Overfished and under-protected

"The disturbing truth is that humans are having unrecognized impact on every part of the ocean and there is much we have not seen that will disappear before we ever get a chance."- Ron O'Dor, marine biologist

People all over the world are taking a stand to these massive fishing companies and letting them know that they are NOT WELCOME in our oceans. The fishing companies are taking money and food out of millions of peoples hands for their own finical benefit. These companies do not care that they are putting millions of peoples living at risk physically and economically as long as they are making millions maybe even billions of dollars a year. They are not only destroying humans lives but destroying the biodiversity of the ocean and are doing damage that will be irreversible if it is not strictly managed ASAP.

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/Blogs/makingwaves/overfishing-has-no-place-in-any-of-our-oceans/blog/44348/

GreenPeace International is one of the many environmental organizations that is making overfishing one of their biggest issues that needs to be addressed. This article by GreenPeace discusses how fishing communities in West Africa and the Netherlands are set to bring down the Abel Tasman "monster fishing boat." This boat is twice the size of any other fishing boat that has ever sailed in the Australian waters. This boat has the ability to catch 250 tons of fish a day and has already been barred to operate in Australia for the last two years. This boat is powerful enough to stay out on the oceans for long periods of time and can store up to 6,000 tons of fish that is enough to fill 545 BUSES. Green Peace has followed this boat all over and made it known that it is not welcome!

Greenpeace Australia’s CEO David Ritter states  "This monster is the biggest ship ever to have fished in Australian waters. Like most Australians, we’re happy to see the back of it. The tragedy is that this vessel may head off to devastate fisheries elsewhere in the world, as it has done repeatedly in the past."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GW5NM_dRizQ

Green Peace is working all over the world to stop overfishing. Here is another article about what they are doing to stop this world wide problem. 
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/Blogs/makingwaves/fishing-for-answers-from-dongwon/blog/44329/

In South Korea the Dongwon Fishing Industry is one of the largest fishing companies in the world They own numerous fishing boats and tuna brands like the US tuna brand StarKist. They are members of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation which is meant to promote the sustainability of seafood products. However it has been revealed that Dongwon has been engaging in illegal fishing practices. They are under investigation for fishing illegally in Liberian waters. Greenpeace has been trying to get Dongwon to clean up their act and fish legally and sustainably. Dongwon is ranked the number one least sustainable tuna brand in East Asia. Greenpeace wants to do an investigation of the F/V premier (the top boat for Dongwon) and have their fishing license revoked if they continue to fish illegally.

Empty Ocean

http://worldwildlife.org/threats/overfishing

Overfishing has just recently became an environmental issue that people all over the world are taking notice to. Since the oceans once you reach a certain distance out are global waters it is very hard to patrol this growing problem. Environmental organizations all over are taking action to inform people about this problem and motivate them to help take action to stop it. The World Wild Life Found WWF has a whole webpage dedicated to over fishing.  It gives you an overview, causes and impacts of over fishing. Then it informs its audience of what WWF is doing and how you can help to stop this growing epidemic.

Overview 
WWF defines overfishing as "when more fish are caught than the population can replace through natural reproduction." The fishing companies are making a large profit but they do not realize the devastating consequences that occur from it. It destroys the biodiversity of the oceans and is damaging the economic and social being of ocean communities that depend of fish as their way of life. People think of the ocean as an endless supply of food but within the last 50 years some fish stocks are almost to the point of collapsing. More then 85% of fisheries world wide need to be strictly managed because they are being pushed so close to extinction.

