Overfishing: A Threat to Our Oceanic Environment

Imagine living in a world where we had no tuna or catfish. Something as common as a can of tuna in a grocery aisle could potentially become a scarce item and it is possible that our grandchildren may never know what a swordfish look like except for seeing it in a magazine or museum piece. The concept of overfishing has been largely debated in environmental news and it is proposed that the government should get involved in a larger scale to stop the practice and protect the environment from fish farming and what is now being referred to as "aquaculture", a term blending agriculture and aqua. Overfishing will only get worse and depleting fish populations could have devastating effects that we have not even considered yet. I believe that we should protect our oceans with the highest regard after disasters like oil spills have impacted them so negatively.

Fish farming and oceanic agriculture must be increasingly regulated before we deplete our oceans resources. Many species have difficulty renewing their population after being overfished and therefore risk extinction. The Food & Agriculture Organization, which is part of the United Nations, informed us that globally we are eating forty five tons more fish now than we were in 1973, an increase that marks a doubling of fish intake (Delgado). This is an alarming increase which could not be possible without boats overfishing populations of the fish that are seen most on menus around the world. Most marine specialists agree that fishing at the rates we currently are is the largest environmental threat facing the oceans today. According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, 85% of fisheries can now be considered "fully exploited, overexploited or have collapsed" (Monterey Bay Aquarium, informational card).

When it comes to the oceanic environment, every aspect of ecosystem has a direct impact on another. Therefore, overfishing not only harms the fish populations that we enjoy eating every day in our homes and at Red Lobster, it also harms sea lions that live off of those fish. It can harm coastal economies when fishing is no longer an option and they no longer have their source of income. There is a whole myriad of animal and plant life affected by the overfishing that is harming our ocean environments.

At Monterey Bay Aquarium, they have taken this issue to heart. Visitors to their environmentally focused aquarium spend most of their tour learning about protection of our lakes, oceans and rivers. At the end of their visit, they are offered reference cards that will hopefully help them make more informed choices in seafood restaurants in their future. The cards list fish from best to worst choices and include further information so the individual can feel good about their seafood meal. The "Best Choice" category includes fish that are not endangered and have a history of being abundant in our oceans. These fish are harvested in a manner that is not threatening to their species. There is a category titled "Choice to Avoid" that lists fish that should never be ordered because of the