The first thing that springs to mind when talking about ocean destruction is that of anthropogenic pollution. Although industrial and domestic effluents  play a significant part in degrading the aquatic ecosystem, it is very important to consider another major issue that is almost equally as worrying. This issue is destructive fishing methods. 

Destructive fishing is carried out majorly in underdeveloped and developing nations where there are barely any restrictions for fishermen to follow. These methods are utilised extensively as they are extremely time friendly, but, they have unimaginably harsh impact on the oceans.

One of these methods is Bottom trawling. It is a method that uses a large net that scrapes against the ocean floor to collect large groups of fish. Global catch from bottom trawling has been estimated at over 30 million tons per year, an amount larger than any other fishing method. The trawl doors disturb the sea bed, create a cloud of muddy water which hides the oncoming trawl net and generates a noise which attracts fish (Tropical MarineBio).  Bottom trawling has one huge and unavoidable problem: it destroys everything that comes in its way, including fragile marine ecosystems like coral reefs. Many creatures end up mistakenly caught as by-catch, including many endangered species of turtles and vulnerable deep-sea corals that can live more than hundreds of years at a stretch.

Lastly, as absurd as it sounds, cyanide fishing is a popular method used to gather fish for aquariums . The fish are stunned by cyanide, a poisonous substance, for the purpose of easier collection. This method can obliterate nearby fish populations and lead to the death of coral reefs by bleaching. Recent studies have shown that the combination of cyanide use and stress of post capture handling results in super high mortality rates for the poor fish as soon as 48 hours of capture.

These are only two of the destructive fishing techniques that are currently being used. Believe me when I say that there are countless more. The only thing that we, the youth can do at the moment is raise our voice and advocate for change in fishing policies. We need to start improving the quality of aquaculture reserves while practising sustainable fishing techniques. I hope this article has helped you increase your understanding about the universal fishing problem.