"Global Fisheries Crisis"

As mentioned in the first post, Overfishing is caused when there is a high demand for a certain type of fish and producers legally and even illegally catch high amounts of that fish to make money. This simple and seemingly harmless money-making process can be EXTREMELY harmful to biological systems and to the ocean way of life. Upsetting the balance of species and endangering a certain type of species is a biological issue--one that is usually ignored or disregarded.

In the April 2007 National Geographic, this problem was addressed and brought to the forefront of biological issues in the article "Global Fisheries Crisis." This article addresses the overfishing problem specifically related to the Giant Bluefin Tuna, which, because it's a delicacy, is in high demand. The Bluefin Tuna population has been reduced to ridiculously low numbers and are becoming scarce. Though they are known to "grow to 12 feet in length, weigh 1,500 pounds, and live for 30 years", they are not even given that opportunity anymore because they are killed and sold faster before they can reach their full magnificence.

One main point the article touches on is the fact that we are unaware of the atrocities that are happening in the vague and distant "world we cannot see" known as the Ocean. Consumers of these fish are probably unaware of the fact that by contributing to that market, they are adding to the problem of overfishing, definite endangerment, and possible extinction of certain species of fish.

Another point the article author Fen Montaigne makes over and over again is that fishers are being careless and selfish. Sure, catching the fish that will make them the most money is economically wise. But is it necessary to catch the huge and ridiculous amount of that fish that they are catching? Japan, according to the article "Global Fisheries Crisis", has a stockpile of 20,000 metric tons of Bluefin fish in store. If that isn't overfishing, I don't know what is.