In Deep Waters

Human alteration of the global environment has triggered the sixth major extinction event in the history of life and caused widespread changes in the global distribution of organisms. These changes in biodiversity alter ecosystem processes and change the resilience of ecosystems to environmental change. This has profound consequences for services that humans derive from ecosystems. The large ecological and societal consequences of changing biodiversity should be minimized to preserve options for future solutions to global environmental problems.

Humans have extensively altered the global environment, changing global biogeochemical cycles, transforming land and enhancing the mobility of biota. Fossil-fuel combustion and deforestation have increased the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) by 30% in the past three centuries (with more than half of this increase occurring in the past 40 years). We have more than doubled the concentration of methane and increased concentrations of other gases that contribute to climate warming.

The total amount of energy in the universe is fixed:

One of the fundamental laws of physics is the conservation of energy, which states that the total amount of energy in the universe is fixed. This means that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but can only be transformed from one form to another.

Marine ecologists have identified overfishing as the most significant threat to ocean ecosystems in modern times. This phenomenon occurs when fish are harvested at a faster rate than they can reproduce, leading to the depletion of fish populations and endangerment of several marine species. Advanced fishing technology and increased demand for fish have contributed to overfishing, which has a devastating impact on ocean communities in the long-term. It destabilizes the food chain and destroys the natural habitats of many aquatic species.

In the past, fishing was sustainable because of the limited capacity of fishing vessels and the inability to access every location. However, modern fishing practices have replaced small trawlers and fishing boats with giant factory ships that can capture and process an enormous amount of prey at once. These ships use sonar instruments and GPS to locate large schools of fish and deploy fishing lines with thousands of hooks that can reach depths up to 120 kilometers. The trawling vessels and machines can even reach depths of 170 kilometers and can store an extraordinarily large volume of fish.

Each year, these huge trawling ships comb an area twice the size of the United States using massive nets with a capacity to pull the weight of a medium-sized plane. They have several plants for processing and packing fish, large freezing systems, fishmeal processing plants, and powerful engines that can carry this enormous fishing gear around the ocean. These ships only need to return to their base once they are full since they have all the equipment necessary to freeze and tin fish. However, even when the ships are filled, the fish are often transferred to refrigerated vessels in the middle of the ocean and are processed for consumption later.

Unfortunately, the consumption levels of fish are dangerously high, especially considering the exponential growth of the human population. It is disheartening that some aspects of our environment are finite and cannot be renewed, and therefore it is critical that we take immediate action to reduce the impact of overfishing on our oceans.

Systems tend to expand to fill the known universe:

Over the past three decades, there has been a significant surge in human exploitation of global fisheries. Unfortunately, this rise in fishing activities has led to unsustainable catch levels in many regions, highlighting the obstacles posed by capitalism to rational planning. The development of fishing technologies during the 1950s and 1960s spurred industrialization efforts, causing a sharp increase in the global catch from 60 million tonnes in 1974 to 86 million tonnes in 1989. While environmentalists have called for the protection of small-scale fishing practices, governments have continued to provide substantial subsidies to large corporations, driven by the lure of short-term profits. Development agencies, such as the World Bank, have prioritized the purchase of fishing equipment to increase production for export and generate foreign exchange, rather than safeguarding marine ecosystems. If fishing activities persist at current levels, marine ecosystems will undergo substantial transformations, resulting in a loss of biological diversity. Despite their popularity among economists as a potential solution to overfishing, the history of quotas set by international agencies to limit fishing activities within specific areas has been one of failure.

In conclusion, the overexploitation of global fisheries due to advanced fishing technologies and an increased demand for fish is threatening the sustainability of marine ecosystems. Despite calls for protection of small-scale fishing practices and the implementation of quotas to limit fishing activities, governments and development agencies have continued to provide subsidies to large corporations focused on short-term profits. This trend is not only unsustainable but also poses significant environmental and economic risks in the long run. Therefore, it is crucial that policymakers and stakeholders work towards more sustainable fishing practices to preserve marine biodiversity and ensure the well-being of coastal communities dependent on fishing activities.