Overfishing and Bycatch
Over one-third of global fish stocks are overfished—harvested faster than they can reproduce. Industrial fishing fleets using bottom trawls, purse seines, and longlines deploy technology that leaves fish populations little refuge. Bottom trawling drags heavy nets across the seafloor, destroying coral, sponge, and other benthic habitats that may take decades to centuries to recover. Bycatch—the unintended capture of non-target species—kills an estimated 300,000 cetaceans (whales, dolphins), 250,000 sea turtles, and millions of sharks annually. Ghost fishing by lost or abandoned gear continues catching and killing marine life indefinitely. Sustainable fishing practices include science-based catch limits, marine protected areas (no-take zones), gear modifications (turtle excluder devices, circle hooks), and seasonal closures during spawning periods.