Illegal Fishing

Illegal fishing is a major global problem. It damages marine environments, undermines legal fisheries, threatens livelihoods and erodes food security around the world.
The most obvious economic impact of illegal fishing on developing countries is the direct loss of the value of the catches that could be taken by local fishermen.
Fishing generally has the capacity to damage fragile marine ecosystems and vulnerable species such as coral reefs, turtles and seabirds. In fact, all eight sea turtle species are now endangered, and illegal fishing and hunting are two major reasons for their destruction, Every year at least $4 billion of fish is caught illegally, this is likely to reduce productivity and biodiversity and create imbalances in the ecosystem.
Some of the worst environmental problems are caused by destructive fishing practices. Two particularly destructive methods are cyanide fishing, where cyanide solution is used to stun fish making them easier to catch and the use of explosives, for example dynamite, to kill fish so they float to the surface and can be easily ‘scooped up’ by nets.
This in turn may lead to reduced food security in communities heavily dependent on fish as a source of animal protein.



Sources: http:/ /www.dfid.gov.uk/news/files/illegal-fishing.asp, http:/ /www.msc.org/healthy-oceans/the-oceans-today/environmental-impact,