Overfishing Vs Utilitarianism

Clover’s stance on overfishing may seem over dramatic, but Clover’s statement is correct in pointing out that the real danger to the ocean’s wildlife is overfishing. Overfishing is when fish and other sea animal populations are being depleted to the point that sea animals cannot keep up with being fished by reproduction. Fishing massive amounts is degrading the oceans, yet there are both developed and developing countries whose economies rely heavily on fishing.

Let’s start by gaining an understanding of what utilitarianism means. The definition given to us earlier in our textbook, Exploring Ethics, in the article, Strengths and Weaknesses of Utilitarianism, it defines act utilities as an act that, “is right if and only if it results in as much good as any available alternative”. This goes back to the tedious task of trying to analyze countless number of alternatives and figure out which one brings about the most

The earliest accounts of overfishing occurred in the 1800s, when the demand of whale blubber nearly wiped out the whale populations. In the mid 1900s, the harvesting of Atlantic cod, herring, and California sardines drove them to the brink of extinction. These high disruptions cause regional depletions of animal resources which is starting to cause a global problem. There has never been a more urgent time for fishing nations to make a commitment towards the sustainability of our oceans. More than 80% of the world’s fisheries have been, or are being pushed beyond their limits and are in dire need of strict management plans. Populations of fish and elasmobranch fish such as tuna, grouper and sharks have been declining to the point where the survival

As the population on earth increases ,overfishing has become a growing issue in all parts of the world. Fish is a vital food source for many, in the world and counts for many of the cultures and heritages in the world, which means there is a high demand for it . This high demand has caused overfishing to occur. This is a cause for concern since due to the development of better technology, there is a higher risk of overfishing if not managed properly. Canada in particular has been facing the problem overfishing for years now. Due to Canada’s issue of overfishing, the environment and wildlife as well as human settlements all have negative impacts ,therefore a sustainable solution must be implemented. If action isn’t taken, Canada’s issue of overfishing will continue to worsen.

World's ocean capacity is predicted that the overall marine species will not be sustainable to feed future global population of 9 billion and this due to the significant environmental issue, overfishing. Overfishing is caused by catching overrated numbers of fish, especially when we depletes the adult fish population and does not leave enough fish to breed and restock their numbers so that they can be sustainable. On top of catching over the limit, many fishing methods are unsustainable, which also impacts the function of the ecosystem.

The effects overfishing have are still very reversible that is if we act on it right now. We need to start taking stands on these big fishing companies they wont stop doing what they are doing if we don’t try and stop them. By putting it out on social media and word of mouth the friends we can help lower make it more aware of what is going on with the fish. By one tweet or Facebook post the right person may see it and be able to help the situation. One way we can help is by I forcing safe catch limits. By doing this we are limiting the number of fish fishermen can bring in daily. Another way we could do this is by trying to control the bycatch. By eliminating bycatch animals that were meant to be caught wont be caught and killed as a result. It will limit the number of deaths in the ocean by a lot. (“conservation”) We cant do this by ourselves we need the help of politicians by getting the word out there about this issue they will be able to help stop what is happening by making new laws and helping enforce them. By getting people to stay at the docks and monitor what is going and coming from the docks would be very key to this. Many fishermen if they knew that some one would be waiting at the dock to check what they brought in wouldn’t be bringing in what they are now for the fear of being in trouble. Instead of watching the ocean be lost right in front of us we can do these small things to try and help

According to a study done by Living Planet Report in 2015, 29% of the world’s fishing stocks are considered overfished and an additional 61% is fully exploited with no possibility to produce more fish. Our environment is currently afflicted by a number of different problems, one of which is overfishing. Overfishing is defined by FishOnline as, “Fishing with a sufficiently high intensity to reduce the breeding stock levels to such an extent that they will no longer support a sufficient quantity of fish for sport or commercial harvest.” The overfishing situation is being exacerbated by non-sustainable and destructive fishing practices and unfair fisheries partnership agreements; while there are currently attempts being made at fixing these problems and their effects on overfishing, nothing has been extremely effective.

