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The Problem With Over Fishing and Why Green-Lipped Mussels Are the Sustainable Choice
The Problem With Overfishing
There’s plenty of fish in the sea… A phrase that we have been told our whole life, but everyday we stray further from the truth. The harsh reality is that nearly half the world's marine life has been wiped out in the past 50 years alone. We are depleting our ocean’s and nature can’t keep up. When are we going to realise that this is not sustainable? With fishing methods destroying the sea floor, some species are unlikely to recover anytime soon. Their breeding grounds are gone.
How do we know our fisheries are deteriorating?
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, 53% of global fisheries are being fully exploited while 32% are overexploited, depleted, or recovering from depletion. These numbers are clear-cut evidence that conventional fishing practices are irresponsible and unsustainable.
What fishing methods are unsustainable?
Net fishing is one of the most harmful fishing methods, as it un-selectively captures everything in its path while dragging across the ocean floor. This not only destroys fragile habitats like coral reefs and seabeds but also leads to overfishing, often exceeding sustainable quotas. To meet these quotas, fishermen frequently discard dead juvenile fish that should have been left to mature and reproduce, further disrupting the marine ecosystem and threatening fish populations.
While fish farming may seem like a more sustainable option, it brings its own set of environmental issues. Waste from farmed fish pollutes surrounding waters, depleting oxygen levels. Additionally, wild-caught fish are commonly used as feed for farmed fish, worsening the strain on wild fish stocks. The use of antibiotics in fish farming also contributes to antibiotic resistance, posing risks to both marine ecosystems and human health.
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