Before any species of animal is endangered, they were hunted by human in a big amount. Besides the animal that lives in the land, any species of animal in the sea are also being hunted by human. Or, the common thing that we know now is overfishing. Overfishing is human act of catching fish in a large of number until the number of fish it self is below the catch expectation. In another definition, overfishing is an act of catching fish more than a number the population can replace.
Causes
There is no smoke without a fire, the same thing also applied for overfishing and here are some causes of overfishing.
1. Difficult to regulate
The difficulties in regulating the fishing area is because there is only a little resource to monitor the area. The sea’s area that could be controlled by human is way larger than human can control. Because of this, the controller have to travel the sea’s to control the fisheries, and this takes a long time to do when the human resource and technology is not enough.
2. Lack of oversight
Most of country still don’t do the monitoring toward their fishing areas. This makes illegal fisheries from another country come and steal the fish.
3. Little to no rules regarding fishing practices
Mainly you will found rules that banned illegal fisheries to come to your country for fishing without any legal permission. But, there is only exist a little rules about the amount of fish that fisheries could take. This makes fisheries trying to catch fish as much as they can to gain more benefits.
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4. Lack of knowledge
Most of retailers and fisherman only know about how to gain the benefits, they compete with another fisherman, so certain retailer who got more fish could gain more benefit. This kind of mindset that makes them do the overfishing. Not only retailers and fisherman who need more knowledge about fish and their population, but also the consumers who buy the fish.
5. Unreported fishing
After the fishing, fisherman will not report their catch to anyone unless the retailer. This is the other factor that let fisherman freely catch any fish in the sea in any number. If there’s a controller, the fisherman will be reminded what kind of fish that shouldn’t be catch and in what number they can have the fish.
Many Steps for Stop Overfishing
You may take the meaning of exploitation over fish that has a similar meaning to overfishing. The occurance of overfishing is not only in the sea, but it may also occur in the lake, river, pond, and ocean. Because this overfishing is really bad for both human and fish, here are the 20 ways to stop overfishing.
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1. Limiting the catch number
Implementing the limit of the fish catch number is one of the best way to reduce the overfishing. By limiting the fish catch, government and another organization could help the fish population to recover and breed another fish. So the fish population will not extinct.
2. Catching’s control
There are still a little country that control the catching of their fisherman. This control is needed to know either the fisheries catch an endangered species of fish or not. The control could be done before and after the fishing, so the controller could see the catch.
3. Protect some marine area
We have to know where is the real habitat of some endangered fish species and protect the area. By protecting these areas, fisheries will not allowed to fishing in that area. And by protecting some marine area, we will help the water ecosystem recover by giving the time for them to recover.
See also: Conservation of Oceans – Ocean Problems
4. Monitoring
Because the sea’s area is large, this makes fisheries easier to catch some species of fish that is prohibited by the government, because they can go so far where there is no government monitoring of catching fish. The step that should be taken by government is by doing monitor toward their seas constantly. So by then, government can punish these fisheries and arresting the illegal fisheries.
5. Stop trawling
During the fishing, fisheries could use many ways to catch the fish. Such as, using trawl, bomb, dope, and bait. The using of bomb has been banned by the government. But the use of trawl are still used by the fisheries secretly. The using of trawl makes large and small fish that should not be catch, are catch by the fisheries. And as the result, many small fish that can grow to be adult is being thrown back to the sea in death or being a bait to the next catch.
See also: Endangered Fish Species – Fishes in Atlantic Ocean
6. Catch shares
To help each other by our ability is a one good way to help them. Taking an example of our country Indonesia, Indonesia has become the biggest exporting country of tuna for Japan. This means, the population of tuna fish in Japan is not equal with the market demands, so they import tuna from Indonesia. This catch shares could reducing the overfishing in many country and it is proven that this system is works.
7. Join campaign and support organization
You can join some campaign that support the protection of fish which try to reduce the overfishing. If you can’t join such campaign, you may support some organization. The support that you can give to them has so many kind of ways such as donation, and promoting the organization toward society.
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8. Be a smart consumers
There will be no supply without demand. As a consumers we have to be smart too to buy fish as our food. We have to know that the more expensive fish is, means the fish population is low, that is why to gain more benefits, retailers will increase the prices. Maybe we can consume another fish that is easy to be found and has big population.
