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Introduction

When we look at our oceans it鈥檚 hard to imagine that one of the biggest predators out there does not necessarily have fins or razor-sharp teeth. The top ocean predator is us, humans.

All over the world we have become so effective at fishing that we have caused a huge decline, or drop, in ocean wildlife populations. But how has fishing changed and does this affect the food chain?

A crate full of lobsters destinated for the local UK market.
Image caption,
Lobster in a wholesaler's crate

The number of lobster and fish in our oceans, as well as other ocean life, is declining. How is this happening?

What is overfishing

The decrease of ocean life is being caused by overfishing. This means that we are taking too many fish, lobsters and other marine life from the ocean. We are catching so many of one species that the species is unable to recover to normal quantities. This has reduced some species to really low numbers and it could even lead others to extinction.

Fishing has changed

Many scientists say the problem is that we are simply too good at fishing. The modern fishing industry uses the latest technology like radar, helicopter spotters, planes and giant fishing boats to increase their , or amount of fish they catch. Huge nets, often as big as football pitches are sometimes used to pick up everything in their path.

Fish are seen in the net on a stern trawler.
Image caption,
Fish caught in a net off the south-west coast of England

This technology enables large companies to fish at greater depths and in areas that are for a wide variety of fish and marine life.

Lobster fishing

Lobster pots on a boat out in the sea.

Many fishermen are themselves taking steps to protect the marine environment that they care so deeply about. Lobster numbers are falling in Wales and therefore a group of lobster fishermen have formed the Welsh Seafood Cluster. They have agreed to follow some simple rules to protect the lobster population off the Welsh coast.

  • They have agreed that they will only catch bigger, older lobsters who are not carrying eggs.
  • Any smaller lobsters that are not yet fully grown, or any lobsters that are carrying eggs will be returned to the sea where they can continue to breed and lay eggs.

It is hoped that this will help the lobster population to recover.

Lobster pots on a boat out in the sea.
Lobsters do not lay eggs until they are at least five years old. Lobsters can lay as many as 50,000 eggs a year but only two are likely to survive to adulthood.

Some fishermen are also using specially-modified lobster pots that are designed to let smaller, younger lobsters escape. Bigger holes have been created to let lobsters that are under five years old swim free.

Piles of new lobster pots on Holy Island, Lindisfarne, Northumberland, England.
Image caption,
Piles of new lobster pots on Holy Island, Northumberland

Video: The future of the Welsh lobster population

Learn how 鈥榩otter鈥 Brett Garner is looking after the future of the Welsh lobster population.

How does overfishing affect the food chain?

A food chain shows how plants and animals get their energy.

  • A food chain always starts with a producer. This is an organism that makes its own food.
  • A living thing that eats other plants and animals is called a consumer.
  • A predator is an animal that eats other animals. The animals that predators eat are called prey.
Food chain: Phytoplankton > Crustacean (crab) > Atlantic salmon > Seal.
Image gallerySkip image gallerySlide 1 of 4, Calcareous phytoplankton., Phytoplankton The phytoplankton, microscopic tiny organisms that provide the base for the entire marine food chain, is the producer. It gets its energy from the sun.

If we disturb this food chain by overfishing, the impact is felt by larger fish and sea mammals as well as by the fish and that we catch.

When we take fish from the sea, we need to be careful not to take too much. By reducing the amount of fish we catch, we can give the fish populations and our sea life the chance they need to recover.

What can we do?

Many governments have set limits to protect the fish and marine life population. They control how, when and how much fish can be caught.

We can also set specific areas for protection and recovery, these are called marine reserves.

As or shoppers, we can support sustainable fishing methods by looking out for products that are approved by the Marine Stewardship Council. These labels show that these products have been caught sustainably, in a way that does not damage marine life.

The good news

The good news is that making these positive changes does work. Scientists have proven that taking steps to decrease overfishing and protect our ocean life does have a positive effect on the population of our oceans. By fishing sustainably, we are securing the future of our oceans and also making sure there is enough ocean life for the future.

Quiz: Can lobster fishing be sustainable?

Where next?

How can we clean up ocean plastics?

Tonnes of plastic waste is discarded into the oceans each year. What can we do to tackle this problem?

How can we clean up ocean plastics?

How can seagrass help slow down climate change?

Did you know that seagrass is known as "the lungs of the ocean"?

How can seagrass help slow down climate change?

KS2 Sustainability

A collection of lessons for pupils aged 7 to 11

KS2 Sustainability

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