Overfishing is not just an environmental crisis, it is also an economic one. The fishing industry generates billions of dollars in global trade, but its practices are depleting the world’s fish stocks at unsustainable rates.
According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), over a third of the world’s fishery stocks are now classified as overfished, meaning that they are being harvested faster than they can naturally replenish.
This poses significant risks not only to marine ecosystems but also to economies and food security worldwide. Here, we explore the economic incentives that are driving overfishing and the potential solutions that could help reverse the trend.
