Overfishing - A General Overview

The purpose of this website is to inform the people of the world of the impcat of overfishing, why it should be permentantly corrected, and illustrate an actual plan to prevent it. As one would have noticed, the opening map page is a tool that can be used to learn about where overfishing is happening in the world and to learn about the specific details in that area. Below is a general overview of overfishing and how big of a problem it actually is.

An Overview

Overfishing is fishing a population faster then it can replace itself therefore decreasing the total population. The main species being overfished are larger fish such as cod, tuna, and swordfish. In fact, 90% of the large fish have been overfished to dangerous levels. Overfishing is such a serious problem because millions of people around the world rely on the ocean for a living and for food. If we fish our oceans the way we have been, it may damage the ecosystem to a point where our children's children may not be able to enjoy it the same way we have.

To gain a perspective on how wide spread the problem is, examine the statistics below.

• 52% of fish stocks are fully exploited
• 20% are moderately exploited
• 17% are overexploited
• 7% are depleted
• 1% is recovering from depletion

 Just imagine what will happen if we keep this up!

Since so many marine ecosystems are being affected by overfishing, the entire stability of the ocean is being threatening by fishing industries. Many scientists argue about whether overfishing can truly damage the entire ocean, but with that imense number of fish being taken out of their natural habit it is common sense that after a certain amount of time something extremely bad is going to happen. Please visit the other areas of the site to learn more.

Source:

"Overfishing - A Global Environmental Problem, Threat and Disaster." Overfishing - A Global Environmental Problem, Threat and Disaster. Overfishing.org, 28 Nov. 2007. Web. 09 June 2010. .