Sustainable Fishing - Social Studies

How does commercial fishing relate to bycatch? Commercial Fishing has massive effects on dolphins and sharks because many of these creatures die needlessly and accidentally. Bycatch is an issue both ecologically and economically because animals that are discarded back in the ocean often die, which means they can’t reproduce, which creates a large impact on the marine ecosystem. Other impacts of fisheries on marine animals include the removal of their preferred prey and sometimes habitat damage. 

According to an environmental organisation called the “WWF” - World Wide Fund for Nature, bycatch is believed to be the main cause of the drastically declined population of the Pacific Leatherback Turtles. The data showed over 90% of the numbers reduced since 1980. Another significant piece of information was stated that 300,00 small whales and dolphins are dying annually, due to the entanglement in fishing gears. 

The majority of seabirds are also victims of bycatch, these birds are mainly albatrosses, petrels, shearwaters, etc. These birds are near being endangered, especially albatrosses, 18 albatross species are near extinction. Sharks are also being accidentally caught. In the Pacific Ocean, an estimation of 3.3 million shark species is caught each year by bycatches. 

Is Sustainable Fishing possible? Sustainable Fishing can be possible as long as we can employ limitations to catching fishes and consumptions.