The wild fish in our oceans are the last wild creatures that people hunt on a global scale. This overfishing not only depletes the fish that are desirable to consumers but causes serious consequences for the marine environment. The natural ocean ecosystem is disrupted; ultimately threatening many non-fished marine species as their natural food supply is removed. Sea lions, fur seals, and otters, as well as many types of bird are examples of other species that have been placed at risk as a result of overfishing. Removing excessive quantities of specific species has been shown to place the marine ecosystem as a whole at risk of collapse.
One example occurred in the Chesapeake Bay when overfishing and other environmental toxins depleted the oysters. These filterfeeders play an important role in balancing the most abundant ocean plant, microscopic algae. The Chesapeake Bay now has an estimated 1% of the former amount of oysters. The lack of algae caused a disruption of the oxygen balance which has resulted in life-depleted areas known as dead zones (Click here for more information about dead zones). The Chesapeake Bay’s “dead zone” now stretches for hundreds of square miles during the summer.