Argumentative Essay On Overfishing - 1314 Words

Abstract: Overfishing is the process of fishing to the point where more fish are caught than the population can replace through natural reproduction. It may seem profitable to quickly grab as much fish as you can, but it is extremely harmful to the marine ecosystem. The results of this have lasting impacts on the balance of life in the oceans, and the social and economic well-being of the coastal communities who depend on fish for their way of life. Fortunately, there are efforts being done to help prevent this dangerous activity. New Zealand has noticeably led the charge to ending overfishing. Some ways countries have been limiting fishing activities are: marine protected areas, and fishing quotas. These are more of the notable examples,†¦show more content†¦If you think about how big that number is, it should tell you how much of a problem this is. The same study found that 32 percent are classified as overexploited, depleted or recovering, meaning that they are reproducin g far less than they are potentially able to. This percentage is the highest that has been seen in the decades of studies, indicating that the problem of overfishing is becoming more and more severe. And at this point, it seems the problem will only get worse, unless we make severe changes. However, this is much easier said than done, billions of people rely on fish for protein, and fishing is the principal livelihood for millions of people around the world. For centuries, our seas and oceans have been considered a limitless source of food. However, increasing fishing efforts over the last 50 years because of the depleting fish populations, has led to unsustainable fishing practices that are pushing many fish stocks to the point of collapse. Many important commercial fish populations (like the Atlantic bluefin tuna) have suffered a decline to the point where their survival as a species is extremely threatened. The more we hunt and kill these fish, the less likely the fish will be ab le to reproduce and begin to thrive again. Target fishing of top