The Unfortunate Truth about the Fishing Industry

Eli Zimmerman

Ms. Pahomov

English 3

September 25, 2017

The Unfortunate Truth of the Fishing industry

The fishing industry has been strangeling the environment for the past century.  Many hopefuls believe that if fishing industry is regulated and reduced the oceans fish population may thrive once again. However, this hope is unrealistic because,  the fishing industry has such an important role for developed nations and economy’s it would be  impossible to reverse what is happening without collapsing the world economy at the same time.  

Since the beginning of civilization, fishing has been a staple source of food for people. Nowadays it’s estimated that the total value of fish exports in underdeveloped countries is worth more to impoverished nations than the rice, coffee, sugar, and tea industry’s combined (Marine Stewardship Council). In some cases it was found that certain poor coastal African countries like gambia are actually not being looked at close enough and experts are underestimating the importance of fish in their marketplace. Meaning, not only are fish incredibly important to thriving economies, but are also a necessity to poor coastal countries economies. The fish trade is a 258 billion dollar industry, because majority of struggling countries happen to be located on a coast meaning this means fishing is most likely the main source of income and food. With that being said, fishing is so deeply rooted in the culture of hundreds of countries because both democracy and trade are built around it. The end of commercial fishing would cause a collapse and a lead to bankruptcy around the world for poor countries.

People debate that a simple solution to the problem of overfishing is to tighten regulations on commercial fishing and create artificial fish farms, which would deter people from foraging for wild fish. If a country like the U.S would implement a ban on commercial fishing and invest in farms, it would affect the global economy in monumental proportions (Food and Water Watch). Although it may be easier on the environment, use less resources and lower the price of fish, millions of local fishermen will lose their jobs causing an instant collapse of markets. It takes far fewer people to run a fish farm than it does to man a fishing vessel. Millions of people would be out of jobs, consumer rates will plummet sparking a much higher supply than demand which would cause companies to be forced to let workers go. This is due to the thriving fishing industry and its influence on the world.

Asia has been an leading cause of overfishing for centuries because the Asian fish market is the largest in the world. The selling prices of fish have skyrocketed causing the fishing industry to be incredibly lucrative. China being the largest exporter of fish, caught 32.5 million tons of fish in 2014 (The World Bank). That means that the average Chinese citizen consumes a staggering 350 pounds of fish a year (Green Facts), which makes up for nearly a third of the weight of food the average human eats a year. If China were to stop fishing completely every single citizen would be losing essentially a meals worth of food a day causing the country to starve. This would send the world's most populated country into an era of perpetual hunger which other countries could simply not meet the demand for. China and Japan have no other protein alternatives, fish is a necessity for their diet.  

Although people who do not consider seafood a regular part of their diet may not think that overfishing matters much, its influence goes beyond fisherman to the global economy. “Within the next decade, fish in the ocean will become so scarce that fishing will no longer be profitable”-Andrew Jacobs. If countries decide to call for harsher regulations then the world risks spikes in unemployment, hunger, and poverty. If the nations continue as it is then these problems will inevitably happen as well. Knowing this,  the world may face a new problem that cannot be solved, which is another example of what greed and ignorance can lead to. For example Japanese approved vessels have been found fishing in illegal water hundreds of times.  For these reasons it is truly impossible to halter commercial fishing on planet earth.  

Works Cited:

“China's Overfishing Crashes Fishing Industry.” Global Animal, 1 May 2017, www.globalanimal.org/2017/05/01/the-king-of-the-sea-how-chinas-king-sized-appetite-is-sinking-the-global-fishing-industry/ . Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.

“10 Alarming Facts About Overfishing.” One Green Planet, 17 Dec. 2014, www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/10-alarming-facts-about-overfishing/.  Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.

“Oceans, Fisheries and Coastal Economies.” World Bank, www.worldbank.org/en/topic/environment/brief/oceans . Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.

“Fisheries Latest data.” Fisheries: 6. How much fish is consumed worldwide?, www.greenfacts.org/en/fisheries/l-2/06-fish-consumption.htm .Accessed 24 Sept. 2017

Works Cited:

“China's Overfishing Crashes Fishing Industry.” Global Animal, 1 May 2017, www.globalanimal.org/2017/05/01/the-king-of-the-sea-how-chinas-king-sized-appetite-is-sinking-the-global-fishing-industry/ . Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.

“10 Alarming Facts About Overfishing.” One Green Planet, 17 Dec. 2014, www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/10-alarming-facts-about-overfishing/.  Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.

“Oceans, Fisheries and Coastal Economies.” World Bank, www.worldbank.org/en/topic/environment/brief/oceans . Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.

“Fisheries Latest data.” Fisheries: 6. How much fish is consumed worldwide?, www.greenfacts.org/en/fisheries/l-2/06-fish-consumption.htm .Accessed 24 Sept. 2017