Overfishing is Destroying Our Oceans — Here’s What We Must Do to Stop It
The award-winning 2021 Netflix documentary Seaspiracy shone a light on the devastating impacts of commercial fishing and ‘overfishing’ on the planet’s oceans.
With a plethora of shocking facts and statistics on the damage being caused to fish populations worldwide, it both questioned the ethics of this huge industry and raised the profile of the threats facing our marine ecosystems.
The popular documentary received a mixed reception, with many viewers praising its hard-hitting journalism, while some critics, including several NGOs, claimed it misrepresented some of the issues facing the industry.
With both of these views in mind, I wanted to take a look at the global issue of ‘overfishing’ and provide a commentary on how all aspects of society; governments, corporations and consumers, can work together to stop this devastating practice.
What is overfishing?
Overfishing is an occurrence when more fish are removed from the water than can be reproduced. When too many fish are caught from a particular species, area, or ecosystem, this is overfishing. It is fishing beyond what is sustainable in the long term.
Overfishing can result in a depletion of fish populations, changes in the…
