Global Overfishing: Dilemmas and Solutions

Our lives, cultures, economies, and environment are at stake when humans overfish the ocean. Overfishing is the practice of depleting fish populations faster than they can be replenished, oftentimes for short term gain at the expense of the ocean’s long term prospects. If we continue along this destructive path, essential food sources will be lost, indigenous cultures will wither away, economic growth will slow or reverse, and the environment will be crippled for generations. But, all is not lost. Society is at a point in time when we can take deliberate steps to protect the current fish populations and reverse decades-long trends in declining fish stocks.

Overfishing is very harmful to our seas and all aquatic life. In this section we examine practices that compromise the health of oceanic ecosystems. A major contributor to environmental damage is the many large commercial fleets using gear that produces substantial bycatch and damages underwater habitats. Bycatch refers to discarded catch of marine species and mortality caused by fishing vessels and gear.

Commercial techniques yield large numbers of fish efficiently, but they are not targeted to the fish of interest, which unnecessarily reduces the population of unrelated and perhaps endangered species. These commercial techniques will lower the biodiversity of the ecosystem, threaten its resilience, alter its food web, and decrease the number of aquatic organisms available to fish sustainably in the long run.

Here is a map of global fish catches during 2018:

Let's take a look at Tanzania, a country on the African coast that is currently dealing with many overfishing problems like illegal trawling. African waters are powerful magnets for foreign fishing operations because they “are amongst the most fertile in the world,” notes Greenpeace in a report underscoring that the resources are fast dwindling.

Explosive fishing rates like this can lead to the endangerment of some species. The IUCN reported that due to overfishing, “the endangered Cassava croaker is estimated to have declined by 30% to 60% over the past 10 years.” (Ighobor, 2017).

Let's also examine China, one of the world's biggest economic leaders and most populated countries.

Shark fins are in high demand in China because they are used for the popular dish shark fin soup. (Pew). To meet this demand, many Chinese fishers engage in a practice called “shark finning.” This practice involves catching sharks and cutting off their top fin, then throwing the shark back into the water. Shark finning usually results in the shark's death as they need their top fin to swim efficiently, or they simply die of blood loss.

This practice is extremely harmful to shark populations, due to the massive scale of production. Many shark species are already endangered. If fishermen are not careful, some may become extinct. “In December 2019, the global status of scalloped hammerheads was escalated from endangered to critically endangered on the IUCN Red List.” (Oceanographic, 2020).

Overfishing has caused the rise of environmentally damaging fish farming. “Originally, it was seen as a way of preserving the population of wild fish.” (Perry, 2021). Putting fish in a crowded unnatural habitat has many adverse consequences. There can be a build-up of waste, dead fish, and fish feces. Drugs that are used to keep fish alive in unhealthy conditions and to ward off parasites can spread to surrounding waters. It is also very inefficient to use a large amount of wild fish as a food source to create farmed fish. “It takes 26 pounds of feed to produce a single pound of tuna” (Perry, 2021).

There are two main social impacts of overfishing. Overfishing has an impact on the culture of people, because fish species hold a spiritual meaning, which includes different ceremonies or different socioeconomic statuses. The second social impact is that overfishing causes a lack of respect between non-local and indigenous farmers. An example of the first social impact can be seen in China.

In the past, shark fin soup used to be associated with privilege and social rank, but as a result of increased fishing and the growth of the Chinese economy, millions of people can now indulge in shark fin soup (Carwardine, 2022). However, this has led to the shark population steadily decreasing. The current method of obtaining shark fins involves cutting off the fins of live sharks and throwing the shark back in the ocean. In the future, this causes issues for China, due to the fact that with current unsustainable practices, the shark population will continue to decrease until it becomes a luxury again in China.

Another culture affected are the indigenous people who rely heavily on salmon. Native Americans have also become victims of the effects of overfishing. There was a court decision that gave them the right to harvest salmon for generations (Werner et al., 2012). However, they are unable to reap those benefits because there is a severe lack of salmon. Werner et al. mentions that there are 5 populations of salmon that are considered endangered and 23 populations considered threatened (2012). This greatly affects the Native Americans, since for certain cultures, salmon is an integral part of their culture. A paper by Fears mentioned that for the People of the Salmon, salmon are used for weddings, funerals and other important ceremonies (2016). However, now there are fewer salmon for those ceremonies. Due to overfishing, cultures are altered, with diminishing chances to last into the future. 

