Economic and Social Effects
No country is immune to the effects of overfishing. Despite having one of the most regulated fisheries in the world, Canada has seen the collapse of the Atlantic Canadian Cod fishery in the 1990s. This is one of the most commonly cited examples in the world of overfishing and its economic, social and cultural implications.
Since the collapse of the cod, and resulting cod fishing moratorium, other fisheries have provided alternatives for some fish harvesters. However, many harvesters were forced to give up fishing—and a way of life passed down from generation to generation—altogether. Thousands of individuals have left the fishery for work in other trades or professions, and in many cases for other parts of the country. Today overfishing remains a threat to the social and economic welfare of many countries but none more so than in developing island states. Fishing is not simply an important component of these developing economies, in many cases it is a central element in the traditional diet of its citizens. In many African and South Asian coastal nations fish may account for as much as 50 percent of protein in a typical diet. The decline of fish stocks in coastal waters as the result of overfishing and illegal fishing activities is making this important resource much less accessible for some of the world’s poorest citizens. In developing countries where there is a shortage of other work for fishermen to turn to, this can lead to further social and cultural difficulties, including increases in violence or migration away from the home country seeking work. It can also cause troubles in international relations, as the difficulties in renewing fishing treaties with Morocco this January attest to. The European parliament dropped the previous treaty due to concerns of overfishing and other issues. Morocco then ejected all European fishing boats from its waters, leaving hundreds of Spanish fisherman unemployed at a time when Spain cannot afford the additional economic impact. |