What is Overfishing?
Overfishing occurs when fish are being caught faster than they can reproduce and replace themselves.
The global catch is falling due to overfishing, pollution and marine habitat destruction.
The world catch is in decline and is expected to continue to decline.
Increasing the total fish harvest from existing wild stocks is virtually impossible.

Problems Spawned from Overfishing
 Genetic diversity
Hastens the decline of coral reefs
Causes extinction of fish
Affects diets of many human beings

Genetic Diversity
The loss of genetic diversity weakens a populations ability to adapt.
Genes are the material that codify the characteristics and functions contained within an organism.
If a population loses its ability to adapt to a certain ecosystem it will become extinct.

Decline of Coral Reefs
Scientists and volunteers found that overfishing has affected 95% of
more than 1,000 coral reefs monitored since 1997.
The fish that are becoming extinct from overfishing can no longer eat algae from coral reefs.
In effect these coral reefs are becoming smothered from the excess of algae.
Now that there are restrictions on some coral reefs some are showing signs of recovery.

Extinction of Fish
Most of the world’s commercially important fish species are fished to capacity or depleted.
Species such as the Atlantic Cod, King Crab, and the Bluefin Tuna have become extinct or overfished
The condition of the world's fisheries affects 1/5th of the world's population
who depend on fish as their main source of protein.
If overfishing continues then people's diets will have to be modified;
finding a new source of protein must occur.

Groups Trying to Remedy Overfishing Problems
Congress passed the Sustainable Fisheries Act, which contains needed reforms of fisheries’ management,
aimed at restoring our fish.
The National Fisheries Service and eight Fishery Management Councils have fallen short in carrying out these reforms.

References
http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/ocean_planet/html/peril_overfishing.html

http://www.enn.com/news/wire-stories/2002/08/08272002/s_48269.asp

http://www.hups.org/si_fisheries.htm.

http://web.tri-countynet.net/~cgclark/trawlings3.htm

copyright
Gaytha A. Langlois, Ph.D., 2002
Bryant College, Smithfield, RI 02917
E-mail: langlois@bryant.edu
Last Updated: October 2002