For as long as humans have been alive, fishing has been taking place. And as the human population continued to grow, so too did the need for fish as a source of food.
With an abundance of ocean to fish within, it has always been assumed that the supply of fish would be infinite.
For nearly 40,000 years, humans have fished in the ocean. But it took until the 1800s for the true effects of overfishing to start having an effect on marine life — dating back to when whales were overfished so that their blubber could be used as lamp oil.
As the years have gone on and overfishing numbers have risen, it has become a severe threat to the ocean. Because when fish are caught at such high rates, there is little time for that population to be replenished.
The number of overfished stocks globally has tripled in half a century and today fully one-third of the world’s assessed fisheries are currently pushed beyond their biological limits.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Today, overfishing is more than simply catching too many fish.
- Shark finning is the process of catching a shark, cutting off its dorsal fin (the one on the top), and throwing the rest of the shark back into the water. Most of the time, sharks are still alive when thrown back in but they are unable to swim properly without their fin attached, so they sink to the ocean floor where they either suffocate or are eaten by other marine life.
- Seal hunting occurs when baby seals are hunted, beaten to death, and skinned for their fur. Most seals are only weeks old when this takes place.
- Whaling has gotten mainstream attention so it isn’t as widespread anymore, but Japan, Norway, and Iceland continue to defy laws put in place by the International Whaling Commission and hunt whales for their meat.
- Fishing net entanglement has been responsible for the death of more than 300,000 whales, dolphins, and porpoises each year.
There are many environmental issues that are now starting to seem all too real and overfishing is one of them. Projections indicate that as early as 2048, a global collapse of fisheries could take place.
While exploring the oceans as a scuba diver, one of the greatest thrills is seeing the diversity of marine life. Coming in contact with sharks — it’s not as scary as it seems! — whales, turtles, dolphins, and other forms of living organisms beneath the surface is exhilarating.
But if the issue of overfishing isn’t resolved, our oceans could rapidly turn into something far less spectacular.
Divers On A Mission was formed with a focus on protecting innocent marine life and overfishing is one of the greatest threats. With your donation, we can continue to fight against these gruesome acts and provide a safe, clean ocean for fish and scuba divers alike!
Wish to help in another way? We’d appreciate that too! Reach out to us at diversonamission@gmail.com and let’s chat!