Richardson 1

Reed Richardson
Crist
1st Block
3/11/2015
Where Are The Fish?
Overfishing is defined by Merriam Webster as catching too many fish so that there are
not enough remaining. In recent years, the world has seen a sizeable increase in the demand for
fish. This increase has been detrimental to the declining fish population. The worlds fish
population is steadily increasing due to global overfishing.
The enigma that has yet to be solved in todays world is achieving optimal health. One
part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a proper diet. This is a perfect segway into the topic of
overfishing because one aspect of a proper diet is to reduce ones intake of red meat. Fish is a
healthier alternative to red meats for various reasons, and the demand for fish has been spurred
in part by nutritionists and doctors who promote the health benefits of seafood over red meat
(Driscoll and Warhol). In todays society, a healthy lifestyle is enticing for anybody. And, the
simple introduction of fish into ones diet has led to an increase in the demand for fish. This
demand has resulted in companies heavily overfishing species of fish. This high demand for fish,
compounded with new fishing methods that allow fisheries to catch many fish within a short
duration of time, has resulted in a quarter of all ocean fish species[to be] in danger of
extinction (Driscoll and Warhol). The recent increase in demand for fish has resulted in

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overfishing, and this overfishing has caused certain species of fish to be on the brink of
extinction. ;
Technological advances in fishing have also assisted the growth in overfishing. In the
past, an old-fashioned rod and reel was the weapon of choice for fishermen; however, newer
fishing methods have made this older method obsolete. For example, fisheries are currently using
drift nets in order to catch fish. Environmentalists have rightly named these nets as the walls of
death (Driscoll and Warhol). These are huge nets that span several miles and have the ability to
catch a lot of fish in one sitting. This method has been employed by fishermen because it allows
them to catch several hundred fish in the same amount of time it took fishermen in the past to
catch one or two fish with old-fashioned methods. There are several other new methods that have
the same result: long-lining, purse seining, and trawling. All of these methods have resulted in
fisheries overfishing due to the availability of methods that allow them to catch more fish
efficiently. Advancements in fishing methods have resulted in a global prevalence in overfishing.
Overfishing is a practice that is on the rise in todays society. The demand for fish has
increased dramatically in recent years; this demand can be accredited to the health benefits that
fish offers. Also, newer methods for fishing have resulted in fisheries practicing overfishing.
These improved methods include the use of large nets to catch a large amount of fish in a short
period of time. Because of these benefits, fishermen can easily catch fish and find themselves
hauling in an enormous amount of fish, overfishing at its finest. The recent sharp decline in fish
population is directly caused by global overfishing practices.