Destructive Fishing Practices: Threats to Marine Life and Solutions for Conservation

Destructive Fishing Methods: An Eradication Threat to Marine Life

When contemplating the devastation impacting our oceans, most people instantly think of pollution as a primary culprit. While chemical dumping and plastic debris undeniably have catastrophic consequences for marine ecosystems, it is paramount that we consider another severe issue causing irreversible damage to marine populations - destructive fishing methods.

The World Wildlife Fund WWF asserts that by 2048, our seas might be devoid of fish due to over 30 of the world's fisheries being pushed beyond their biological thresholds. Henceforth, there is an urgent need for stricter regulations and legislation to avert this imping disaster.

Destructive fishing methods, such as blast fishing, bottom trawling, and cyanide fishing, threaten marine environments and biodiversity worldwide. Below we explore these practices in detl:

Blast Fishing

Blast fishing, also known as dynamite fishing, involves detonating explosives to stun or kill large schools of fish for easy capture. This method is widely outlawed but still prevalent in Southeast Asia among an estimated 70,000 fishermen. The explosions often destroy underlying ecosystems due to their strength, leading to immediate negative effects on coral reefs and marine life.

Coral reef growth is impeded by constant disturbance from blast fishing activities. Recovery of a single blast event can take up to 5-10 years, while continuous use leaves these habitats in ruin, transforming them into a mass of rubble.

Bottom Trawling

Bottom trawling involves dragging large nets along the ocean floor to collect abundant fish populations. This method is one of the largest contributors to global fishing catch, with estimates suggesting over 30 million tons annually. As the net scrapes across the seabed, it creates a cloud of muddy water that hides approaching fish and generates noise attracting them towards the net mouth.

Upon entering the trap, exhausted fish are forced back into the cod and caught by the net. The non-selectivity of bottom trawling results in severe damage to marine ecosystems, with many creatures mistakenly captured, resulting in death or injury upon release, including angered species and vulnerable deep-sea corals that can live for hundreds or even thousands of years.

Cyanide Fishing

Cyanide fishing is used primarily to capture fish for aquariums. This technique involves applying a cyanide solution to stun the target organisms before collection, leading to high mortality rates among surrounding marine life communities and significant damage to coral reefs. Research indicates that post-catch stress from handling combined with cyanide exposure can result in up to 75 death of captured species within 48 hours.

Blast fishing, bottom trawling, and cyanide fishing are destructive practices that threaten oceanic ecosystems worldwide. These methods necessitate urgent international action for regulation enforcement and legislative reform to protect marine biodiversity and habitats from further damage.

The information provided in this chapter was generously contributed by Maddison Ouellette and Bryce Chouinard.

draws upon the collaborative effort of Keene State College Students involved in BIO 381 Tropical Marine Biology course for content attribution.

Acknowledgments: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, facilitating scholarly sharing and dissemination while respecting educational copyright policies.

The revised version mntns the original information's accuracy while improving and formatting to ensure the content remns clear and accessible to English-speaking audiences.

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