Why Are We Over Fishing?

In this section the global rate of fishing is described, along with looking at ways in which this can be controlled.

Overfishing is a global problem and it seems no Ocean is immune. As the human population grows and demand for fish increases, it places more pressure on fish stocks depleting them to levels whereby they cannot naturally sustain themselves. Many fish are harvested beyond this level into near extinction - those being the type of fish we most commonly see in our restaurant menus and supermarkets. This is not necessary.

The WWF page on overfishing lists the key species of fish that are under threat across the globe, including Tuna, as well as the causes and impacts this has on ecosystems.

Controlled fishing allows stocks to regenerate at the rate they are fished, and allows fishing to continue at a sustainable rate, whereas overfishing just results in there being fewer and fewer fish to harvest, which of course will lead to the decline of the fishing industry. The OECD reports that a large contributing factor to overfishing is ongoing subsidies that nations give to the fishing industry, which simply encourages more fishing in international waters. There are other issues like by-catch that can also result in the decline of many fish or protected species that are caught in nets for other fish. This is when other fish are trapped say in the search for cod and then are simply returned to the sea in a dead or dying state because they are not wanted.

Deep sea fishing can destroy in a day fish and habitats that take centuries or longer to build up, and can cause damage to whole ecosystems by overfishing deep sea fish like sharks, orange roughy and grenadiers. These fleets are often subsidized and operate in international waters, (beyond 200 miles) which are often not regulated. This means there is a free for all, or ‘tragedy of the commons’ as whoever catches the most gets the most. There is no incentive in this environment not to over fish.

The Key Issues

The key issues are to prevent overfishing, restore fish stocks, diversify fish supply, protect ecosystems in the future and to eliminate illegal and unregulated fishing. The UN has 17 Sustainable Development Goals which aim to help humanity stay within the natural limits of our home. However, whilst No.14 relates to fishing it is not enforceable. The Marine Stewardship Council is working with the UN to make things more sustainable for both fish and the fish industry, by providing an ecolabel that incentivises sustainable fishing.

The Marine Conservation Society says that in the UK fishing boats are discarding fish that exceed their quota and not returning them to port. This can lead to overfishing and the UK Government needs along with other governments to prevent this. This highlights the need for any rules to be well designed and effectively enforced. They helpfully also list on its sustainable seafood page what fish you can buy and what you should not.

According to WWF the World Trade Organisation is trying to stop subsidies for fishing fleets that overfish.

Conservation

Following numerous attempts to manage quotas for whaling, in 1982 the International Whaling Commission adopted a moratorium on commercial whaling, which many countries including Canada and Japan opposed. They also created the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary in 1994. In an international meeting in September 2018 the IWC members agreed to repurpose the IWC to the conservation of whales to pre-industrial levels of the stocks. This has led to a split in opinion between member nations, between those that oppose whaling, and those that would allow it on the basis that the stocks are recovering.

Whale conservation shows that where there are enough whales left, that the number of whales can recover. This is seen with the recovery in numbers of the South Atlantic Humpback Whale. However, where stocks were so badly reduced, it can be seen that whale numbers are not able to recover. This is seen with the North Pacific Right Whale which is down to only six left, and so is nearly extinct. In essence because humans cannot be trusted to act with the public good in mind, and as previously we came to the point of nearly taking all of the whales out of the oceans, we therefore cannot be trusted to not do it again. A ban on commercial whaling is therefore totally appropriate.

How we have treated whales should be a lesson as to how we need to treat fish stocks. Perhaps some fish should be banned from being caught, and others managed by strict standards and rules on numbers. There are lessons here too, you need enforcement, monitoring and sufficient controls to make sure that what is intended by the scientists actually happens. This didn’t happen with whales, but if fish are to be fished according to quotas these controls will need to be more effective in the future.

Fortunately the UN has a key meeting in July 2020 whereby it aims to discuss how to control international fishing. This is a key opportunity to act now internationally before fish are fished beyond sustainable levels. You can write to the UN a suggested letter on the Write a Letter page.