Disasters At Sea: Overfishing
Introduction
One of the greatest disasters at sea over the past century has been that of overfishing. Overfishing occurs when we remove fish faster than they can reproduce such that their populations cannot replenish and they begin to decline. This has a lasting impact beyond the individual species being fished, as removing one species creates ripple effects throughout the ecosystem.
While humans have participated in fishing practices for thousands of years — for subsistence, recreation, or as a cultural tradition — the rapid acceleration of industrial fishing has put great strain on global fish populations and in turn marine ecosystems as a whole. Today we will discuss the history of overfishing, dive into specific case studies to address the repercussions of overfishing, and cover the solutions that are underway.
The Disaster: Overfishing
Fishing provides income for 10-12% of the world’s populations and 3 billion people rely on seafood for their protein. Fishing has become a very lucrative and vital global business, but the cost on our oceans has been incredibly high. Every year, humans catch roughly 90 million tons of fish. It is estimated that up to 37.5% of fish stocks are exploited or overfished. This overfishing also results in up to 38.5 million tonnes of bycatch yearly (animals caught unintentionally in fishing nets).
While humans have always fished, global seafood production has quadrupled over the last 50 years. This unprecedented strain on fish populations and marine ecosystems has taken its toll on our oceans, and many fish stocks are near collapse. The fishing industry has demonstrated in real time the Tragedy of the Commons: when everyone, acting in their own short-term self-interest takes from a shared and limited public asset (in this case fish), the end result is a complete depletion of the common good.
However, we did not reach this level of overfishing accidentally. Government subsidies have incentivized overfishing, and industrial fishing techniques have made it easier to catch massive quantities of seafood. These techniques include net fishing (such as purse seine fishing or trawling), line fishing, and dredging, which catch massive quantities of fish, result in bycatch, and often destroy the environment in the process.
Impacts: Specific Case Studies
To better understand the impacts of overfishing, we’re going to zoom in on two different species that have been overfished: Atlantic cod and Pacific sardine.
In New England, Atlantic cod was once so abundant that Cape Cod got its name from the fish. Early explorers touted the Atlantic cod-filled waters and they quickly became a sought-after fish in both America and Europe. In the 19th century, industrialized fishing techniques accelerated fishing of the Atlantic cod. Longline fishing began with five mile lines and hooks every 3 feet. In the 20th century, steam boats with trawling nets brought in six times as much fish as regular sailing boats. By the 1960s, the invention of the freezer and factory ships increased fishing even further. Between 1962 and 1992, the biomass of Atlantic cod dropped 93%. In the end, the collapse of the Atlantic cod stock destroyed the fishing industry in New England and put 30,000 people out of work.
On the other side of the United States, along the West coast, a different fish faced a similar fate. Pacific sardines (Sardinops sagax caerulea) support a plethora of marine life across mammals, fish, and sea birds. In the 1930s, sardine populations peaked at around 800,000 metric tons, but overfishing (alongside poor ocean conditions) led to their collapse by mid-century. In response, the fishery was closed to allow populations to recover. However, in the 1990s when sardine populations had returned, so did the fisherman. Learning little from their own history, the fisherman once again began fishing sardines excessively. Between 2006 and 2015, sardine biomass declined 95%. This resulted in thousands of malnourished sea lions and starving brown pelicans. Sardine fisheries were eventually closed yet again in 2015 and have remained closed since.
The stories of the Atlantic cod and the Pacific sardine are not unique — they are just two of thousands of overfished species — but they demonstrate how overfishing hurts not only the fish being caught, but also the ecosystems they uphold and the people who depend on the fishing economy. When we fish beyond nature’s limits it hurts fish, marine life, and people.
Recovery / Conclusion
The greatest way to combat overfishing is to limit the amount of fish that can be caught. Permitting and quotas can help regulate how many fish one can legally remove from the ocean. Consistent tracking and measuring of fish populations and health ensures that we don’t place too much pressure on fish populations. Placing moratoriums on overfished species can provide those species with the space to recover.
Another effective solution is to establish Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) where fishing is not allowed. Within MPAs, fish populations can thrive and create what is known as spillover. When fish populations inside MPAs grow they may expand beyond the MPA borders and into areas where fishing is allowed. This keeps fish stocks at a healthy level and allows fishing industries to stay in business without fishery collapse.
Sustainable fishing practices that allow fish populations to replenish themselves are vital to the continued survival of both marine ecosystems and fishing economies.
Citations / Directories
Citation No. 1: “Overfishing 101: Everything You Need to Know”, Written by Linnea Harris, Published on August 18th, 2023. Published by NOAA. Retrieval Date: October 9th, 2026.
Citation No. 2: “What You Need to Know About Overfishing”, Written by Emily Wong, Published on July 2nd, 2024. Published by Earth.org. Retrieval Date: October 9th, 2026.
Citation No. 3: “Plenty of Fish?”, Written by Unknown, Published on June 10th, 2022. Published by United Nations Climate Change. Retrieval Date: October 10th, 2026.
Citation No. 4: “Commercial Fishing Methods”, Written by Unknown, Published on Unknown Date. Published by University of Washington. Retrieval Date: October 11th, 2026.
Citation No. 5: “On the Backs of Cod”, Written by Unknown, Published on Unknown Date. Published by Science History Institute. Retrieval Date: October 11th, 2026.
Citation No. 6: “The Modern Day Pacific Sardine Collapse: How to Prevent a Future Crisis”, Written by Unknown, Published on Unknown Date. Published by Oceana. Retrieval Date: October 11th, 2026.
Citation No. 7: “Pacific Sardines”, Written by Unknown, Published on Unknown Date. Published by Oceana. Retrieval Date: October 11th, 2026.
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