How decades of overfishing has resulted in an imbalance in our OCEANS — and the catastrophe we risk if we don't stop it.
SUSTAINABLE SEAS can’t coexist with overfishing — and neither can we.
Despite scientists warnings about its cause for catastrophe, overfishing — the harvesting of marine life at rates too high for populations to recover — continues 2.5 times the sustainable level; one-third of commercial fish stocks are being over fish and 90% of fish stocks are consisted fully exploited. If left unaddressed, our oceans may be soon be depleted. Here’s a look at the realities of overfishing.
Overfishing 101
- Seafood is the largest traded food commodity — more than 3 billion people rely on it for food.
- Two-thirds of seafood is overfished — 2.7 trillion fish are caught each year.
- A 2006 study predicted our oceans will run out of fish by 2048.
- 90% of large fish stocks are gone — 100 million sharks are killed every year.
- China is the world’s largest fish producer — accounting for one-third of fish production.
- 64% of European seas are overfished. The Mediterranean is the world’s most overfished sea — 62% of fish stocks are at risk of depletion.
- We farm fish eleven times more than we do cows, chickens and pigs combined — 70% of animals farmed are fish.
- 40% of fish caught each year is wasted catch — species unintentionally caught as bycatch. 500,000 animals are victims every year.
- Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (activities outside of established fishing zones) accounts for as much as 30% of marine catch.
- Some products, like caviar, come from endangered species like sturgeon. It’s estimated 90 endangered fish and invertebrate species are caught in fisheries.
- In the next 24 years, there may soon be more plastic than fish (by weight) in our oceans.
Untangling the Overfishing Problem
While these are foreboding figures, scientists do believe that with effective regulations and proper management, our oceans can be restored. In fact, fish stocks, such as those in the United States, have seen recovery. Through increased environmental regulations, extra ocean monitoring, and support for conservation efforts — we can keep the fish in our OCEANS swimming.
