Plastic in the oceans is a serious and growing problem, but there’s another threat to our oceans that’s driving some species toward extinction, irreparably changing ecosystems, harming millions of marine animals each year, and jeopardizing the well-being of people who depend on the ocean for food or work. That threat is overfishing.
What does overfishing mean?
About one third of the world’s assessed fisheries are overfished, meaning the number of fish we catch is greater than the number of fish born or hatched. When fish can’t reproduce fast enough to make up for the losses, and populations decline. If overfishing goes unchecked, these populations never recover; fish disappear from areas where they were once plentiful. And that’s where the real issues start.
How does overfishing impact the ocean?
Catching too many fish can abruptly break the food web, sending ripples in all directions. Predator species may decline with the lost food source; prey species may multiply unchecked. The entire ecosystem must readjust, sometimes with unpredictable consequences. Extreme overfishing of bluefin tuna might be one of the reasons we’re seeing an explosion in squid populations; it could also be contributing to toxic algae blooms.
