Sustainable fisheries

Why are fish stocks declining?

overfishing - we are fishing at a faster rate than the fish population are reproducing

what issues could overfishing result in

- Some species of fish completely disappearing in certain areas or even going extinct

- Ocean food chains being disrupted, affecting many other aquatic species

- Fewer fish for human consumption - this would be especially problematic for populations that rely on fish as a main source of food

how does increasing the size of holes in fishing nets help

- Fewer unwanted species (that are often simply discarded) will be caught and killed, as they can escape through larger net gaps (as long as they are smaller than the species being caught) however the accidental capture of larger fish species is still an issue

- Juvenile fish of the fish species being caught that haven't started spawning yet can escape through larger net gaps, meaning they can reach breeding age and have offspring before they are caught and killed. This ensures the population of the fish species being caught can be replenished

how do quotas help with sustainable fisheries

fishing quotas that limit the number and size of particular fish species that can be caught in a given area have been introduced by many countries to stop species becoming overfished