The Importance of Sustainable Fishing

The seafood industry’s overexploitation of marine life has quickly drained fish stocks and diminished biodiversity, threatening our ocean’s ecosystems. A report by the World Wide Fund for Nature calculates that 6 billion tons of sea life have been caught since 1950. Furthermore, the UN Food and Agriculture Agency warns that 33.1% of commercial fish species have been threatened by overfishing. This steady and alarming depletion of the ocean’s fish has dire consequences, from disrupting a vital food source to influencing worldwide economies. Although there international policies have been enacted designed to combat declining fish stocks and species, this issue influences the entire world and is far from being solved. Without establishing sustainable fishing practices, people will go hungry and lose their livelihoods.

Fish sustenance is an incredibly vital source of sustenance, providing healthy animal protein for over 3 billion people according to the Our Ocean organization, hosted by Secretary State John Kerry. Furthermore, the Pacific Island populations and other developing countries rely even more heavily on fish. In their academic article published in Nutrients in 2020, Farmery et al. notes that in rural areas, people depend on fish for from 50 to 90 percent of their total protein intake. Located in places that battle food insecurity, these populations need fish to survive. Without a sustainable plan to preserve fish stocks, not-so-future generations will feel the repercussions.

The seafood industry is important to the global economy, employing about 10-12 percent of the entire population of the world according to the Our Ocean Organization. Without practices and policies that protect marine ecosystems and ensure the longevity of this industry, economies and jobs will be disrupted.

Therefore, without real, sustainable change, overfishing will have an immense negative impact on the global population. UNEP delegates should reflect on these ramifications and consider policies that prioritize long-term and feasible solutions.