9. Fish farming
The other way that could be done to increase the population of fish without harming the water ecosystem is by farming the fish. By farming the fish, we are creating another small ecosystem that will not hampered another ecosystem. We just feeding and taking care of our fish and it will breed and create more fish.
See also: Deep Ocean Ecosystems – Endangered Sea Lions
10. Educating retailers
The retailers for sure seeking for benefits, that is why they pay more for the fisheries who can catch a big amount of fish. Because of benefits, the retailers often forget that it is not only could make the population of fish is out of number, but also hampering another ecosystem. This kind of education that we have to educate toward retailers.
11. Educating consumers
Educating the consumers are also needed besides educating the retailers. Do not only tempted by the taste of fish delicacy. And do not only campaigning that fish is good because it contains some nutrient for the human’s body, but please also campaign what species of fish is endangered, and why we should protect and limit the consuming of it.
See also:
- Differences Between the Ocean and The Sea
- Effects of Ocean Currents
- Climate of the Ocean
- Ocean Pollution
12. Remove subsidies
Globally, government giving subsidies toward the fishing industry to keep it alive. The number of subsidies is not small, the subsidies are often used for fuel and rehabilitating large ports. With this kind of help, both fisheries and retailers are owe more benefits, that is why they could buy more advance technology to help them in fishing more efficient and catching more fish. The subsidies would be better given once at first when the government want to build a better industry in fishing. The next step is letting the retailers and fisheries keeping the industry alive by given some basic education to them.
See also: Marine Protected Areas – Types of Algae
13. Enjoy nature
Take a little time of yours during the holiday to go to the zoo, national park, state park, or any biodiversity rich place. By doing this, you will be reminded of the importance of protecting animals. And to know the reason people should keep the species alive in diversity.
See also: Conservation of Tortoise – Sea Salt Facts
14. Learn more about overfishing
One of the 20 ways to stop overfishing is by learning overfishing by your own. You can watch some documentary movies about fish and their ecosystem. You will know by yourself that the thread of overfishing is real and you will know more on how to stop it. Somehow, to watch the documentary movies and experience it by your self will make you more aware.
See also: Endangered Sea Cucumbers – Endangered Dolphin Species
15. Giving the minimum size catch
Giving minimum size catch means you are only allowed fisherman to catch fish in some certain size. So all the small young fish could have the time to grow and breed another fish that will replace and increasing their population. We buy and eat fish for its meat, if the fish’s meat can’t fulfill our need because it’s only have a little meat, then why should we catch it?
16. Consume another protein resource
Many commercials affecting people to eat fish because it contains a lot of nutrient including protein. If the fish that you usually consume is classified as endangered fish, stop consuming it. And if you don’t like to consume another fish unless the fish that you usually consume, you can fulfill your body’s need of protein by another food. Such as, milk, and egg.
See also: Endangered Tuna Species – Conservation of Oceans
17. Be an active citizen
Because the amount of police officer and another law enforcement officer is less than the other citizen, they can’t work maximally without our help. Since we are also the citizen of the country it means we have the responsibility to help those law enforcement officer to protect our country including from the overfishing. So, if we found our that there is a retailer or fisherman doing the overfishing or catching some endangered fish, we could just straight forward and report it to the authorities and let them follow it up.
See also: Facts of Whale Shark – Effects of Ocean Currents
18. Be an open minded person
Another ways to stop overfishing is by being an open minded person. Yes we know that many people talks that money is above of all, that everything needs money. But even though you are a fish seller, a fisherman, or a retailer please think more than that. Yes everything needs money but it will be better that you work on something that is beneficial for others and not harming other living being.
19. Try to eat vegetables
Some people are fanatic on something that they like. Some people are over consuming fish. Because of their high demand on fish, this makes the retailer order the fisherman to catch more fish. Besides, only consuming meat or fish is not good for your health, your body also need another nutrient such as vitamin, and fiber that we could get from vegetables.
See also: Facts of Dead Sea – Surface of Tension Liquids
20. Know your body needs
Our body need some amount of nutrient such as protein, vitamin, mineral, fat, and carbohydrate in a proper size. By trying to learn what your body need, you will be avoided from the over consuming of fish. Moreover, you will be healthier after you know and understand what your body need. You can read some journal or search it in internet about what is our body need to keep it healthy.
See also: Climate of the Ocean – Red Sea Fish Species
After knowing the causes and the ways that we could do to stop overfishing, I hope you still and more care toward our ecosystem. Thank you for reading this article until the end which means you do really concern to stop the overfishing.