When industrial fishing began in the beginning 1800s, the ocean was thought of as bottomless. However, it is in a consistent state of exploitation and quickly reaching it's limit. Overfishing of the oceans has led to a 90% decline of fish, which leaves the entire ocean in a silent collapse. These unregulated and destructive fishing methods, in addition to 85% of worldwide fisheries being overfished, are ruining the ecosystem as a whole. Although it is easy to ignore these issues, without immediate action, these species of the marine environment will be unable to recover.
What is bycatch?
When fisherman throw out a net, it is highly unlikely that they only catch their target fish. Bycatch is the content of all of the others marine animals that are caught and killed in the process of fishing, including birds and turtles. In shrimp fisheries, there is almost a 6:1 ratio of bycatch to shrimp catch! There are 200,000 loggerhead sea turtles caught each year by bycatch, and thats only one species. More marine animals threatened by fishing gear include: 50,000 of leatherback turtles annually, and sharks, whales, dolphins, and other porpoises. 20% of shark species are endangered to extinction, mainly because of these fishing methods.
What are these fishing methods? How are they dangerous for the ocean?
There are many ways to catch fish, however the most used methods are Trawling (54%), Purse Seine (24%), and dredges.
Trawling:
When nets are dragged across the ocean floor for many miles, it destroys everything. Coral reefs are particularly damaged, which contain 32 of the 34 animal phyla in the world! Terrestrial, or land, ecosystems only contain 18 of 32! These "biotic" reefs that support the edges of the oceans are becoming extinct, and the effects will be detrimental.
Purse Seine:
Similar to trawling, purse seine fishing encloses the net, making it nearly impossible for other species to escape. It is particularly used for schools of fish and sardines, but a notable example is tuna. Dolphins were being killed by the masses as bycatch during tuna hunts, until legislation in the 90's made it illegal. Their species has not yet fully recovered, and fishing pressure on tuna leaves the ocean almost empty of them.
Dredges:
Dredges are metal baskets that are dragged along the sea floor, similar to trawling. They target clams, oyster, and scallops, and are just as destructive to the sensitive ecosystems at the bottom of the ocean. The bycatch in this fishing method is also overwhelming, as there are a lot of bottom dweller species.
What can I do to help?
These harmful methods have alternatives, like farmed fishing, also known as aquaculture. Fish that are caught with poll and line do almost no damage, and troll caught fishing is also considered environmentally friendly. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has created a Resource Index Card (posted as the top banner) to help people distinguish ecologically beneficial fish for consumption. Printable pocket tri-folds can be found on the Monterey Bay Aquarium seafood watch website. Because many people consistently have their phone at the grocery store, there is a free downloadable app that is also found on the website.
By only purchasing seafood that is sustainable and not destructive to our environment with these fishing methods, we can start to protect the future of our oceans.
Additional information on fishing can be found here.
Monterey Bay Aquarium has created seafood cards for specific areas throughout North America. The National Index Card is posted above, but for more specific information, regional sustainability cards can be found here.
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