Overfishing

Overfishing means we are catching fish faster than they can reproduce.  This is because a result of the significant increase in the demand for seafood over the past several decades coupled with our capacity to pull in huge quantities of fish also growing exponentially.  Not only is the global population increasing, but per capita seafood consumption has also increased over 50% since 1980 (1).  Many of the fish species we depend on are seriously endangered and the situation is becoming more critical every day. 
 
One example of an overfished species is Patagonian toothfish, commonly known as Chilean seabass.  Patagonian toothfish don’t reach sexual maturity until 9-10 years of age.  Because it takes a decade for these fish to breed, Patagonian toothfish can’t reproduce as quickly as they are being caught. Fish with slow reproductive cycles are especially vulnerable to overfishing.
 
Overfishing is not merely an environmental issue, it’s an economic issue as well.  More than 200 million people worldwide rely on fishing and related activities for all or part of their income (2).  Overfishing reduces the fish population lower and lower, until fish are so few that fishermen can’t make a living any more.  More than 75% of the world’s fisheries today are either fully fished or overfished (1).  Many fisheries have already collapsed, throwing thousands of people out of work.
 
Sources:
1. Monterey Bay Aquarium: Seafood Watch Program.  www.seafoodwatch.org.  Accessed March 16, 2007.
2. Marine Stewardship Council.  http://eng.msc.org.  Accessed March 16, 2007.