Overfishing
For several years now there have been debates about whether we are currently facing an environmental crisis due to overfishing: the act of exhausting the fish populations by fishing too much. There has been evidence to support this idea but there could also be reasons that prove this not to be true. There is evidence that shows that there has been a decline in fish populations but it can be difficult to get accurate data of marine species. In the film "The End of the Line", they present facts and statistics that support their ideas about the topic, that overfishing is a pressing issue and could lead to the extinction of species, lower standards of living, and completely different marine ecosystems. However, there were things in "The End of the Line" that were left unaddressed.
The first question that they left unanswered is; could the environmental problems that we are currently facing, such as a decrease in fish and loss of marine biodiversity, be the result of another problem? Many people suggest that overfishing could have a part in the things that we have seen taking place in the ocean, but it is more likely that other factors are contributing to the problem. The loss of fish populations in the oceans could be the consequence of pollution, environmental changes, an increase in predator species, or any number of other things. All of these things may have an affect on marine life; however, we can conclude that overfishing is the primary cause due to the fact that with advancements in technology, humans are capable of catching mass amounts of fish. In the film, it is stated that the global fishing market has the capacity to catch the world catch four times over. Fish being caught in such large amounts cause the species to be unable to reproduce and stabilize before fisherman are back to catch more. There is no way that the fish can be reduced to such low levels and then be expected to recover.
Another thing left unaddressed in the film is the idea that the ocean makes up seventy percent of the Earth’s surface and couldn’t possibly run out of resources. The ocean has commonly been believed to be a renewable resource, and until the last few decades, it had been. For century’s fish were easily caught without any signs of damage being done to the overall species. But recently evidence has proven that fish populations have been rapidly decreasing and could soon result in the extinction of species. "The End of Line" gives an example of codfish in Canada, which were once plentiful, are now almost gone. The film also explains how bluefish tuna catches have declined by eighty percent and catches all around the world of all species have declined by ninety percent. These statistics prove that it is possible for the populations of fish to be brought to their close.
The biggest argument, however, is that the overfishing is just not that serious of a problem. With all the fish being served in restaurants and being seen around the world, anyone could be mislead into thinking that overfishing isn’t posing any threat. If overfishing is a problem, then why are people in the fishing industry allowed to catch and sell such large amounts of fish? The reason for this is that most fishing is illegal, unregulated, and unreported; which is only making the threat of overfishing stronger. Because fishing laws are being ignored, fish populations are decreasing faster than ever. We may have lots of fish in our restaurants now, but if fishing continues to go unregulated, we won’t for long.
There can be a large variety of things that dissuade the idea that overfishing is a problem, but I think there are a lot more things that support the idea. There have been consequences occurring due to overfishing, such as difficulties catching fish, a rise in prey species, and decrease of fish populations. I believe that overfishing really is a large environmental problem caused by advancements in fishing technology and lack of regulations or enforcement, and that we could face an environmental disaster if laws are not put into place and enforced to reduce the threat that overfishing puts on species.
The decrease in fish populations can be traced back to overfishing because of the fact that we did not experience problems with this until advancements in fishing technologies and the growth of fishing occurred. "The End of the Line" discusses the fishing method called trolling; trolling the bottom of the ocean is compared to plowing a field seven times a year. Marine plants and species cannot recover from that kind of frequent destruction of habitat. The film explains how around one third of the bluefin tuna population is being caught each year to be sold and distributed, causing these fish to struggle to stabilize from dramatic losses. It also discusses how the biggest threat to the fish is that fishing is often unregulated. Some rules and restrictions may be have been set into place in areas of the world, but are not then abided by or enforced.
After all of these different species of fish, for example the bluefin tuna, have been taken from the ocean, all of the species that they used to eat no longer have a predator and being to flourish. Marine species such as plankton, worms, and algae have been growing excessively throughout the ocean. The loss of fish has also resulted in a loss of the species that prey on those fish. A change in one species affects the stability of the whole food chain.
A strong argument that "The End of the Line" presented was how catches around the world have declined remarkably. Statistics have proven and were shown in the film, that in most places of the ocean fisherman only catch about one fish per every one hundred fishing lines cast. That is a ninety percent decrease in world catches and it occurred within just the last few decades. People in other areas of the world, where they rely on fish for a source of income and food, struggle to provide for themselves and there families.
Although overfishing is a large problem, it could have a fairly simple solution. Protected marine areas could make ecosystems that are dying plentiful again and decreasing the quantity of fish caught each year could allow for fish to replenish. The reason this problem has not been fixed already, though, is because even with fishing laws and regulations have been set into place, fisherman are ignoring those and not having to face any consequences. It won’t be until laws are enforced and fisherman being to care about the effects that they are having on the ocean, that fish will be able to recover.
Everything presented in "The End of the Line" strongly supports the theory of overfishing, however, the film did not present all that there is to know about the issue and what it all entails. I believe that overfishing is a large environmental problem that the world is facing, primarily caused by fisherman neglecting the fishing regulations, and that action can and should be taken to address it, but I also believe that there can be a lot more to know about the topic. The oceans can be a hard area to observe and try to understand. Could that be why we can’t know for certain that overfishing is even a problem or could that be why it took us so long to recognize it?
Works Cited: The End of the Line. Dir. Rupert Murray. Perf. Charles Clover. New Press, 2006. Film
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