Lifeless Oceans, Oxygen-Deprived Planet

Fishing, overfishing, industrial fishing, aquaculture

Fishing (in all its forms) kills trillions of fish and marine organisms every year. In most cases, their death is neither quick nor painless.

Beyond the devastating reduction of marine populations, human activities in the oceans—such as industrial fishing and the destruction of seabed ecosystems—disrupt the planet's natural balance, accelerating climate change.

Fishing is not ethical

First, let's acknowledge that fish, crustaceans, cephalopods, and mollusks feel pain, meaning they have an interest in staying alive. When taken out of the water, they suffer and die from asphyxiation.

According to the official EU report for 2019, in Greece alone, 83,172 tons of marine animals were caught. The total catches of the European Union in fishing areas for that same year amounted to 4,824,384 tons of animals!

And yes, marine animals are measured in kilograms and tons rather than individual units. According to FishCount, an estimated 2.3 trillion fish are caught globally every year!

This article focuses on the domino effects of fishing on our planet and biodiversity. But let's not forget the most crucial fact: these creatures feel pain and have the right to life.

The Great Slaughter of the Seas: The hidden violence of industrial fishing

Industrial fishing is large-scale fishing using modern technological methods to exploit marine resources for commercial purposes. It is a brutal practice on a colossal scale, killing nearly two trillion animals worldwide annually.

Industrial fishing involves massive fishing vessels, some the size of football fields (such as trawlers), equipped with fish-tracking systems and advanced nets.

How does bottom trawling work?

• A heavy net is dragged across the seafloor, trapping fish, crustaceans, and other marine species.

• The net often has metal chains or rods that lift animals from the seabed.

• Large vessels pull these nets for hours, covering vast marine areas.

This enormous net destroys everything in its path! Besides catching unintended species—such as dolphins and turtles—it also devastates the seabed ecosystem, often making it uninhabitable.

Why is Bottom Trawling harmful?

• Destroys marine ecosystems – The nets damage coral reefs, sponges, and seagrass meadows, which take decades to recover.

• Traps unintended species – Up to 40% of global fishing catches are discarded as bycatch. This means millions of marine animals, including fish, turtles, sharks, dolphins, and seabirds, are killed and thrown back into the sea, often dead or severely injured.

• Depletes fish populations – Fish are caught faster than they can reproduce.

• Spreads pollutants – Disrupting seabed sediments can release pollutants trapped for centuries.

Our oceans absorb 20-30% of total carbon dioxide emissions! When we destroy the seabed environment, a domino effect follows:

• The disappearance of seagrass meadows stops carbon storage in sediments.

• This leads to CO₂ remaining in the atmosphere, intensifying the greenhouse effect.

• When seagrass meadows are disturbed (e.g., by trawling or pollution), stored carbon is re-released into the water and atmosphere.

• This increases CO₂ levels in the water, exacerbating ocean acidification.

• Ocean acidification can impair marine organisms’ ability to use oxygen, leading to the development of "dead zones"—areas with low oxygen levels where marine life cannot survive.

• Additionally, ocean acidification, combined with rising sea temperatures, causes coral bleaching. When corals bleach due to stress, they expel symbiotic organisms that provide them with food through photosynthesis.

• This coral destruction results in the loss of habitats for fish and other organisms.

• Finally, calcifying organisms such as corals, plankton, and shellfish struggle to build shells and skeletons due to the increased acidity of their environment.

Scientific Perspective

As Dr. Trisha Atwood, co-author of the study Protecting the World’s Seas for Biodiversity, Food, and Climate, points out:

"The seafloor is the world’s largest carbon store. If we want to halt global warming, we must avoid disturbing carbon-rich seabeds at all costs. Yet, we continue to use bottom trawling daily, destroying seabed biodiversity and releasing carbon stored for thousands of years, accelerating climate change."

Thus, we are destroying our seas and oceans daily, which make up 71% of our planet.

What about aquaculture?

Aquaculture refers to the mass production of fish and other marine organisms in controlled environments, such as tanks, cages, or open-sea pens.

Effects of aquaculture on animal welfare

Fish in aquaculture have limited space to swim and express natural behaviors.

This confined environment leads to growth issues, reduced well-being, and premature death due to stress or disease. Overcrowding can also cause stereotypical behavior and aggression. Last but not least, many farmed fish are fed fishmeal and fish oil sourced from wild-caught fish, further depleting ocean populations.

Effects of aquaculture on the environment

Aquaculture produces vast amounts of waste (salts, uneaten food, fish excrement) that enter the marine environment. These wastes can cause eutrophication, leading to excessive phytoplankton growth that depletes oxygen levels, creating dead zones where no animal can survive.

The use of chemicals and antibiotics to combat diseases and parasites can lead to water pollution, harming surrounding marine life and even causing deaths in nearby ecosystems.

What about recreational fishing?

Some argue: "If I fish occasionally as a hobby and eat what I catch, I’m not harming the ecosystem."

The issue with traditional fishing is the fundamental fact that we are talking about living beings that want to live! The argument that we eat them does not negate the fact that they value their lives. Just as none of us would want to be violently hooked in the mouth and drowned in the sea, fish do not want to die from asphyxiation outside the water.

Common concerns addressed

"If we stop fishing, won’t fish populations grow uncontrollably?"

If fishing stops, fish populations will increase, but that doesn’t mean there will be a problem. Nature has its own self-regulating mechanisms through the food chain and ecosystem dynamics. Fish and marine creatures have natural predators and do not need humans to “control” their populations.

"Where will I get my Omega-3?"

From the same source fish get theirs—algae! If you don’t like algae, you can opt for walnuts, flaxseeds, and chia seeds, which are rich in Omega-3 and free from microplastics, unlike fish!

Conclusions

Human activity in the seas and oceans inflicts immense suffering on trillions of creatures! In the long run, these activities will affect the entire planet, as everything is interconnected. By reducing populations and making ecosystems uninhabitable, we disrupt balances and intensify climate change.

Let’s end this cycle of violence and allow all creatures to remain in their natural habitats to witness the magic of nature. If we stop fishing, the sea will recover on its own.

We have already seen this recovery in the Marine Protected Area (MPA) of Gyaros, where fishing restrictions have led to environmental balance restoration.

Fish are not products! They are living, sentient beings that deserve to live freely in their natural environment. Let’s leave them off our plates!

Research & Writing:

Alexandra Stefanopoulou, Educator