The United States is currently the fifth-largest producer of fish in the world and, for the most part, this production comes from fisheries. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations defines a fishery as an area or entity that is engaged in raising or harvesting fish. Each fishery includes the harvesters, the specific species of fish that are allowed to be collected in that area and the exact portion of water in which the fishing can be done. Fish make up a whopping 17 percent of the global population’s total protein intake and fisheries provide hundreds of millions of jobs worldwide, so it is important now more than ever to ensure that there are comprehensive policies and regulations for these entities.
While the significance of the world’s fisheries is well-known, a staggering 85 percent of them have been overfished. This is because the regulation of global fisheries is currently hampered by a plethora of complexities, starting with the fact that fisheries can be located in remote areas of the open ocean. In these “international waters,” no single country has full jurisdiction. Due to this shared control, countries that own fisheries in remote maritime areas tend to advocate for policies that are most beneficial to themselves, and this commitment to self-interest makes reaching a consensus about the best methods of regulation almost impossible. In addition, preventing illegal fishing and enforcing any laws put into place are substantial challenges given how fisheries are numerous, vast and can exist a great distance away from any landmass. In countries without the necessary resources to hire and equip enough officers to monitor its fisheries, this challenge is further exacerbated. As with any finite natural resource, policy-makers must take into account the balance between satisfying a constantly growing demand for fish with the protection of different maritime species and habitats. Overregulation can put the fishermen who depend on the fish market to make a living at greater economic risk, while under-regulation can lead to depleted, if not destroyed, fisheries.
Despite the intricacies of regulating fisheries, it is absolutely vital that the international community continues to put forth policies that foster sustainable fishing practices for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, the dangerous practice of overfishing will occur if fisheries are not regulated. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), overfishing “occurs when more fish are caught than the population can replace through natural reproduction.” Overfishing has wide-reaching and drastic effects on both marine and terrestrial life, starting with its disruption of the delicate balance between animal and plant life in the ocean. As overfishing removes top predators from ecosystems at alarming rates, populations of marine animals at lower tiers of the food chain expand considerably. This is problematic since the notable growth of such creatures’ populations in turn exerts too much strain on their own food sources, furthering the cycle of imbalance and disruption within marine ecosystems. Another significant consequence of overfishing is that countless families and communities around the world rely on protein from fish as a staple of their diet. Reports show that many coastal communities consume 70 percent of their protein from fish, so if we cannot find a way to sustainably harvest this food source, a huge portion of the population will face much higher food insecurity. Bycatch, or “the incidental capture of non-target species such as dolphins, marine turtles and seabirds,” further demonstrates why fisheries must be regulated. It specifically highlights the need for regulation ensuring that fishermen use the “best” fishing methods (in this case, “best” meaning methods which have as little of an impact as possible on other marine life). Many current practices by fishermen lead to species like dolphins, turtles and whales getting caught up in fishing nets, with these captured sea creatures often subsequently discarded and left to die. An estimated 300,000 small dolphins and whales die every year from bycatch, which hurts marine ecosystems by further reducing biodiversity. From just a few of the many dangers of overfishing listed above, it is clear that regulating fisheries and fostering sustainable fishing practices must be top priorities.
While the United States lags behind the rest of the world on many environmental issues, it has been implementing comprehensive policies for government regulation of its fisheries since the 1970s. The Magnuson-Stevens Act, widely perceived as the most significant legislation regarding U.S. fisheries to date, is the primary law governing fisheries in U.S. waters. While the law was passed in 1976 with the original intention of spurring the growth in the U.S. fishing industry, lawmakers added strong conservation measures to the legislation in 1996. These measures, added under the Sustainable Fisheries Act, included mandated replenishing of overfished stocks, new national standards for fishing vessels and bycatch prevention measures. The bill was further amended in 2006 when Congress added additional regulations to combat overfishing, including annual catch-limits and more funding for scientific research on fisheries. These amendments have proven themselves to be effective; Seth Atkinson of the National Resource Defense Council stated, “Prior to [the reforms], fishery managers would often use softer techniques to try and prevent overfishing. They would try to limit the number of days that fishermen could spend at sea, or limit the number of boats that could go out…but you saw a lot of managers still permitting overfishing.” Aggressive and widespread policies have led to the United States’ staggering drop in the number of fisheries dealing with overfishing. In 1999, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the US designated 98 fisheries as “overfished,” but by 2016 that number had dwindled to just 38.
While the Magnuson-Stevens Act regulates the United States’ federal waters, different regions have adopted specific policies to best accommodate the specific needs of that area. For example, Alaska, the leading state in fish production, uses a “catch share” system which apportions individual fishermen, fishing communities or corporations a set percentage of the total haul of fish each year. The benefits of the “catch share” system include the fair allocation of fish among producers and a supposed guarantee that catch limits are not exceeded, making this a sound method of combating overfishing. Other regions have set limits on the amount of certain marine species that can be fished, although this system can be an extremely tricky balancing act. Lenient limits can be ineffective, but those that are overly stringent can leave fishermen, whose economic livelihoods depend on catching and selling a certain number of fish, at a serious disadvantage.
These American fishery policies are just a few examples of the regulations currently being implemented all around the world. China, the world’s largest producer of fish, has focused its policies on expanding aquaculture through the development of “fish farming” (commercially raising fish inside tanks or ponds for food) in order to reduce the strain on ocean fisheries. Canada has not only implemented quotas on the number of fish in their waters that can be caught, but also has designated specific periods of time in which fishermen can practice their trade. Meanwhile in Europe, the EU has created a Common Fisheries Policy to manage European fishing fleets, and the Fisheries and Agriculture Department of the United Nations has published a “Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries” which sets behavioral standards for the international community in regards to conservation and management of marine resources. All of these are examples of the international community working to conserve fisheries, but the struggle is far from over.
There are countless environmental issues that deserve the attention of the global community, so it can be easy to forget about fisheries. They are rarely talked about in the media and, unlike chemical spills or climate change’s effects on natural disasters, overfishing is not something that clearly affects the everyday lives of most individuals. Regulation of global fisheries can be improved by creating financial incentives for fishermen to use sustainable fishing methods, expanding countries’ aquaculture programs or increasing the budget of the coast guards which enforce the laws regarding fisheries. A case-by-case basis will likely be used to determine which specific policies or programs are best for individual fisheries, but ensuring that global fisheries are effectively regulated and that practices such as sustainable fishing are enforced is more vital now than ever. According to prevailing global trends, not only is global fish consumption increasing but the human population is growing at rates faster than ever before. Regulating global fisheries is not only essential to ensure the survival of beautiful and diverse marine ecosystems but is also essential to ensure the food security and livelihoods of the billions of people that depend on them.