Overfishing
Overfishing
Seafood is a minor contribution to the human diet. Although you may think seafood is a large staple, it only contributes to about 4% of the world’s food needs. As more and more people inhabit our planet, the need for protein also increases, and fish has been cited to be a healthy addition to a person's diet. This prompts mankind to harvest the ocean for its fish and shellfish. Each American eats an average forty-seven pounds of seafood per year.
Every action has a consequence, and harvesting fish is no exception, as seen in the statistics below:
- The fishing catch has increased since the 1950s. In 1960, approximately 21 million tons of fish were harvested. It has increased to more than 80 million tons harvested.
- The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that the maximum catch from the ocean can be 120 million metric tons.
- Did you know that a commercial fisherman is one of the most dangerous jobs? Around 155 deaths per 100,000 workers occur.
- Overfishing has placed the most impact on the ocean's ecosystem than any other human activity.
In areas around the world, the fish stock is at risk of being overfished, or being fished more than the ecosystem can bear at that location. Ideally, it is best to maintain sustainable fish stocks, where the fish population does not decline over a period of time because of fishing practices. Besides fishing for personal consumption and hobby, there are two types of fishing: commercial and industrial. In this interactivity, you will learn about commercial and industrial fishing and the effects they can have on the ocean. Click the player button to get started.
View a printable version of this interactivity.
Overfishing Practice
Now that you have learned how overfishing can affect the ocean and its fish stock, check your knowledge. In this non-graded interactivity, follow the instructions on each question slide. Click SUBMIT to check your responses. Click the player button to begin.