3 Sustainable Fishing Methods That Can Save Our Oceans

Overfishing has had a negative and potentially catastrophic effect on the world's oceans. Overfishing is when marine life is harvested from the sea too fast for the species to replace themselves.

The earliest instance of overfishing was in the 1800s when blubber that was used for lamp oil led to a decrease in the whale population off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. By the middle of the 20^th century, fishing became an industrialized process as demand grew for more affordable, protein-rich foods. These mass-produced fishing operations took over an industry that had been dominated by local fishermen.

While the availability of fish for the consumer grew, it had a terrible impact on the world's oceans. It was estimated in 2003 that the number of large ocean fish was just 10% of what it was less than a century prior.

In 2006, scientists said that by 2048, all of the world's fisheries would collapse if things continued at the going rate.

Since then, there is some reason for hope due to new fishing methods. The World Wildlife Fund estimates that 61% of the world's fish stocks are fully fished, compared to 29% overfished and 10% underfished.

Here are three sustainable fishing methods that can help reverse the damaging trend.

1. Pole-and-Line Fishing

   This is a method FinerFin uses to catch its tuna. One line with several hooks on it is used, and the fisherman can quickly release any non-target species that are hooked.

2. Spear Fishing/Harpooning

   This is used for larger species, and like pole-and-line fishing, it avoids bycatch (other species being unnecessarily caught and killed) and helps limit overfishing due to the slower process.

3. Traps

   Traps are stationary cages or nets that float in the water. It allows fishermen to release bycatch, and younger, undersized fish can also escape through the bars of the cage.

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