"Two thirds of the worlds fishing vessels could be eliminated and there would still be enough boats to harvest fish at an overwhelming rate"(oceana.com). .
Over fishing an ecosystem can reduce the survival chances of other predators in the marine food chain, including populations of marine mammals, seabirds, turtles, sharks and a large number of other species. Large-scale commercial fishing is robbing them of their food source, fish. Over the past few decades the worlds fish catch has increased by an astonishing rate every year.
In 'The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2002' the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) states: "About 47% of the main stocks or species groups are fully exploited and are therefore producing catches that have reached, or are very close to, their maximum sustainable limits.Another 18% of stocks or species groups are reported as overexploited.10% of stocks have become significantly depleted, or are recovering from depletion." By these figures, 75% of major fish species are either at or below sustainable levels(Vegansociety.com).
The other half of this problem is something called bycatch. Bycatch are all of the fish, sharks, turtles, dolphins and other wildlife that are caught by "accident". These fish and other mammals are caught and then just thrown overboard dead or dieing, because they have little or no market value. "For example, for every ton of prawns caught in Australia, about 8 tons of bycatch is dumped back into the sea"(amcs.org.au).
There are four main methods that commercial fisherman use to harvest their catch, along with an array of sophisticated sonar equipment to put them right over the schools of fish. Some of these methods are more harmful to the environment than others, but all do a great deal of harm in one form or another. The four methods are as follows:.
Long Lining- With this method boats can let out up to 80 miles of line with baited short lines attached to it called snoods.