In contemporary society, human society is progressing rapidly on various fronts. Nevertheless at the same time, the problem of overfishing is becoming increasingly worrisome and attract extensive attention of the society. In this essay, I will address overfishing and propose some possible causes of this phenomenon which can give contribution to some solutions.

Fish are organisms that the world greatly relies upon. Making up a large chunk of the food chain, fish are a primary source of food for many land and sea animals. According to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Association of the United Nations), fish are a basal source of protein to about one billion people, and are extremely vital to poor and developing countries, supplying these countries’ people with 27% of their protein intake. Although fish are obviously an important staple to the earth’s food supply, many people are completely unaware of how threatened these important organisms are by overfishing. Overfishing is the act of harvesting too many fish for the mature fish to reproduce and replenish the ocean. In turn, this act of overfishing results in the exploitation of many fish populations, and simply put, fewer fish. As of late, the FAO has stated that 80% of the world’s fish stocks are considered exploited and are suffering from depletion. Furthermore, “Scientists have determined that the negative effects of pollution, habitat loss, and overfishing will deplete current marine fishing stocks by 2048.” (Essentials of Oceanography). This is an unfortunate state for these organisms to be in, considering their importance to humans and the earth’s ecosystem. Overfishing is a crucial issue in the world that needs to be addressed and solved effectively.

This articles discusses how fish all over the world are going extinct due to overfishing. The world wildlife federation claims that " the planet’s fishing fleet is two to three times larger than the oceans can support" which just lets the reader know how big this problem is. The article also express that this is mostly because the restaurants are exploiting certain species. This is not just occurring to fish, even Maine lobster are suffering.

Another global effect of overfishing is fish farming or aquaculture. It was first started to help preserve the ocean and hoped to help people to obtain a reliable fish source. Unfortunately, what many came to realize is the downside of fish farming. One example is water contamination, where consequently waste products such as foods eaten, feces and other dead fish, are all dumped into our main water supply which contributes to water pollution. Moreover, chemicals that are used to treat the fish farms like antibiotics and algaecides are all released into the ocean; which is a real cause for concern for our oceans. Fish that come from the fish farms are pumped full of drugs, to prevent sickness in the fish but this is not healthy for us to eat. There is also a great environmental impact which includes the fact that to sustain fish farms, portions of

In order for there to be plenty of fish in the years ahead, fisheries will have to develop sustainable fisheries and some will have to close. Due to the constant increase in the human population, the oceans have been overfished with a resulting decline of fish crucial to the economy and communities of the world. The control of the world's fisheries is a controversial subject, as they cannot produce enough to satisfy the demand, especially when there aren't enough fish left to breed in healthy ecosystems. Scientists are often in the role of fisheries managers and must regulate the amount of fishing in the oceans, a position not popular with those who have to make a living fishing ever decreasing populations.

According to the United Nations, 17% of fish stocks worldwide are currently overexploited; 52% are fully exploited; and 7% are depleted. This means that only an estimated 20% of worldwide fish stocks are not already at or above their capacity(Seafarms, 2013). Catches of Pacific herring have decreased by 71% since the 1960s, with Atlantic herring catches falling by 63%. Atlantic Cod catches have fallen by 69% in the same time(Seafarms, 2013). These are just a few of many facts and statistics on the topic of overfishing. The effects of these statistics and facts impact people’s and animal's lives around the

The triple bottom line of fishing is influenced by sustainability in many ways. One way is the demand for fish increases with population. As well there are new laws limiting fishing, ultimately forcing once

Utilitarianism is a limiting ethical theory that fails to grasp ethically reality. “The greatest good for the greatest number” is not ethically right in every situation. Although the majority would benefit, the minority will heavily suffer. Considering the overall consequences of our actions, the good may not always outweigh the bad, but this does mean that the good will be the ethically right thing to do. One may think they are “maximizing the overall good,” but in reality, harming many.