Persuasive Essay On Overfishing

The issue of overfishing is one that has been debated for many years, but has recently become increasingly relevant due to the severity and consequences that come along with it. There are a multitude of repercussions that come along with the problem of overfishing, which can be detrimental to various aspects of our lives, such as the economy and natural environment. If this global matter is not addressed in the near future, there may be immensely unfavourable outcomes.

As of 2016, over 85 percent of the world’s fisheries are beyond sustainable fishing limits. The underlying cause is the immediate payoff, versus the benefits of fishing sustainably. (World Wildlife Fund, 2016) Fishing companies need to make money, and the more fish they catch,
Currently, there are many fisheries around the globe, with fish being caught at an alarming rate. However, as these fisheries run out of fish to catch they often shut down. An example of this is the collapse of the Canadian cod fishery. Due to severe overfishing they were forced to shut down, which resulted in a loss of 50 000 jobs. As the issue of overfishing continues to become even more of a threat, an alarming amount of jobs are predicted to be lost. Thus it is evident that overfishing is disadvantageous to the Canadian economy. (Canadian Wildlife Federation,
The environmental effects that overfishing has cannot be taken lightly. Methods of fishing, such as bottom trawling, are efficient for catching large quantities of fish, yet they destroy the marine ecosystems. As large mesh nets are dragged along the ocean floor they disturb the sand, damage coral reefs, and catch marine life that was not intended to be caught. (Marine Conservation Institute, 2016) This unintentional catch is known as bycatch, which are often species that are endangered. Dolphins, sea turtles, and small marine life are all caught, and thrown back into the water, often dead. (World Wildlife Fund,