Unsustainable fishing methods

[1] These methods facilitate destructive fishing practices that damage ocean ecosystems, resulting in overfishing.

[4] Ray Hilborn stated that the unsustainable nature of fisheries can be characterized by three aspects: Bottom trawling is classified as an active gear that consists of a large weighted net, which trawls or "drags" along the sea floor, acting as a destructive mechanism that removes coral and other marine species.

[13] The entire ecosystem, including coral reefs and other marine organisms, can be destroyed if they are within the blast radius.

[17] This is a by-product of the unselective nature of modern fishing gear, such as bottom trawling which captures everything in the path of the net.

[19] Concerns around unsustainable fishing methods have been identified by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea treaty.

[38] In developing regions where communities are classified as low-income, fisheries are a means of both food security and income,[39] which are threatened by the enforcement of regulations and management.

[11] In a region where fishermen have fewer alternatives to earn income, and where fishery regulation and management have weak control, over-fishing of highly desired fish species is observed as the best option to improve social well-being, despite its environmental impact.

[46] This U.S. $1.2 billion-dollar industry poses a drastic impact on global fish populations and blatantly undermines the international rules of conversation and management of the high seas resources, according to Ian Macdonald, Australian Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation (2003-2010).