Overfishing Stories

Coastal communities are the stewards of the ocean, and their livelihoods directly depend on its health. Six people living at the intersection of land and sea around the world tell us why they are so committed to the ocean and what it has brought to their lives.

Dr. Vineetha Aravind is the lead coordinator for shrimp and cephalopod fisheries that are working to improve their sustainability through fishery improvement projects. She's helping to introduce new fishing nets that will reduce the amount of bycatch.

Harmful fisheries subsidies fuel harmful fishing practices. Rather than subsidizing fishing activities that hurt the ocean, communities, and the economy, governments have an opportunity to reroute funding toward efforts that bring benefits to marine health and human well-being.

Since 1970, global populations of mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, and amphibians have declined an average of 70%. For freshwater species, the situation is even bleaker; in that same time frame, populations have declined by 84%, and 1 in 3 freshwater species are now threatened with extinction. Being mindful of what species are at risk in the marine and freshwater environments can help you protect these animals from disappearing for good and enjoy your seafood responsibly.

Fishery Improvement Projects—called “FIPs” for short—draw together fishers, industry, researchers, government and NGOs to help improve fishing practices and management. Through a transparent and comprehensive approach, FIPs aim to increase a fishery’s performance and help it meet the sustainability requirements.

In fishing, money is a strong motivator that can incentivize people to improve practices and fund the management necessary to reduce fishing’s footprint on the natural world. But spending money in the wrong ways can also exacerbate the consequences of overfishing.

Using new technology, like drones and digital tags, researchers have found that nearly every part of the Antarctica peninsula is important for whales’ feeding and resting. But it is also a hotspot for global climate change. WWF is calling for the protection of this remote wilderness in or effort to preserve 30% of the oceans by 2030.

Pulizica, a small fishing community in Mozambique’s Primeiras e Segundas archipelago, is home to the newest fish sanctuary established by the CARE-WWF Alliance, a global partnership to address the root causes of poverty and environmental degradation. How well is the protected area recovering declining fish stocks in the region?

High demand for yellowfin makes it an important economic lifeline for some communities in the Philippines. Unfortunately, yellowfin populations can’t handle much more pressure from fishing.

The world must do more to sustainably manage fishing if we’re to address increasing global demand for protein in the coming decades. If the situation doesn’t improve, millions of people may no longer be able to afford fish by 2050. 

In Palencia Village, a loose coalition of people is finding new ways to make a living from nature while protecting their long-held way of life

Who's been talking about illegal fishing?

A new WWF study has revealed populations of crab in the Russian Far East are at risk of collapse due to overharvest from illegal fishing.

Will simultaneously developing no-take fishing zones and working with farmers to establish conservation agriculture techniques result in more food for local consumption?

Protecting oceans and a global seafood pipeline

Get shark facts and help WWF dispel myths about sharks during Shark Week and beyond. How many of these have you heard?