These two examples show how specific seafood products are integral to culture through food and spiritual connection. The loss of these fishing species can have an impact the cultures by affecting the health, happiness or spirituality due to the importance that certain fish species hold.

Another impact overfishing has had was the invasion of non-native fishermen and the harassment of native fishermen. With the introduction of fishing licenses and fishing rights, it would be expected that the rights of the indigenous are respected. A paper by Johnson mentions that there was racism towards the indigenous fishermen (2020). Many times, the non-native fishers would refuse to buy from native fishermen and would constantly harass and threaten them. What was even worse was that the police failed to do anything for the native fishermen. Social inequalities have materialized due to the negative effects of overfishing.

Also, because of declining fish stocks, foreign fishermen are invading native fishing grounds. One prime example of this is in the Philippines. Many local fishermen in the Philippines can’t afford the fishing licenses to fish in the local waters. In addition to the locals being unable to fish, there have been instances where ships from China are caught illegally fishing in Philippine waters (BenarNews, 2021). However, despite this, the Chinese ships are undeterred and continue to invade Philippine waters. The lack of respect that non-native fishermen have for the native fishermen can cause legal conflicts as well as ruin the livelihoods of the natives if left alone.

Overfishing is greatly detrimental to the global economy, as well as regional and local economies. In this section, we explain how fishing is integral to the global economy and how overfishing is a money loser.

The World Bank reports that “[i]n 2018 global fisheries and aquaculture amounted to about 179 million tonnes with value estimated at US $401 billion, making US $164 billion in exports, including 60% of exports from developing countries” (The World Bank, 2021).

Further proof of the fishing industry’s value can be found in the amount governments invest in its well-being. Because of immediate declines in demand due to COVID-19, NOAA allocated $300 million dollars in fishery aid as part of the CARES Act (NOAA Office of Communications, 2021). Support on this scale from a rich country shows that a productive fishing industry is valued globally.

Overfishing has reduced the ability of the fishing industry to grow and support livelihoods in the long term. One way to quantify this is through “fish stocks”, which are a representation of a subpopulation of a species in a certain location. If fish stocks were reduced, it would cause mass unemployment and global unrest. Overfishing causes depletion of fish stocks and makes fishing less profitable and increases hardships. (Ikechi-Uko, 2020).

In fully exploited fish populations, remaining fish are unable to restore their population numbers to previous sizes. Overfishing results in declining fish reproduction [because less fish exist to reproduce] which reduces productivity (Link & Tol, 2006). Even though the previous figure showing that 66% of fish stock is being sustainably fished, overfishing still results in losses of over 100,000 jobs and up to $3.2 billion in sunken costs each year (Hicks, 2012). There is also a long term trend that fish stocks are becoming more exploited, as seen in the graphic below.

To help solve the issues highlighted in the previous sections, there are a few multifaceted approaches that combat overfishing by acting as sustainable alternatives. 

Farming mussels creates a system in which the Earth’s growing population can be fed while also preserving current resources.

Mussel farming has the great potential to act as feed for agriculture and aquaculture, while also feeding humans (Wikström et al.). Replacing feed that is nutritious and edible for humans with mussels will help countries achieve food security domestically and internationally. This nutritious food can be given to communities with a lack of access to such foods, making big food industries more sustainable.

Mussels do not require feed because they just filter water. The practice also does not need chemical treatments or antibiotics for the mussels (Brown, 2021). Furthermore, mussels are great cleaners for the bodies of water they reside in, filtering about 25 liters of sea water a day (Brown, 2021). Their positive contribution to their aquatic ecosystem and lack of necessity for pollutants for upkeep makes this practice much more sustainable and healthier than the fishing industry. 

In a cost-benefit analysis of mussel farming, the benefits largely outweigh the costs. Mussel farmers must only be wary of the number of mussels in their region and the need to sell their product. 

