Over-exploitation

This involves the exploitation/utilization of a living, non-renewable resource beyond sustainable levels, such that it cannot be enjoyed by those coming after us (i.e. your children and our grandchildren).

An example is the fisheries of many species popular on the menu of us humans, such as bluefin tuna, salmon and cod, species which have been driven to near extinction. Some fishing techniques used also capture large numbers of non-target species, called bycatch.

Bycatch consists of those fish which are not sold since humans do not eat them – so, these fish are simply thrown away and are wasted. Fishing techniques include long-lines (consisting of kilometers of lines with thousands of hooks attached to then near the surface – having a long-line is like fishing with an 80mile-long fishing rod!), whose hooks are a danger to marine birds, such as seagulls. Marine turtles are also caught accidentally by many fishermen.

The seabed is disturbed through the use of trawling, which involves dragging large nets over the bottom of the sea, destroying everything in their path.