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I have learned A LOT from this project. I have learned about how bad the over fishing of Halibut and Tuna is. I learned about the regulations and punishments of over fishing these species. In the future I plan on being more educated about what fish I eat. I will also raise awareness the best I can. 

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I have learned A LOT from this project. I have learned about how bad the over fishing of Halibut and Tuna is. I learned about the regulations and punishments of over fishing these species. In the future I plan on being more educated about what fish I eat. I will also raise awareness the best I can. 

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Country and states are taking action at the problems by setting restrictions and punishments for those who overfish. A consequence of over fishing Atlantic halibut and Blue-fin tuna is that 1: it makes the species extinct 2: There is a huge demand for them and if the fish went extinct there would be a bigger demand for other fish and the cycle would continue again with other species. A punishment for Blue-Fin Tuna is Fisherman that break the penalties will face three years in prison and a fine that does not exceed 2 million yen. There is very little restriction to Atlantic Halibut.

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Country and states are taking action at the problems by setting restrictions and punishments for those who overfish. A consequence of over fishing Atlantic halibut and Blue-fin tuna is that 1: it makes the species extinct 2: There is a huge demand for them and if the fish went extinct there would be a bigger demand for other fish and the cycle would continue again with other species. A punishment for Blue-Fin Tuna is Fisherman that break the penalties will face three years in prison and a fine that does not exceed 2 million yen. There is very little restriction to Atlantic Halibut.

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Atlantic Halibut fishing has gained some restrictions. The law at one point was 15,000 lbs of Halibut in a 2 day period. Fisherman were catching up to 50,000+ lbs of Halibut in a 2 day period. 2015 was one of the most strict years for Halibut fishing, there was 215,000 lbs of Halibut caught. The problem has gotten some better because restrictions are getting some stricter. The Over fishing has caused problems because the fisherman have to be careful how much Halibut they catch to follow the regulations. The Blue-Fin Tuna fishing is happening in Japan. In Japan the new regulations is to Submit reports periodically on how much they have caught. Fishing will be suspended if the amount seems to be too much. As of 2014 there was 17,000 tons of Blue-Fin Tuna, a tenth of the amount in the 1960s.  

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Atlantic Halibut fishing has gained some restrictions. The law at one point was 15,000 lbs of Halibut in a 2 day period. Fisherman were catching up to 50,000+ lbs of Halibut in a 2 day period. 2015 was one of the most strict years for Halibut fishing, there was 215,000 lbs of Halibut caught. The problem has gotten some better because restrictions are getting some stricter. The Over fishing has caused problems because the fisherman have to be careful how much Halibut they catch to follow the regulations. The Blue-Fin Tuna fishing is happening in Japan. In Japan the new regulations is to Submit reports periodically on how much they have caught. Fishing will be suspended if the amount seems to be too much. As of 2014 there was 17,000 tons of Blue-Fin Tuna, a tenth of the amount in the 1960s.  

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Predatory fish are at the top of the ocean food chain. They help keep the balance of marine life in check. Without their eating habits, an overabundance of smaller organisms might affect the entire underwater ecosystem. Some scientists say such a shift could lead to a total collapse of the oceans. Yet so far, those in charge of regulating international fisheries have done little to protect at least one endangered species.

Scientists say this species is on the brink of extinction... and it is all our fault.

"Nobody's free of blame in this game," said Kate Wilson.

Kate Willson is an investigative journalist who recently exposed what she says is a $4-billion, black market trade in the sale of bluefin tuna.

"Scientists tell us that when a top predator like bluefin or another big fish is depleted, that will affect the entire ecosystem," she said. "Scientists say you better get used to eating jellyfish sashimi and algae burgers if you let these large fish become depleted - because they anchor the ecosystem."

Ecosystems are how living things interact with their environments and each other. Scientists agree they can change dramatically if a link disappears from the food chain.

Government officials and members of environmental groups met in Paris in mid-November to discuss fishing regulations that may affect all life on Earth. Sue Lieberman is Director of International Policy with the Pew Environment Group: a Washington-based, non-profit agency. She says the bluefin is in jeopardy.

"The fish is in worse shape than we thought, and that's why we're calling for the meeting of this commission to suspend this fishery ... to put on the brakes and say, 'let's stop," said Sue Lieberman. "Let's stop mismanaging and start managing the right way to ensure a future for this species.'"

Both Lieberman and Willson say that greed, corruption and poor management of fishing quotas brought us to this point.

"The quotas are designed to let fish recover, but quotas are more than scientists recommend, but even within quotas, there's consistent lack of enforcement, fraud, fish being traded without documents to the point where it's a multibillion dollar business that will cause the depletion of an incredible species," said Lieberman.