Causes 
There is many causes for why over fishing has become such a big issue. The first is lack of protected areas. Just 1.6% of the worlds oceans are marine protected areas (MPA's) and 90% of those MPA's are open to fishing. These areas help protect marine environments such as coral reefs from the damages of fishing. There are no take zones where fishing is not allowed this lets the depleted fish populations in this area to recover and grow back.  The second is open access fisheries there is no property rights to parts of the ocean so it is very hard to patrol the waters.  Poor fisheries management is another cause. There is a lack of management, government rules and traceability of fishing activities are all big problems in the fishing industry. The current rules and regulations that governments apply to fishing are not powerful enough to bring fish back to a sustainable level. There is not an "ocean police" the ocean is way to big to be constantly being patrolled. This makes it easy for fishing companies to take as many fish as they like with no punishment. Customs agencies and fish retailers can not always ensure that the fish they are buying or coming into their country was caught legally. You can call this the "don't ask don't tell policy." The last cause of over fishing that WWF lists is Pirate Fishing.  This is illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing. It happens in all different types of fishing industries small to large, national to international. It accounts for 20% of the world's fish catch and upwards of 50% in some fishing operations. Pirate fishing can profit anywhere between ten to twenty BILLION dollars annually.

Impacts
Overfishing has many impacts on many different people and species. The first impact is economic loss. Coastal communities rely on fish for money. Since the fishing companies are catching all the fish these communities are suffering in a large way. Not only are these coastal residences suffering an economic loss but they have decreased food security. Billions of people depend on fish as a primary source of protein. This could leave billions of people malnourished if marine species become extinct or drop to even lower numbers then they are. Marine life imbalance is the second impact that overfishing has on the world. Main targeted fishes such as tuna and sharks is causing an increased abundance of smaller ocean species. This leads to increased growth in algae and threatens the health of coral reefs.

Some other impacted species and places WWF lists are Albacore tuna, The Coral Triangle, The Gulf of California, Southern Chile, Skipjack Tuna, Yellowfin Tuna and The Galapagos Islands. This is a worldwide, species wide problem.

What WWF is doing
The WWF works at both local and commercial levels of addressing this problem. Their goal is to with the help of other organizations be able to make fisheries that are sustainable, have little impact on the environment and are able to provide food and profits for years to come for people worldwide. WWF is helping countries set stricter laws on fishing. They also promote a "rights-based" approach which promotes incentives for fishermen to become protecters and good stewards of resources. WWF was one of the helping founders of The Marina Stewardship Council (MSC) this has set an environmental standard to identify sustainable fisheries. Every year 15,000 seafood products with a net worth of over 3 billion dollars have the MSC label on them. However pirate fishing still accounts for more then quadruple that amount yearly. WWF is influencing the global market. They help fish retailers around the globe to purchase fish that is MSC certified. WWF is creating and expanding marine protected areas. WWF helps design and manage them to make sure they are benefitting the people and marine ecosystems.

Word from the experts 
Bill Fox, Vice President, Fisheries
http://worldwildlife.org/experts/bill-fox
Kimberly Davis, Director, Fisheries

http://worldwildlife.org/experts/kimberly-davis

"One of the most important things we can do is cultivate people's fascination with the ocean and the amazing creatures that live below the surface"

How YOU can help 
The WWF lists three ways that you can help stop overfishing.
1. Take Action- pledge to buy seafood that comes from legal and responsible managed fisheries and farms. They should be certified by the MSC and ASC.
2. Stay Connected- suscribe to get the WWF monthly newsletter
3. Become a paperless member- if you become a monthly member but go paperless and get all your mail by e-mail you will receive more monthly emails to keep you updated on the newest break throughs and news about the environment.

Smart Seafood

"We must act now to protect the sea from rampant overfishing so that there will be fish in the sea for our grandchildren and great-grandchildren." 

Overfishing is a problem that is hitting all different kinds of marine species but not all marine species are equally at risk for becoming extinct. Different kinds of seafood are in higher demand then others and are being fished excessively. Instead of giving up seafood all together you should educate yourself on the types of fish that are most at danger and avoid them. Here is a guide to help you make less fishy decisions.

http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/take-action/seafood-decision-guide/#/seafood-decision-guide/

