Embedded Files
Photo by Meritt Thomas on Unsplah
Intro
Intro
Over 70% percent of our Earth is covered by oceans and much of the population depends on it to live. While oceans are impacted by many things, overfishing typically gets overlooked. Overfishing is the action of depleting the stock of fish in a body of water (i.e. the ocean) by fishing too much (Oxford Languages, 2023). Overfishing as a whole has many consequences, and most, if not all of them, lead to a larger domino effect. The oceans impact a large portion of the world’s population as coastal communities rely on fishing as a source of income. We explore these ideas in the fishing communities within Ghana, Senegal and Florida.
Financial Consequences
Overfishing has a large impact on people's financial status and lifestyle. Fish stocks are close to collapse and people are making less and less money, this is detrimental to those who depend on fishing as a means of survival. The stock of Canadian northern cod has been so run down that a fishery has had to be closed: a moratorium has been put in place that prevents fishing cod on the east coast of Canada (Schmidt, 1993). This does positively impact the life of cod, but it has a negative impact on people’s well-being and source of income. Cod is one of the most common species of fish that are subject to overfishing.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN has estimated that the global revenue loss is around $15-30 billion per year (Schmidt, 1993). Although this comes from a source that is slightly outdated, one can come to the conclusion that this number has significantly increased since the time of this article. For example, the Icelandic fishing fleet, and the number of fishermen, could be reduced by 40%. In addition to this, Norwegian fleets and fishermen could be reduced by two-thirds (Schimdt, 1993). The reduction of fleets and fishermen will result in many people suffering from unemployment and having to take on the challenge of finding a new source of income to support themselves and their families. Overfishing is an ongoing problem and has been aggravated by numerous factors. Certain factors can include the biology and behavior of individual species of fish, technical developments, and environmental factors.
Environmental Consequences
Due to the increase in overfishing, there has been severe environmental degradation. Overfishing has a direct impact on the marine ecosystem, this includes things such as coral reefs which support 25% of all marine animals. Not only does it affect coral reefs, but it has a large impact on the food web within the ocean. In a study done off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, they found that the numbers of cod and large-bodied predators had declined immensely with the increase in overfishing (Scheffer, Carpenter, Young, 2005). As a result of this, their ecological role in the ecosystem was nearly eliminated. Cod were at the top of their food chain, without them the other species have to adapt to the lack of an apex predator. For example, cod eat small fish such as shrimp, with lower amounts of cod the number of shrimp increased greatly. A direct result of this is a collapse in zooplankton. Zooplankton are shrimp's primary prey and their species is declining rapidly due to a reduction of cod (Scheffer, Carpenter, Young, 2005). As can be seen from the Canadian cod study, the overfishing of cod has a greater impact than some may think.
Figure 1 by Scheffer, Carpenter, Young 2005 licensed under fair use
Ocean Life Consequences
Not only do food chains get affected by the change in marine ecosystems, but many sea creatures could face mass extinction. An article published in The Western Morning News wrote that ⅓ of sharks and rays have been driven to extinction (The Western Morning News, 2008). Sharks such as the porbeagle shark face a 26% chance of extinction in Atlantic European water (The Western Morning News, 2008). Along with this, fish such as cod, haddock, halibut, and skate, are all threatened species. An article in The Independent found that cod are on the verge of commercial collapse and skate are virtually extinct (O’Connell, 2005). More and more species in our oceans will also face the threat of extinction if overfishing continues. With a vast number of marine animals facing the chance of extinction, the balance of the ocean will be disrupted and lead to more detrimental effects.
While overfishing regulations may be important to the community itself, it also has a major impact on individuals, specifically those in low income and racially diverse communities. Resources typically aren’t equitably distributed, and this impacts the fishing industry. Overfishing also has impacts within the waters. This seemingly harmless act is leading to environmental degradation and mass extinction of some species. Lower trophic levels, or hierarchical levels, of food webs are what the fishing industry targets and leads to higher levels of competition for the animals- between humans and natural predators. This competition has potential to lead to mass extinction since these lower trophic level animals are decreasing at rapid rates. This has a larger domino effect into the upper trophic level animals. The marine ecosystems are suffering on multiple fronts, and have catastrophic consequences for the future of our ocean wildlife. With all this being said, public opinion of this issue is crucial for any changes to happen. If the public is not invested in an issue, political leaders won’t create legislation to address this issue. With overfishing being such a large field to cover, finding successful solutions is incredibly difficult. Many attempts have been made to prevent further damage to our oceans but have been widely unsuccessful. It is more than finding a solution to the problem at hand, but also making sure we are not limiting resources for communities that rely so heavily on the ocean.