Challenges:

1. Large-scale mussel farming can contribute to eutrophication if the mussel population goes unchecked (Wikström et al.). However, controlled populations actually help reduce eutrophication by filtering the excess oxygen out of the water. 
2. In addition, countries that rely heavily on the meat and dairy industries for food will need an incentive to eat mussels. If those industries are regulated more and become more sustainable, people may be more willing to eat alternative protein sources like mussels.

If countries implement these small-scale farms and work through the minor obstacles, their success can eventually lead to long term sustainability that combats overfishing and feeds the masses. By implementing more mussel farms throughout the world, fish populations will be exploited less, and the negative environmental and social impacts of overfishing will be subdued.

Implementing policies both domestically and internationally to create sustainable fishing practices is beneficial to all countries in the long run.

Total Allowable Catches

• Enforcing Total Allowable Catches (TACs) for the primary species of commercial interest is both “effective and transparent” for the nation and its people (OECD, 2021).

By putting a cap on the number of fish that can be caught, countries prevent the exploitation of currently vulnerable fish populations, or those that would have been threatened in the future. This makes their goals clear to their citizens and holds every person in the industry accountable for negative externalities and keeps them at the same standards.

Diplomacy Channels

• Establish diplomacy with neighboring countries so that shared water sources cannot be exploited.

If overfishing goes without being reformed, countries will feud over the fish supply to keep their industry alive. Thus, it is better to work with allies now rather than waiting until it is more of an issue.

For example, Norway has created a trilateral agreement with the EU and UK to manage fishery stocks together in the North Sea in 2022 (European Commission, 2022). This joint agreement establishes TACs and quotas for anyone accessing the North Sea, accounting for 683,000 tons of fish.

Peaceful collaboration forces those countries that fish for industry or recreation to be held accountable to other nearby countries, as multi-national bodies of water cannot draw lines across the waters.

International Cooperation

• Participating in UN or multi-country sustainable fishing agendas are beneficial to preserving the fish supply and boosting the economy.

International treaties and agreements allow for long term planning and the creation of goals for the global environment. Putting these goals into action and enforcing a due date for them to be accomplished keeps countries accountable for their damages to fish populations.

Ultimately, working with other countries to combat overfishing via international treaties will ensure shared waters maintain their supply of fish in the long run. This practice will also allow for coexistence of neighboring countries as there will not be an issue with access to fish if it is regulated now.

Creating area closures in bodies of water helps to protect fish species from over-depletion, while also keeping the region clean of pollutants.

• Making these barriers keeps commercial fishers out, which eliminates the chances for entanglement in fishing equipment and depletion of fish populations both threatened or not.

• By zoning off these areas, the opportunity arises for the included fish populations to raise their population numbers again.

• Area closures are often seasonal, allowing for adults to reproduce more during spawning season, and protecting juveniles while growing (Beets, J., & Manuel, M., 2007).

Closing off areas for fishing is an easy, viable solution to combat overfishing. While the amount of protected area is small, it helps mitigate the attention on certain species, giving them a chance to improve the abundance of their populations before the damage is too severe.

Looking at overfishing from the environmental, societal, and economic viewpoints has demonstrated that human and environmental wellbeing are tightly linked. Modern technology enables the rapid and mass capture of fish, with large amounts bycatch as a negative side effect. In our global society, indigenous ways of life continue to be threatened by commercial fisherman who have little regard for the fact that we share this planet together. The fishing industry is also a major economic engine. The gradual loss of it would threaten millions of jobs and hit developing countries’ GDP especially hard.

Despite the doom and gloom, there are solutions which show promise. One hands-on example we outlined was farming mussels on a large scale to provide a sustainable protein source. We also explained several political policies which aim to ensure equitable treatment among countries. Our final solution relies on international cooperation to set up and protect certain areas from any fishing. These areas are a refuge where fish populations can recover and benefit the global fish harvest. Overfishing is a pressing global issue that must be addressed now with collaboration and cooperation before the damage is too severe for reversal.

For some fun, try a simulation game our group made to demonstrate the balance between fish populations and human demands. Follow the link below and read the instructions. Warning: the game starts immediately, so use your first attempt to get familiar and read the directions. Kudos to you if you can beat it on your first try!

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