The oceans cover over two-thirds of Earth’s surface. They provide a habitat for fish, whales, seals, crabs and many other animals.
Fish are an important food for people worldwide.
However, modern fishing boats catch so much that now fish are scarce in many seas.
Puffins go hungry when fish are scarce.
Whales, seals and seabirds such as puffins depend on fish. When fish are scarce, these hunters go hungry and cannot raise their young.
Many countries now set limits on the amount of fish their fleets can catch. This allows the fish to recover. Some fishermen also use nets with larger holes that allow young fish to escape.
Modern fishing boats net huge numbers of fish.
People have always gone fishing, but in past times, fishing methods weren’t so effective. Nets were also smaller, so fewer fish were caught.
Now fishing fleets use huge nets to catch fish. In some places there are not enough fish left to breed. These seas have been “overfished”.
Whale hunting almost made blue whales extinct.
Whales were once hunted for their meat and also for oil to light lamps. About 50 years ago, so many whales had been killed that many species were in danger of dying out.
People realised the danger and very few countries still hunt whales. But many species are still endangered.
Dolphins sometimes drown in fishing nets.
Dolphins are sometimes caught in the nets of fishermen hunting tuna and other fish. They are no use to the fishermen, so they are just thrown back to rot.
Some fishermen use nets with special safety hatches that allow dolphins to escape. But these nets still kill dolphins, while long lines kill seabirds such as albatrosses. All tuna species are now endangered because of overfishing.
Picture Credit : Google
