Fishing - AP Environmental Science

Overfishing is prevalent all over the globe in almost every body of water, from the highest levels of the food chain to the lowest.

The Tragedy of the Commons is the idea that individuals do not view a resource as a common good and will exploit it to the best of their ability, which, when done by everybody, depletes the resource. The modern commercial fishing practice of overfishing to maximize one's individual gains is a prime example of the Tragedy of the Commons.

In 2015, 80% of worldwide fisheries are either harvested at their fullest capacity or are being overexploited. This pattern will reduce sustainable fish harvests over the long run and poses a serious threat to the future of ocean ecosystems and the fishing industry.

Herring and sardines are low trophic-level species that consume mainly phytoplankton. With a diminished local herring and sardine populations, phytoplankton blooms are a likely outcome. Sharks and tuna eat species higher on the trophic level, namely fish like herring or sardines. Whales eat krill and phytoplankton, but are usually offshore and migratory. Of the provided examples, herring and sardines have the most significant impact on phytoplankton populations.

Trawling employs the use of a large net that is dragged along the ocean floor, but typically no hooks or fishing line is used. A result of drift line fishing, a different harvest method altogether, is that dolphins, sharks and other species not intended to be caught are caught on hooks and die from it.

Bycatch refers to the catching of any species other than the target species during fishing. While most sorts of fishing produce some sort of pollution, this is not the best answer since it is not unique to bottom trawling.

Fish farming is seen as an alternative to wild-caught fish and thought to give wild populations a chance to rebound, both in commercial species and in by-catch species and also to let the wild ocean recover from damage done by fishing gear. However, fish farms produce a great deal of waste, and do habitat damage where they are located.

Overfishing is prevalent all over the globe in almost every body of water, from the highest levels of the food chain to the lowest.

The Tragedy of the Commons is the idea that individuals do not view a resource as a common good and will exploit it to the best of their ability, which, when done by everybody, depletes the resource. The modern commercial fishing practice of overfishing to maximize one's individual gains is a prime example of the Tragedy of the Commons.

In 2015, 80% of worldwide fisheries are either harvested at their fullest capacity or are being overexploited. This pattern will reduce sustainable fish harvests over the long run and poses a serious threat to the future of ocean ecosystems and the fishing industry.

Herring and sardines are low trophic-level species that consume mainly phytoplankton. With a diminished local herring and sardine populations, phytoplankton blooms are a likely outcome. Sharks and tuna eat species higher on the trophic level, namely fish like herring or sardines. Whales eat krill and phytoplankton, but are usually offshore and migratory. Of the provided examples, herring and sardines have the most significant impact on phytoplankton populations.

Trawling employs the use of a large net that is dragged along the ocean floor, but typically no hooks or fishing line is used. A result of drift line fishing, a different harvest method altogether, is that dolphins, sharks and other species not intended to be caught are caught on hooks and die from it.

Bycatch refers to the catching of any species other than the target species during fishing. While most sorts of fishing produce some sort of pollution, this is not the best answer since it is not unique to bottom trawling.

Fish farming is seen as an alternative to wild-caught fish and thought to give wild populations a chance to rebound, both in commercial species and in by-catch species and also to let the wild ocean recover from damage done by fishing gear. However, fish farms produce a great deal of waste, and do habitat damage where they are located.

Overfishing is prevalent all over the globe in almost every body of water, from the highest levels of the food chain to the lowest.

The Tragedy of the Commons is the idea that individuals do not view a resource as a common good and will exploit it to the best of their ability, which, when done by everybody, depletes the resource. The modern commercial fishing practice of overfishing to maximize one's individual gains is a prime example of the Tragedy of the Commons.

In 2015, 80% of worldwide fisheries are either harvested at their fullest capacity or are being overexploited. This pattern will reduce sustainable fish harvests over the long run and poses a serious threat to the future of ocean ecosystems and the fishing industry.

Herring and sardines are low trophic-level species that consume mainly phytoplankton. With a diminished local herring and sardine populations, phytoplankton blooms are a likely outcome. Sharks and tuna eat species higher on the trophic level, namely fish like herring or sardines. Whales eat krill and phytoplankton, but are usually offshore and migratory. Of the provided examples, herring and sardines have the most significant impact on phytoplankton populations.

Trawling employs the use of a large net that is dragged along the ocean floor, but typically no hooks or fishing line is used. A result of drift line fishing, a different harvest method altogether, is that dolphins, sharks and other species not intended to be caught are caught on hooks and die from it.

Bycatch refers to the catching of any species other than the target species during fishing. While most sorts of fishing produce some sort of pollution, this is not the best answer since it is not unique to bottom trawling.