The Impact of Overfishing

Destructive commercial fishing is a big factor that’s eating away at the health of our oceans. From using huge monofilament nets that kill sea turtles and dolphins, to overfishing and permanently depleting the supply, the impact of bad fishing is no joke. The one upside of this issue? It’s something you can do something about. By choosing to eat only seafood that has been caught in a sustainable manner, and encouraging others to do so too, the consumer can make a statement about the importance of ensuring healthy oceans for generations to come.

Eating More Than The Ocean Can Handle

Just like the first settlers of the American frontier who thought the huge herds of bison were inexhaustible, today we have fished our oceans to the brink and are finally realizing that their supply is finite. Yearly, the haul of fish is shrinking, as well as their size, because the fish can’t reproduce and mature as quickly as they’re being caught. For example, the legendary cod of the northeast’s Georges Bank has been hit incredibly hard—over 40,000 metric tons of fish were being caught in 1980, while the ‘90’s saw the haul decrease to just under 8,000 tons.

It’s Not Irreversible

Lucky for us, the experts say it’s not yet too late. Reversing overfishing in the next few years could undo the damage and give fish populations an opportunity to rebound. As a seafood consumer, you can help by only purchasing seafood that is caught in a sustainable fashion. You can download an easy to use guide for your region, provided by the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program. The guide covers how the fish are caught or farmed, and which types are caught using low-impact practices.

Other Resources:

• Recipes Using Sustainable Seafood
  
• Best and Worst Sustainable Seafood Restaurants
  
• Quick Tips for Selecting Seafood
  
• International Seafood Guides
  

Sources:

State of Our Seas. (2010) National Resource Defense Council.