Overfishing is one of the major factors that are currently causing a decline in marine species. Although fishing itself may not be bad, if people start catching a species of fish at a faster rate than they can reproduce, the fish species will start decreasing. Not only will the species be affected, but the entire ecosystem will also be negatively impacted which will also cause other marine species like turtles and corals to decrease in number because of the imbalance in the food chain. Since fish are a great source of protein, they are in high demand around the world. So, what can we do to prevent overfishing from continuing to endanger more and more species of marine animals? 

First, we need to understand the causes of overfishing. One of the main causes is illegal fishing. It is estimated that these criminals make up to $36.4 billion each year, and the reason why illegal fishing is so prominent today is because of the lack of traceability from catcher to consumer. Another major cause of overfishing is from subsidies, which is the fishing business’s support from the government. This can be extremely dangerous because the government’s support in the fishing business may lead to overcapacity of fishing vessels; in fact, fishing vessels worldwide can contain up to 2.5 times more fish than what we actually need.

So finally, what can we do to stop overfishing from happening? When we buy fish, make sure the place where we’re buying it is highly unlikely to be operated illegally. We can do this by only buying fish at well-known markets with big-name brands to back them up. We can also minimize the amount of fish we eat, and try our best to always finish our fish. Last but not least, we can donate to nonprofit organizations that are actively fighting against overfishing like the World Wide Fund for Nature at https://support.worldwildlife.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=main_monthly&s_src=AWE2012OQ18299A04166RX&_ga=2.50706153.1998722005.1596793184-429276886.1596694322.

All information in this report is from https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/overfishing