Low Income Communities
Overfishing is a global problem that affects those who depend on oceans for their livelihoods. Low-income coastal communities, especially in developing countries, are particularly affected by overfishing regulations. Small scale fisheries employ about 90% of people in developing countries in the marine sector (Owusu 2020). Although these regulations have been put in to save the inhabitants of the ocean, they have also inversely created a negative impact on the workers of small scale fisheries in developing countries, as well as some coastal areas of the United States.
In Ghana and Senegal, for example, many people who live on the coast heavily depend on fishing to survive. Both of these countries have large amounts of poverty and are considered developing countries. Employment, food security, and healthcare are all benefits gained through fishing, yet the fish landings have been declining for years due to overfishing regulations. These regulations include creating open and closed seasons for catching certain fish, banning certain species from ever being caught, as well as annual catch limits (NOAA Fisheries 1972). Fines are the most common punishment for breaking these rules, and if fines cannot be paid jail time becomes the alternative. Overfishing in general already hurts these impoverished areas, and both governments have failed to come up with proper regulations that benefit both fishermen and marine life. This has hurt the income of these coastal communities, making it difficult for fishermen to have security and provide for their families.
"fisherman" by Jeff Attaway is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Senegal Opinion
Senegal Opinion
The coastal communities of Senegal have also been hit hard economically by overfishing regulations, which has led many Senegalese youth to migrate to the European Union (EU). This mass migration is caused by the increase in poverty within Senegal, with overfishing and the strict regulations being key factors. This is a massive issue for Senegal, as future development in any industry is hurt as their youth are determined to leave the country in search of better opportunities elsewhere to get out of poverty.
The fish market has different rules based on different areas, which makes regulations very inconsistent, and fishing is such a large market that it can be deemed uncontrollable. Senegal's regulations are different compared to other areas, which has put them at a disadvantage. In interviews with the Senegalese coastal community, it is heavily argued that the EU’s agreements with the Senegalese government is the reason for this forced migration out of Senegal (Jonsson 2019). The people of the area demand changes to the national and global structure of regulated fishing to improve and protect Africa's fishing communities.
In doing so, it would help improve Senegal's infrastructure, as well as making sure that the youth of Senegal do not feel it being necessary to migrate into the EU by giving them more opportunities by generating income through fish landings.
Photo by Efe Kurnaz on Unsplash
When interviewed, the people of Ghana blamed overfishing regulations as the reason for this decline in fish landings (Owusu 2020). They expressed a preference for the state to enforce the laws of overfishing, rather than there being a “closed season” to preserve the environment. This would mean that the laws would be enforced at all times, instead of there being a ban over a certain period of time, where no fishing can be done. For there to be a closed season means within this period of time Ghana fishermen would not be allowed to fish, which kills their income for their families. Although the laws would still limit the amount of money they can make fishing, it is still better than having periods out of the year where fishermen cannot provide for their families.
Ghana Opinion
Ghana Opinion
Photo by Eric Odonti on Unsplash
A similar survey from the people of central Ghana was done, and the results showed that many understood that overfishing in general needs to be stopped and regulated, as it has led to the quality and amount of fish caught on average in these landings to decrease drastically. Roughly 82% of those surveyed in central Ghana blamed overfishing for the decline in fish landings, with 19% of these respondents blaming poor waste management, and 15% blamed illegal fishing practices such as dumping chemicals (Jones et al. 2021). Both of these problems are caused by poor regulation from the Ghanaian Government, as dumping waste and chemicals have caused detrimental impacts not only to the fish, but the ocean in general.
"Red Snapper" by Extra Zebra is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Florida Impact
Florida Impact
These impacts do not only affect those in developing countries, as we have seen the impacts of overfishing in the United States as well. This is not as detrimental when compared to the developing countries of Ghana and Senegal, but it still hurts US communities that live in poverty near the coast. In some states, fisheries provide Americans with stable jobs. For example Florida's commercial fisheries generate $3.2 billion in income and support 76,700 jobs in the state (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission 2021). The majority of those jobs belong to people in low income communities, near the coast. Recently overfishing has been prevalent in Florida, and there have been regulations put into place to give the populations time to replenish their population. Some of these regulations have been hit with controversy, an example being federal limits on red snappers. Anglers in Florida are not happy with the current regulations regarding the Red Snapper species, as this species is a prized fish (Hong 2015). Red Snappers can grow to up to 35 pounds and are a delight for fishermen to catch since they will make a decent profit. As of 2015 however, the Red Snapper has been banned from being caught due to overfishing. This has caused frustration in the angler community, as a prized fish that can generate profit for them is now completely banned from being caught, taking away potential income for struggling fishermen.