Here is the "Seafood Decision Guide" National Geographic made this to show you the effect of the fish you are eating. It shows 75 different seafoods that are fished the most for commercial use. It shows the sustainability ranking which rates good or avoid. This is the measurement of the different impacts that farming or fishing have on the environment. Some of the factors that contribute to this our how they catch the fish, the species and the abundance of the fish. The second thing it tests is Omega-3 content if it is adequate or low. Omega-3 fatty acids (DHA+EPA) have been scientifically proven to have a large variety of health benefits. The nutrients found in these vitamins are found in a wide variety of seafoods. Some of the health benefits from taking these acids are helping brain development in children and prevention of heart disease in adults. The third is mercury level showing if it is moderate or high. Mercury is found in seawater in small amounts. It starts at the bottom of the seafood chain starting with algae. It is then eaten by other seafood so the amount of mercury increases every time a fish eats another fish. Large seafood such as sharks tend to have the highest levels of mercury in them because they live longer and are higher up on the food chain. Humans can get mercury poisoning from ingesting seafood with a large mercury content and women who are nursing or pregnant are encouraged to avoid seafood and if not eat seafoods low in mercury less then three times a week. The last thing they test the seafood on is food chain level. Every creature on earth is part of a food chain. In the ocean small creatures are eaten by larger species till you reach the top of the food chain such as shark and tuna. The higher the species is on the food chain the more food it takes for that fish to grow and live. When you eat a larger species you are consuming a larger amount of marine productivity. 

This is how a bluefin tuna profile would look. Even though their high in Omega-3 content they are high in mercury as well and their sustainability level is said to avoid. They are also a top predator. This would be a perfect example of a seafood you would want to avoid if you cared about the issue of overfishing. 

This is a farmed clam. They are low in mercury which would be a good seafood for a pregnant women or a person who wants to avoid fish high in mercury. The sustainability level is ranked best which means they have low environmental effects and are not at risk of going extinct. If you are against farmed seafood you could eat wild clams but they get a "Good" ranking not best like the farmed ones do. 

This site also shows the premiere of a new show called "Cook-Wise" following chef and ocean conservationist Barton Seaver. He travels to all different fishing locations around the world and meets with different farmers and fishermen who are working to help end this global problem. He also shows healthy ways to cook the fish and tells you what fish to avoid completely. Catch it out! 

http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/cook-wise/

A Fisherman's Tale

Fish is the main source of protein and revenue for millions of people around the world. When we are enjoying are sushi a fisherman in a third world country is out in his wooden boat with just a pole and line trying to catch a meal to feed their family. Over fishing is already effecting these people in devastating ways. Fishing is not just a sport for these people but a way of life.

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/oceans/overfishing/

Greenpeace International brings awareness to this global problem in the video Pole and Line: A Fisherman's Tale. It documents a fisherman named Ali Saeed from the island of Hulhumeedhoo in the Addu atoll with a small population of 4,000 people. He is the operator of one of the largest 'dhoni' fishing boats on the island. He received his first fishing boat from this father 25 years ago. He has gained much business in the last decade because of the demand for sustainable tuna has risen. He states 

"We only catch tuna, nothing else, because our lines are specially made for tuna, so it is not possible for any shark or dolphin to get injured or killed." 

Saeed unlike the giant fishing companies catches his fish with just a line and pole, the best way to keep the tuna population in stock and healthy. Since people are becoming more aware of the problem of over fishing they are turning to fishermen like Saeed to buy their fish from, this also brings a great profit for island communities. Saeed and his family are pictured below. 

Saeed first employed 12 fishermen now he employs 26. Hussin Ahmed Maagashoshuge age 53 has worked with Saeed for the last 16 years. He has been able to make enough money to send his three children to get an education in the capital of Male. Ahmed Zahir Lainofaruge age 36 has been with Saeed for nine years. He states 
"Pole and line fishing ensures that the fish will remain here. It is sustainable. If they use a net, then all the fish are gone and there is no fish to catch the next day."

The websites defintion of pole and line fishing is "Pole and line fishing is a traditional method of fishing, unchanged for generations, and often used by local fishers in coastal communities, such as the Maldives and Indonesia. Using live bait, the fishing targets surface schooling skipjack." Here is a video of pole and line fishing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9K-g8AR51u8#!

