Mullis 1

Hunter Mullis
Mrs.DeBock
English 4
November 7, 2014
Overfishing
Overfishing is an increasing problem. Right now people may not think of it as a big deal
but 10 years from now they are going to wish they did. Coral reef fish stocks are depleting
severely due to this widespread habitat degradation and unsustainable fishing. Overfishing has
just as big of an impact on the economy just as much as it does on the environment. Millions of
people rely on fishing as a way of life and the depletion of fish in coral reefs would put their
livelihood in jeopardy. Overfishing has a big impact not only on the human aspect but also on the
environmental aspect.
Firstly, commercial fisherman should understand the problem that comes along with
overfishing. The government should also realize the severity of this problem and put some type
of quota for these commercial fisherman to follow. According to Brewer, The modernized
fishing gear that fisherman are using doesnt give a fair chance to the environment. People are
basically taking and taking from the ocean with no regard to what problems or challenges may
come to bite them back in the long run. The demand for fish has been spurred by nutritionists
and doctors who promote the health benefits of fish over red meat (Driscoll and Warhol 1).
Several types of fish including cod, mackerel, herring, and shark have already been overfished
and commercial fishing industries have found substitutes for these fish says Driscoll.

Mullis 2

Secondly, people need to realize what this increasing problem is going to cause in the
near future. Just think if the fish stocks keep on the downward slope as they are now what will
happen to the thousands of people whose jobs are working for American Seafood which is one of
the largest commercial fishing companies in the world. These commercial fisherman are bringing
an end to their own jobs. Driscoll and Warhol say, The NOAA fisheries service reports that
over 25% of all fish species in the ocean are in danger of extinction. These fisherman are not
only driving the fished they are licensed to catch to extinction but also fish they are not licensed
to catch. The United Nations FOA estimates that over 25% of all fish that are trapped in nets are
bycatch (Driscoll and Warhol 1). Bycatch includes all fish that are unusable or not licensed to be
caught by a vessel. Overfishing is causing huge problems in the muddiness and build up of algae
all along the waterways and coasts. Over 75% of the worlds fish population is overfished (The
End of the Line: How Overfishing Is Changing The World And What We Eat).
In conclusion, overfishing has a big impact not only on the human aspect but also the
environmental aspect. Fisherman are not just taking from the ocean and not giving back but they
are also disrupting the food chain tremendously. There should be quotas set on fish for fisherman
because fish to them are nothing but money. The more fish these commercial fisherman can
catch the more money they can put in their pocket so if fisherman can go out one day and catch a
thousand pounds of fish and turn a good profit they will with no regard for what problems they
just caused to the environment. The world as a whole needs to start working together to stop
overfishing, if not there is going to be huge consequences the world as a whole will have to face.