Public Opinion
The oceans cover 70% of the Earth’s surface and hold 97% of all water on the planet (All About the Ocean, 2023). With this much water covering our globe, people should have a relative understanding of such a large resource. In five surveys from Cornell’s Roper Center iPoll, it is easy to see that the public’s opinions are not as clear cut about the ocean’s importance to our futures.
CA Resident Opinions
CA Resident Opinions
Opinions of CA residents in regards to overfishing being a problem to the coast:
35% believe it is a big problem
35% believe it is somewhat of a problem
30% believe it was not a problem or didnt know
Over Fishing as a Problem
Over Fishing as a Problem
Adults across the US were asked if pollution and overfishing cause serious problems to our oceans:
72% agree the oceans are in trouble
21% are usure about this topic
7% believe the oceans are fine
Taking too Much?
Taking too Much?
Are we taking too much from the ocean?:
50% believe we are taking too much
14% believe we are not taking too much
46% were unsure
Oceans Better or Worse?
Oceans Better or Worse?
Adults in the US were asked if oceans over time have gotten better or worse:
11% believe oceans have gotten better
25% believe oceans have stayed the same
60% believe the oceans have gotten worse
4% don't know
Condition of the Ocean
Condition of the Ocean
How important is the condition of the ocean to you?
49% say the ocean is very important to them
31% say the ocean is somewhat important to them
6% say the ocean is not important to them
14% say they dont know
Public Opinion Wrap Up
Public opinion is crucial for any change to happen in the community. Whether it be through smaller groups taking action or legislation being passed, there needs to be backing from the community for anything to gain traction. With that being said, it is understandable that some of the previous solutions that have gone into place in an effort to decrease the effects of overfishing have failed. Through just these five surveys, there is no outstanding public outcry about the state of our oceans. This could be due to multiple factors however, the biggest factor is the lack of knowledge. People across the country can’t have a strong opinion about a subject if they aren’t properly educated on the subject. In regards to issues in the ocean, overfishing is highly looked over causing minimal media coverage in comparison to things such as oil spills. The public opinion of the ocean needs to be better informed for any substantial changes to be put into motion.
Solutions:
"Cash Money" by athrasher is marked with CC0 1.0
Subsidized Fishing
Subsidized Fishing
One idea is to reduce the amount of subsidized fishing. One third of the world’s fish stocks are being exploited, just for much of the funding to go to illegal fishing. (Stop Funding Overfishing | Stop Harmful Fisheries Subsidies, n.d.). Subsidies allow fishers to be out at sea for longer and have greater capacities to fish. At one point in time, the government was encouraging fishing practices, but with minimal to no regulation, we have seen a boom in IUU fishing- illegal, unreported and unregulated, which now put the current fishing rate beyond sustainable levels (Reducing Harmful Fisheries Subsidies, n.d.). With overfishing now being a major concern for the safety of our ocean, groups are working to pass a treaty within the US government and hopefully abroad. The mission works to create rules and regulations that will factor in overfishing and overcapacity subsidies in the future.
Quotas
Quotas
In addition, creation of fishing quotas has been brought up in conversation as a solution. The government funds as much as 54% of high seas fishing, and to take away subsidies would take away from incoming products from fishing. Instead, some groups would rather give individual quotas. Individual quotas would give fishers to reduce the cost of fishing while increasing the price by improving the catch quality, and it would allow fishers to increase their fishing seasons (Pincinato et al., 2021). Each individual fishing situation is different so coming up with various quotas will be difficult however, this solution does seem to be the most promising and also negatively impact the least amount of people.
"Catching-limit-on-fathers-day" by Alexandria MN Tourism is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
TAC's
TAC's
Total allowable catches TAC’s are also a practice in place that help reduce the amount of overfishing happening. TAC is when fishing managers set a limit to how many catches can happen within a stock. The managers are using a reference point and can maintain the levels within the stock, rebuild the levels within the stock, and can prevent overfishing (Total Allowable Catch, n.d.). With the idea of TAC, there is a fishing manager monitoring and regulating what is happening within the stock. If there is a trend of overfishing, they can limit catches and rebuild the stock to replenish it.
Failed Solutions
There have been many attempts to fix the problems overfishing has created, while some seemed promising, many sadly failed due to many reasons including lack of effort from the public. In the Philippines, they made an attempt to positively impact overfishing. The Philippine government took numerous different approaches that were all unsuccessful. The first approach they tried were government regulations which included governmental attempts to try and set limitations on how much one person is allowed to fish. This attempt was futile due to the variety of obstacles that stood in the way of efficient enforcement. Their second attempt was to go more local. They had high hopes for this attempt and wanted community based fisherman organizations to try to promote self regulation. Sadly this failed due to a lack of funds and equipment, low morale and commitment, and political problems. Finally, the Philippine government administered programs to offer alternative employment options. This approach was unsuccessful because the organizations that the programs should have been channeled through were too weak (Sunderlin).