Willson says that fishing the bluefin to near-extinction followed increased Japanese demand for fresh sushi - starting in the 1970s and 80s. And - fishing practices that target the two primary regions in which blue fin spawn: the Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean Sea.

"You don't need a PhD in fisheries to know that's really not very smart," said Sue Lieberman. "If you want the species to continue into the future, you don't take them when they come to breed."

And that practice shines light on a bigger problem.

"Ninety per cent of all large fish - it's estimated - have been depleted," said Kate Wilson. "Bluefin is just a bellwether for what's happening to what's left of the world's large fish."

"We're not saying there should be no fishing, but we are saying there should be no fishing like that," said Lieberman. "This isn't single individuals with a pole and a line; this isn't recreational fishermen; this is massive, industrial scale fishing.
Governments can change this; this isn't an environmental threat that we throw up our hands and there's nothing to do about it."

"If countries really want to protect the remaining stocks of bluefin, they have to get serious about enforcing the rules and listening to their scientists when they set catch limits," said Wilson.

"Management of fish species on the high seas isn't just about making sure people have nice seafood when they go to a restaurant; it's about the very future of our planet," continued Lieberman. "And we have to get management of the oceans correct and we can't keep ... and governments can't keep acting like we'll take care of that next year. We'll worry about making money in the short term, we'll listen to the fishing industry; we'll worry about the ocean & the environment later. We don't have that luxury."

The Chief Counselor's office for the Fisheries Agendy of Japan did not return VOA's requests for an interview. And while international delegates recently voted to adopt new legislation limiting the fishing of some kinds of sharks, they voted to lower the fishing quotas for bluefin tuna by only 4 percent.

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голос америки

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Predatory fish are at the top of the ocean food chain. They help keep the balance of marine life in check. Without their eating habits, an overabundance of smaller organisms might affect the entire underwater ecosystem. Some scientists say such a shift could lead to a total collapse of the oceans.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Predatory fish are at the top of the ocean food chain. They help keep the balance of marine life in check. Without their eating habits, an overabundance of smaller organisms might affect the entire underwater ecosystem. Some scientists say such a shift could lead to a total collapse of the oceans. Yet so far, those in charge of regulating international fisheries have done little to protect at least one endangered species.

Scientists say this species is on the brink of extinction... and it is all our fault.

"Nobody's free of blame in this game," said Kate Wilson.

Kate Willson is an investigative journalist who recently exposed what she says is a $4-billion, black market trade in the sale of bluefin tuna.

"Scientists tell us that when a top predator like bluefin or another big fish is depleted, that will affect the entire ecosystem," she said. "Scientists say you better get used to eating jellyfish sashimi and algae burgers if you let these large fish become depleted - because they anchor the ecosystem."

Ecosystems are how living things interact with their environments and each other. Scientists agree they can change dramatically if a link disappears from the food chain.

Government officials and members of environmental groups met in Paris in mid-November to discuss fishing regulations that may affect all life on Earth. Sue Lieberman is Director of International Policy with the Pew Environment Group: a Washington-based, non-profit agency. She says the bluefin is in jeopardy.

"The fish is in worse shape than we thought, and that's why we're calling for the meeting of this commission to suspend this fishery ... to put on the brakes and say, 'let's stop," said Sue Lieberman. "Let's stop mismanaging and start managing the right way to ensure a future for this species.'"

Both Lieberman and Willson say that greed, corruption and poor management of fishing quotas brought us to this point.

"The quotas are designed to let fish recover, but quotas are more than scientists recommend, but even within quotas, there's consistent lack of enforcement, fraud, fish being traded without documents to the point where it's a multibillion dollar business that will cause the depletion of an incredible species," said Lieberman.

Willson says that fishing the bluefin to near-extinction followed increased Japanese demand for fresh sushi - starting in the 1970s and 80s. And - fishing practices that target the two primary regions in which blue fin spawn: the Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean Sea.

"You don't need a PhD in fisheries to know that's really not very smart," said Sue Lieberman. "If you want the species to continue into the future, you don't take them when they come to breed."

And that practice shines light on a bigger problem.

"Ninety per cent of all large fish - it's estimated - have been depleted," said Kate Wilson. "Bluefin is just a bellwether for what's happening to what's left of the world's large fish."

"We're not saying there should be no fishing, but we are saying there should be no fishing like that," said Lieberman. "This isn't single individuals with a pole and a line; this isn't recreational fishermen; this is massive, industrial scale fishing.
Governments can change this; this isn't an environmental threat that we throw up our hands and there's nothing to do about it."

"If countries really want to protect the remaining stocks of bluefin, they have to get serious about enforcing the rules and listening to their scientists when they set catch limits," said Wilson.

