Ocean fishery sustainability - Essay Example

Ocean Fishery Sustainability Massive overfishing is affecting the population of fish worldwide. The global fishing exceeds what the ocean can sustain 2 to 3 times. In other words, fish taken out of water exceed those replaced by those remaining in the ocean. In relation to this, a new global policy need to be introduced by the major global fisheries such as the United States, Japan, China, Russian and Chile in order to manage marine ecosystem as well as fisheries. Some of the things that the new policy will address include “poor fisheries management, pirate fishers, massive bycatch, subsides, unfair fisheries partnership contracts, and destructive fishing practices” (WWF Global 1).

This is in relation to the fact that these factors are the main contributors of overfishing. According to National Geographic (1), the 90 million tons of fish caught from the ocean by 1989 was the main contributing factor for the current low number of fish in the ocean. From this assertion, it is apparent that the population of fish in the oceans cannot withstand fishing that is beyond 90 million tons. Though challenging, it is possible to make ocean fisheries sustainable. One of the key things that need to be done in order to achieve the sustainability of fisheries include recovering the depleted fish stocks in addition to maintaining them at levels above that is required to generate Maximum Sustainable Yield (Juzgado 1).

Restoring the destroyed marine ecosystems to a condition that is healthy will protect the ocean organisms (Juzgado 1). According to Ale and Howe (1), the logistic growth curve is used by scientists to predict the carrying capacity of fish in a given water body. Despite its extensive use in the field of fisheries, it is apparent that the population of fish continues to collapse. The main reason for the failure of the logistic growth curve in management of the population of fish is that predictions often are not useful because they do not involve the prediction of the community composition (Ale and Howe 1).

In addition to the options of control of overfishing discussed above, elevation of the oceans to the topmost levels of the UN system will aid reduce the problems associated with overfishing (Juzgado 1). This will be achieved by the UN system enabling not only a cross-cutting approach, but also a timely response to key threats and opportunities to the oceans’ ecosystem. Since overfishing has become a menace in the whole world, it is essential for the marine sanctuaries to be established so as to provide a secure habitat for the fish.

The Marine sanctuary will also prevent extinction of the endangered species in the oceans. Additionally, sanctuaries will also aid governments control the fishing process so as to avoid the decline of the fish population (Causey 1). In relation to this, it is apparent that sanctuaries will protect economically essential fisheries. Apart from the fish, the sanctuaries will protect coral reefs from not only exploitation, but also damage from overfishing as well as pollution. Additionally, the establishment of marine sanctuaries will foster implementation of policies aimed at combating overfishing in the oceans (Causey 1).

Works CitedNational Geographic. Overfishing: Plenty of Fish in the Sea? Not Always. Web. 16 April 2015. http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/critical-issues-overfishing/Juzgado, Veronica. Sustainable Management of the World’s Oceans, Fisheries and Marine Ecosystems. 2012. Web. 16 April 2015. http://www.globalgreens.org/dakar2012/resolutions/marine-biodiversityWWF Global. Unsustainable Fishing. Web. 16 April 2015. http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/blue_planet/problems/problems_fishing/Ale, Som and Howe, Henry.

What Do Ecological Paradigms Offer to Conservation? 2010. International Journal of Ecology. Web. 16 April 2015. http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijecol/2010/250754/Causey, Billy. The National Marine Sanctuaries Act: A Love Affair. Sanctuaries Friends Foundation of the Florida Key. 2011. Web. 16 April 2015. http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/325408/a5a08c783d/1422030241/005beef389/