006, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/salt-water-fish-extinction-seen-by-2048/.
[6] “Marine Biodiversity ~ Marinebio Conservation Society.” MarineBio Conservation Society, MarineBio Conservation Society, 12 June 2021, https://www.marinebio.org/conservation/marine-conservation-biology/biodiversity/.
[7] DeNoon, Daniel. “Salt-Water Fish Extinction Seen by 2048.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 4 Nov. 2006.
[8] “Rules and Consequences: How to Improve International Fisheries.” The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Pew Charitable Trusts, 20 July 2020, https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/issue-briefs/2020/07/rules-and-consequences-how-to-improve-international-fisheries.
[9] “Rules and Consequences: How to Improve International Fisheries.” The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Pew Charitable Trusts, 20 July 2020.
[10] “Avoid Overfishing.” Seafood Watch, Monterey Bay Aquarium, 2021, https://www.seafoodwatch.org/seafood-basics/sustainable-solutions/avoid-overfishing.
Image Credits: Chung, Kevin. “Dried Fish at Penghu Island, Taiwan.” Pxhere, 16 May 2020, https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1613267. Accessed 27 Dec. 2021.
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