When fishing occurs the first fish to be captured and killed are usually the largest and more mature fish. Fish take a long time to reach sexual maturity and because of this when the larger and more mature fish are killed it takes a long time for the fish species to replenish. With the amount of fishing vessels that are deployed into our oceans everyday the amount of fish continues to drastically decline.
Decline of Fish Stock
According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, approximately five percent (5%) of 1360 bony shore fish species studied in 38 Caribbean islands are threatened.
Overfishing has also placed many of our larger marine predators on the endangered species list. Some of these predators include sharks of various species, blue fin tuna, turtles and rays.
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| Data in chart from fish stock |
Sharks are one of those fish that take a while to reach sexual maturity and who do not reproduce often. Sharks are fished mainly for their fins and fats and oils. A common delicacy in Asia is shark fin soup but in order to acquire these fins, sharks are inhumanely slaughtered. Shark finning is the removal of a shark's fins while it is alive and throwing its live body back into the ocean. This animal then suffers a long and painful death by either being eaten alive by other fish or drowning, due to its lack of mobility and thus lack of oxygenated water being able to pass through its body. According to a study carried out by a group of researches led by Shelley c. Clarke in 2006, between 26 and 73 million sharks are killed each year for their fins. (Shark Finning )
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Photo from: bite-back.com
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The International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-Like Species in the North Pacific Ocean (ISC) released a statement in 2013 saying that overfishing of this species of fish has caused it to decline by 96.5%.
Before you leave check out this very informative video on the ever growing decline of fish populations.
Video by: Smithsonian Channel
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