Fishing Industry

The Truth About the Fishing Industry

Ocean ecosystems and the natural habitats of sea life are paying the price for the increased demand for seafood, including in pet products. From above, the oceans seem so vast and their resources limitless. Beneath the surface there are very real problems threatening wild fish populations and the health of our ocean. Overfishing, accidental catch of unwanted species (bycatch), lack of effective management, and our own consumption habits are a few contributing factors to a decline in wild fish populations. Globally we are removing fish from the oceans faster than they are able to reproduce. Huge gillnets (miles wide) catch anything that swims into them, including sharks, sea turtles and dolphins. Bottom trawls destroy anything in their paths, including coral, sponges, and plants. Decimating any sea life dependent on those habitat for shelter, food and places to breed. As fish species become more depleted, keeping undersized fish, fishing in territories without permission, catching fish off-season, failing to record catch information, and other illegal forms of fishing will increase.