The Impact Recreational Fishing Has on the Global Fish Crisis

The Impact Recreational Fishing has on the Global Fish Crisis

"The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself."

-Mark Caine

Every summer since I was in the 1st grade I've been going on a large fishing trip in New Jersey (2-3 days) that consisted of 200-250 people. I thought it was amazing; I was spending quality time with my dad, having fun and laughing with older guys, which although doesn't sound appealing, is actually the equivalent to heaven for a 7 year old boy. However there was one thing that always seemed to dampen my mood: Whenever we came back from our trip there were always protesters. I didn't understand what the fuss was all about; I thought it was an innocent fishing trip. I never really found an opportunity to look into why they were so upset, until now.

I researched the impacts of recreational fishing and saw that it did a countless amount of things that negatively impacted our world. It depletes species of fish, it pollutes the water, and it even has an impact on the human race. However, no matter how big the impact, it seems to garner little to no attention from anyone important enough to help.

What is the motivation to limit recreational fishing? The immediate issue is the depletion of many fish. However, It goes far and beyond the immediate effect it has on the species of fish that are being destroyed. It is also the aquatic ecosystems, the fisheries, the water pollution as well as the impact it is having on human life.

The first point in my research that I will like to make is to state the actual impact fishing is having on the actual fish. I will use J. David Allan and Robin Abell's Overfishing of Inland Water. It shows that a subtle impact on the fish is that we are killing many predators which leads to a decrease in predators and increase in prey. This results in those fish that are the prey to exceed their carrying capacity, much like the deer example Wessel's uses. (Allan & Abell 1047) They will run out of resources and die because the ecosystems can't sustain that amount of a said species. Here the recreational fishing directly impacts the depletion of the fish they are catching along with indirectly impacting the fish they aren't even targeting.

The second point in my research is perhaps the most interesting one. It is also from Allan & Abell's Overfishing of Inland Waters. In their research they have discovered that there isn't really anything any of the fish being harmed can do to save themselves. Usually in many other ecosystems a species may be able to adapt due to the concept of survival of the fittest, however this situation if different. In fish's method of survival of the fittest, in order to prevent themselves form being hunted