Photo licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Conclusion
Conclusion
Overfishing has had a devastating impact on the future of the oceans. In some cases, fish stocks have been depleted to the point where local fisheries are no longer sustainable, leaving communities without a major source of food and income. Oftentimes, coastal communities are made up of people in a lower socioeconomic class and they are not able to withstand the impacts of overfishing. It can also disrupt the balance of the ecosystem, leading to further declines in fish populations and a reduction in the diversity of marine life. With mass extinction of certain species, other marine life will have to undergo adaptations that will directly disturb the food web. Due to the detrimental impacts overfishing has on our oceans and on those who rely on it, it is essential that we take steps to work towards a more sustainable future and find ways to solve this issue.
Authors
Authors
Lanna Plateroti, 2026, Criminal Justice
Tabitha Klaus, 2025, Criminal Justice
Jimmy Keane, 2025, Finance
Works Cited
Works Cited
All about the Ocean. (2023). National Geographic Society. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/all-about-the-ocean/
Atlantic sharks facing the jaws of extinction: Some of the region's most well-known visitors are facing extinction because of the effects of over-fishing, conservationists have warned. (2008, Nov 12). The Western Morning NewsRetrieved from http://rwulib.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/atlantic-sharks-facing-jaws-extinction/docview/335013772/se-2
Environmental Defense Fund. (2023). Overfishing: The most serious threat to our oceans. Environmental Defense Fund. https://www.edf.org/oceans/overfishing-most-serious-threat-our-oceans
FWC (2021). The Economic Impacts of Saltwater Fishing in Florida. Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission. Retrieved March 30, 2023, from https://myfwc.com/conservation/value/saltwater-fishing/
Hong, C. (2015, September 19). Anglers Upset with Federal Limits on Red Snapper Designed to Boost Stocks. The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved March 30, 2023, from https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/2015/09/19/anglers-upset-federal-limits-red-snapper-designed-boost-stocks/15680836007/
Jessica H. Jönsson (2019) Overfishing, social problems, and ecosocial sustainability in Senegalese fishing communities, Journal of Community Practice, 27:3-4, 213-230, DOI: 10.1080/10705422.2019.1660290
Jones, A. D., Roberts, C. O., & Appiah, M. (2021). Effects of decline in fish landings on the livelihoods of coastal communities in the central region of ghana. Coastal Management, 49(6), 617-635. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/08920753.2021.1967562
Marine Mammal Protection Act (1972) NOAA Fisheries. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/laws-policies/marine-mammal-protection-act
O'Connell, S. (2005, Mar 21). Saving the life aquatic ; the effects of overfishing and climate change are taking a dire toll. by sanjida O'connell: [first edition]. The Independent Retrieved from http://rwulib.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/saving-life-aquatic-effects-overfishing-climate/docview/310794527/se-2
Owusu, V. (2020). Impacts of overfishing and the petroleum industry on the livelihoods of fisherfolk in the western region of ghana.. Retrieved from ASFA: Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries http://rwulib.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/reports/impacts-overfishing-petroleum-industry-on/docview/2649992072/se-2
Pincinato, R. B. M., Asche, F., Cojocaru, A. L., Liu, Y., & Roll, K. H. (2021). The Impact of Transferable Fishing Quotas on Cost, Price, and Season Length. Marine Resource Economics. https://doi.org/10.1086/716728
Reducing Harmful Fisheries Subsidies. (n.d.). Pew.org. https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/projects/reducing-harmful-fisheries-subsidies
Scheffer, M., Carpenter, S., Young, B. D., C, Profound indirect ecosystem effects of overfishing have been shown for coastal systems such as coral reefs and kelp forests. A new study from the ecosystem off the Canadian east coast now reveals that the elimination of large predatory fish can also cause, Steele, J., . . . Bellwood, D. (2005, September 08). Cascading effects of Overfishing Marine Systems. Retrieved March 28, 2023, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169534705002752
Stop Funding Overfishing | Stop harmful fisheries subsidies. (n.d.). #StopFundingOverfishing. https://stopfundingoverfishing.com/
Sunderlin, W. D. (n.d.). The Search for Solutions to Overfishing in the Bay of San Miguel, Philippines [Abstract].
Total allowable catch. (n.d.). International Seafood Sustainability Foundation. Retrieved March 30, 2023, from https://www.iss-foundation.org/glossary/total-allowable-catch/
Oxford Languages. (2023). Oxford Languages. Oxford Languages; Oxford University Press. https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/
Cover Image
Cover Image
Photo by Christoffer Engström on unsplash
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse