Merit n demerit of commercial fishing
Answers
The two most obvious benefits from commercial fishing are: 1) that it feeds the world’s demand for seafood, and 2) that it has a tremendous economic impact on world GDP. Worldwide demand for seafood is extremely high, especially in countries of the Pacific, where their citizens derive between 25 and 69 percent of their animal protein from fish. As a result, commercial fishing is a major economic activity, which employs more than 200 million people around the globe, generating more than $80 billion a year.
Cons
By far, the largest concern about commercial fishing stems from the major impact it has on the ecology of the oceans. The United Nations and countries around the world have grown increasingly worried about the decrease in global fish stocks. The UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) estimates that more than 70 percent of the world’s fish species are “depleted” or “fully exploited.” Reductions of some species, including giant bluefin tuna, swordfish, haddock, cod, and flounder, have been particularly severe. In addition to depleting targeted species, commercial fishing that utilizes nets or traps may inadvertently capture and kill other marine animals, including turtles, dolphins or sharks.