Rick Crawford
Population, policy and pollution are the three main threats to fisheries around the world. I call these threats “the 3P’s” and through “The Sustainable Angler” blog series we have primarily been discussing pollution in the form of greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change, but I thought it would be worthwhile to spend some time on over-population.
Worldwide population is roughly 7.3 billion today and estimated to be around 9.7 billion by 2050, so conserving resources so that we are able to meet the demand of the next generation is simply the responsible thing to do in order to avoid “the tragedy of the commons.” I first learned about this concept while studying to earn an MBA in Sustainable Business and it really helps to put things in perspective as this is happening today from everything from over-fishing to deforestation. Below is a video from Ted-Ed explaining in more detail about “the tragedy of the commons”:
[kad_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxC161GvMPc” ]
Over-population can lead to the depletion of resources that cannot rebound, which is why ignoring data and science will be detrimental to our fisheries, which is what appears to be happening on a policy level when it comes to things such as fisheries management and climate change. At the end of the day, there is no business to made on a dead planet, so remember that you can make a positive impact by minimizing the environmental impact of your home and/or office, as well as contacting your elected officials to let them know that you do not approve of policy that denies science and harms the environment for short-term gain.