Printed on August 27, 2007
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Overfishing - What's Your Opinion?
Fishing has a deep history, going back as far as the Stone Age. Soon enough, fishing became accepted as a popular sport. This has brought up the controversy of overfishing. What do you think? Is catch and release a feasible option for sustainable fishing? Some people submitted photos to the "Amazing Catches" photo gallery such as the ones below.
7 Replies
August 6, 2009 7:07 PM
Can't we have it both ways? Can't fish be friends AND food? Why can't I try to understand you and enjoy your company before I smother you in delicious tartar sauce and eat you?
In all seriousness, I'm not sure we're going to stop sports-fishing (the sport, after all does have a 2000 year lineage), and at the end of the day, fish are lower on the food chain than us -- if they don't want to be eaten, they shouldn't have been born fish.
Having said that, if overfishing practices aren't ended (here we're talking "industrial fishing" not going to the lake with the kids on the weekend...), then we are looking at a collapse in populations of a large proportion of the world's edible species of fish.
From the NYT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/31/science/earth/31fish.html
August 9, 2009 11:10 AM
Over fishing is and has been a problem for some time no. We have many associations that have done a great job protecting over fished species. They have created checks and balances that allow commercial fishing industry the ability to provide fish to the consumers for a profit. They have allowed the sports fishing world limits to continue to drive their thirst, satisfy their taste and keep the multi million dollar sports fishing industries supplying the jobs, tools and equipment.
We have many species of fish that were over fished in the 20th Century up through the 1980’s that have made a great rebound, but there are many species that have not. We must not allow another species to become endangered. We must step up and protect the over fished species and continue to move forward and be the ambassadors of Mother Earth, this small planet that is our home for many generations to come. This is all we have and there will not be many second chances.
M. Brown
Indiana / Georgia
August 18, 2009 10:41 AM
Catch and release won't keep fish numbers up. Sport and recreational fisherman have almost zero impact on fish species when compared with industrial fishing. On shrimp boats,10 times more bycatch than shrimp are killed in the nets. This includes many valuable and endangered fish species.
August 25, 2009 2:14 AM
DEAR NATGEO, ENOUGH REPEAT COMMERCIALS (RIDICULOUS). TORTURE OF THESE POOR FISH BY THESE BORED NOTHING BETTER TO DO HILLBILLIES. WHAT HICKS WITH NO MERCY. I WISH SOMETHING WOULD NOODLE THEM. I'M HOOKED ON YOUR OTHER SHOWS THAT ARE GREAT.PLEASE DON'T GIVE A PLATFORM TO THESE HEARTLESS HORRIBLE PRIMATIVE BAD EXAMPLE OF AMERICANS. PLEASE STOP REPEAT COMMERCIALS IS SOMEBODY THERE ON DRUGS WHO PROGRAMS THIS?
November 11, 2009 1:34 AM
They should come up with a reality show where two groups of people get to duel for what they believe in. The winner gets the other groups souls. Let us listen in:
The first group, smelly animal loving trust fund kids(who have nothing better to do than to save everything) and few of their "parents". The parents of the first group are proud to have started the, Pussification of America Movement, which has spread like wildfire across the nation. The second group is comprised of animal eating man children that have sworn off all vegetables, have a strong dislike of hippies and PETA whack-o's. This band of fisherman & hunters have spent most of their lives killing animals, and eating them. Why? they were asked. Because they taste good!
The show never gets past the first couple hours of taping after the first group is called names by the second group. The group of "SANE" people took their ball made out of recycled garbage bags and went back to Canada. As they were leaving someone in the group was overheard mentioning a petition online to save the VHS tape from extinction.
"SANE" people, pfffft.
August 30, 2009 4:35 AM
get a grip geo or are you one of these vegan types who refuses to believe we are an omnivore.
fishing for sport is one of the reasons we have fish in lakes and rivers without anglers the waterways would have been denunded by industrial actions many years ago
October 2, 2009 12:26 PM
listen, noodle: DON'T YOU DARE PUT VEGANS DOWN.
Yes, we're omnivores but SPORTFISHING IS MURDER. If you're hungry, then yeah, it's ok. But don't be an idiot and say there are TOO MANY FISH AND WE CAN DO WHAT WE PLEASE WITH THEM. I'm not sure why GEOMAC was going off about commercials, but if he thinks that we should be more conscious about consuming animals then he is waaaaay smarter than you are. Nothing tix me off more than morons who don't know what they're talking about and continue to speak anyway. When you have some sense, come back and reply the RIGHT way. Until then, spare us SANE people your stupidity. ANIMALS RULE!! : )
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