OVERFISHING

• Overfishing occurs when the fish caught is greater than the rate at
which the fish reproduce, leading to a fall in fish numbers in an area.
• Target species:
• Bycatch: fish caught that are of no value to fishermen, usually
discarded and wasted
• Immature fish: fish too young to breed and continue the species.
 Causes of overfishing
1. Increasing demand for fish: increasing population, increasing
awareness of the benefits associated with consuming fish, protein,
omega 3, vitamin d
2. Improved fishing methods (bigger nets, modern boats, bottom
trawling methods)
3. New technology including sonar radars and navigation systems (allow
fishermen to locate shoals of fish with greater accuracy, saves time).
Satellites are used to predict weather changes leading to safer trips.
4. Bycatch:
5. Illegal Fishing:
Factor Old fishing boat Modern fishing boat

Boat size Under 20m long Upto 100 m long

crew 4 5 crewmen As many as 100 people

Range Worked close to the Away from port for weeks

homeport, limited fuel and
refrigeration and perils of
weather
Finding fish Experience of waters, fish
instinct and Goodluck
or months
Radar or sonar to find fish.
Satellites for navigation

Nets Covered at most 1 or 2 Nets atleast 1 km wide

hectares of sea that can scoop up 400
tonnes of fish in one go
• Dredge nets are dragged along the seabed mainly to catch shellfish and other types of fish living
in the mud. For this reason they dig into the seabed with teeth (edges of the net).
• Trawl nets (used in bottom trawling method): Bottom trawling is a method of fishing that
involves dragging heavy weighted nets across the sea floor, in an effort to catch fish. It's a
favoured method by commercial fishing companies because it can catch large quantities of
product in one go
 Impacts of Overfishing
• Marine ecosystems are damaged due to the increased number of boats and nets
like dredge nets. (oil spills)
• When too many fish are taken out of the ocean it creates an imbalance that can
erode the food web and lead to a loss of other important marine life, including
vulnerable species like sea turtles and corals.
• It can change the size of fish remaining, as well as how they reproduce and the
speed at which they mature.
• Millions of people in largely developing, coastal communities depend on the
fishing industry for their livelihood and half the world’s population relies on fish
as a major source of protein. When fish disappear, so do jobs and coastal
economies.
• High demand for seafood continues to drive overexploitation and environmental
degradation, exacerbating this circular problem.