Watch Pole and Line fishing video

Fishing is a great opportunity to bring employment and revenue to many places in the world not just small island communities. Large-scale fishing companies that are currently dominating the world's fish market provide little employment and a salary for workers. Their revenue goes straight to the pockets of the owners of these big fishing companies making them extremely wealthy while taking money out of the hands of hard working local fishermen. A new shipping vessel on average will cost 12 million dollars and will cost 2 million dollars a year to operate but will only employ about thirty people. A new "dhoni" fishing boat will cost $320,000 US dollars and employs between 20 to 35 people. 

"Earlier the men would just go fishing and now the people are sending their children to schools. We can also see the difference in the dhonis. We have high-tech machinery like GPS systems now" 

Fishing is vital to support the the economy of many ocean communities around the globe. Pole and line sustainable fishing brings profit to some people who would have no other way to make money. Pole and line fishing will keep a constant supply of fish and revenue for millions of people. If we keep letting these large companies destroy our beautiful oceans we will soon live in a world with no fish and many communities economies will fail. 

End of The Line: wake up call to the world

http://endoftheline.com/

Charles Clover, the book's author, said: "We must stop thinking of our oceans as a food factory and realize that they thrive as a huge and complex marine environment.

The worlds oceans make up 71% of the worlds surface and 97% of the planets water. It is home to millions of different species and different ecosystems. Fish provide food for people all over the world and is a main source of protein for many poor coastal countries. Over fishing is becoming one of the biggest environmental problems that our world is facing. In the documentary The End of the Line the world gets a first glance at what the devastating effects of overfishing can happen on our planet.  This video was premiered at Sundance Film Festival. It was first a book written by Charles Clover then he made it into a film which he worked on for two years.

This movie was filmed around the world from fish markets in Tokyo to Alaska. It shows how many different types of fish are quickly coming close to extinction because of how much they are being over fished. When the large fishing companies come in and fish they do not just kill the fish they are going to sell on the market but other fish that are not useful for sale and they will end up just throwing them away. With an increasing demand for sushi in the Western world Bluefin tuna are increasingly being overfished every year. In the early 1990's the demand for cod on the coasts of Newfoundland quickly led to one of the biggest decreases in cod population ever.

"Reading the book The End of the Line changed my life and what I eat. I hope the film will do the same for others," said producer Claire Lewis.

The end of the line states many facts about overfishing in the world here are a few http://endoftheline.com/campaign/fish_facts/

• One billion people rely on fish as an important source of protein. - WWF
• As many as 90 per cent of all the ocean's large fish have been fished out. - WWF
• Illegal fishing is worth up to $9 billion a year. - Illegal Fishing.info
• Japan has caught $6 billion worth of illegal Southern Bluefin tuna over the past 20 years. - Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• Fifty two percent of fish stocks are fully exploited. - Marine Stewardship Council

The film interviews people from all over the world who have different view points on over fishing. It features scientists who are experts in this field and predict "that if we continue fishing as we are now, we will see the end of most seafood by 2048" This is an extremely alarming because so many people depend on fish for their lively hood. African tribes who live on the coast are shown fishing these people depend on the fish for survival and since the fishing companies have come in with their massive ships the number of fish the tribes can catch with their nets and spears has gone down massively. It also shows politicians and restaurateurs that show no intrest to this global problem. 

End of the line opened the eyes to millions of people who had no idea this problem even existed. It has started a global campaign to stop this global disaster. Action is needed NOW or we will soon see a world with zero fish. 

The End of the Line has three main messages for consumers and fishing companies:
1. Ask before you buy: only eat sustainable seafood
2. Tell politicians: respect the science, cut the fishing fleet
3. Join the campaign: for marine protected areas and responsible fishing 

Here are other documentaries that you might be interested in viewing:
http://overfishing.org/pages/Documentaries_about_overfish.php

The film has received financial support from: The Waitt Family Foundation, Marviva, The Oak Foundation, Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation, WWF, The Weston Foundation, The Clore Foundation, The Marine Conservation Society, AD Charitable Trust, GD Charitable Trust, Waterloo Foundation and Oceana.