Environmental Science Overfishing Fish Were Essay

Any opposing views of the issue

Of course, some fisherman may protest that they need to make a living now and protest limits on fishing endangered fish species. Restaurateurs may protest they are just giving the customer what he or she desires. But they must remember the analogy of the 'dust bowl' in America -- exploit the earth now, but pay the price with a barren ocean in the future.

Other water or land resource problems that might result from your issue

Locally, people dependant upon the tourist industry in fishing communities, where fish restaurants are an important part of the economy may suffer. But besides the damage to the ecosystem that can result from overfishing, many people are dependent upon fish for sustenance all over the globe. Damage to the ocean and to the supply of food derived from the ocean harms all of humanity as well as the sea and environmental damage never affects a single nation or community, but has a spill-over effect.

Any challenges, limitations, or implications of your plan

Stopping overfishing for a short period of time is not a panacea -- people are more willing to adopt short-term changes to their diet and unlimited supply of food, but to remedy the legacy of overfishing takes time. "When fish stocks decline and fisheries become commercially unviable the damaged stock gets some rest and generally struggles along on a pathetic level compared to its pre-fishing level, but doesn't go biologically extinct. A damaged system is struggling and shifting, but can still be active (e.g. filled with jellyfish instead of cod)" but the imbalance of species created by the period overfishing may be permanent (Koster, 2007, Chapter 3).This is simply a reason to stop overfishing now, rather than to throw up one's hands in despair, however.

How your plan affects the community

Overfishing is not just about feeding people, or saving wildlife. It is also about preserving a way of life. One chilling example of what can occur if a single species of fish is allowed to be exploited is found in Newfoundland, Canada during the 1990s. For years, fishing of cod was allowed to continue without any controls. Almost 40,000 people involved in the cod fishing industry lost their livelihoods because of the sudden disappearance of cod from the waters. The stock could no longer replenish itself, and the fishing community of Newfoundland has never been the same. Cod is a popular fish, and it was assumed that the ocean's bounty would continue indefinitely, but that was not the case (Koster, 2007, Chapter 3)

Works Cited

Koster, P. (2007). Chapter 2: Why overfishing is a problem. Overfishing.org. Retrieved 16 Aug 2008 at http://overfishing.org/pages/why_is_overfishing_a_problem.php

Koster, P. (2007). Chapter 3: What I can do to help. Overfishing.org. Retrieved 16 Aug 2008 at http://overfishing.org/pages/what_can_I_do_to_help.php

Overfishing." (2008). Monterey Bay Aquarium. Retrieved 16 Aug 2008 at http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_of.asp.....