"Management of fish species on the high seas isn't just about making sure people have nice seafood when they go to a restaurant; it's about the very future of our planet," continued Lieberman. "And we have to get management of the oceans correct and we can't keep ... and governments can't keep acting like we'll take care of that next year. We'll worry about making money in the short term, we'll listen to the fishing industry; we'll worry about the ocean & the environment later. We don't have that luxury."

The Chief Counselor's office for the Fisheries Agendy of Japan did not return VOA's requests for an interview. And while international delegates recently voted to adopt new legislation limiting the fishing of some kinds of sharks, they voted to lower the fishing quotas for bluefin tuna by only 4 percent.

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голос америки

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Predatory fish are at the top of the ocean food chain. They help keep the balance of marine life in check. Without their eating habits, an overabundance of smaller organisms might affect the entire underwater ecosystem. Some scientists say such a shift could lead to a total collapse of the oceans.

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Over fishing is a huge problem, especially Atlantic Halibut and Blue-fin Tuna. Halibut are being over fished in the Northeast coast mostly. Blue-fin Tuna are being over fished in Japan due to Japans few restrictions. An opportunity for change would be boycotting the fish that are being over fished. 

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Over fishing is a huge problem, especially Atlantic Halibut and Blue-fin Tuna. Halibut are being over fished in the Northeast coast mostly. Blue-fin Tuna are being over fished in Japan due to Japans few restrictions. An opportunity for change would be boycotting the fish that are being over fished. 

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The Fisheries Agency will start enforcing penal regulations on Pacific bluefin tuna caught by Japanese fishermen in January, in line with stricter international controls aimed at overfishing.

The agency hopes that comprehensive resources management will allow fishermen to continue catching the prized fish amid concerns that global tuna stocks are being depleted, officials said.

Japan is the world's largest consumer of Pacific bluefin, which is used to make high-end sushi and sashimi.

The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission allocates catch quotas to its members, including Japan and the United States.

On the basis of the national quota, Japan distributes portions to domestic fishermen in line with fishing methods used and region of operations. But fishermen in many areas have caught more than permitted, raising questions about the effectiveness of current regulations in preventing overfishing.

Under the new penal regulations, fishermen will be required to submit periodic reports on details of their hauls and the agency will be authorized to order fishermen to suspend operations if their catches are likely to outstrip the limits.

Violators will face a prison term of up to three years or a fine not exceeding ¥2 million.

Japan's current regulations have no penalty provision. This means that maintaining fishing limits effectively depends on voluntary efforts.

The penal regulations will take force in January for round haul net fishing, which uses midsize and large ships, and in July for coastal fishing, including fixed net fishing.

Pacific bluefin tuna resources were estimated at 17,000 tons in 2014, in terms of adult fish, only a tenth of the level of the early 1960s. Since 2015, the WCPFC has substantially cut catch quotas assigned to member economies in a bid to help resources recover.

Japanese fisheries industry people are concerned that the United States and the European Union may call for a further tightening of international regulations if resources fail to recover strongly.

The WCPFC aims to increase Pacific bluefin tuna resources to about 41,000 tons by 2024 and some 130,000 tons by 2034.

Japan hopes to gain a lager catch quota by contributing to an early recovery of resources, the officials said.

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Japan to enforce penalties for bluefin catch quota violations starting next month | The Japan Times

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The Fisheries Agency will start enforcing penal regulations on Pacific bluefin tuna caught by Japanese fishermen in January, in line with stricter international controls aimed at overfishing. The agency hopes that comprehensive resources management will allow fishermen to continue catching the prized fish amid concerns that global tuna stocks are being depleted, officials said.

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You can get involved by not eatting the fish that is being overfished. You could start a social media trend, Get a group of people that will help you get to government about the issue. More people need to take notice of this issue and do something about it. What worked is what Japan did and gave very strict punishments. What I can do is raise awareness. 

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You can get involved by not eatting the fish that is being overfished. You could start a social media trend, Get a group of people that will help you get to government about the issue. More people need to take notice of this issue and do something about it. What worked is what Japan did and gave very strict punishments. What I can do is raise awareness. 

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The Fisheries Agency will start enforcing penal regulations on Pacific bluefin tuna caught by Japanese fishermen in January, in line with stricter international controls aimed at overfishing.

The agency hopes that comprehensive resources management will allow fishermen to continue catching the prized fish amid concerns that global tuna stocks are being depleted, officials said.

Japan is the world's largest consumer of Pacific bluefin, which is used to make high-end sushi and sashimi.

The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission allocates catch quotas to its members, including Japan and the United States.

On the basis of the national quota, Japan distributes portions to domestic fishermen in line with fishing methods used and region of operations. But fishermen in many areas have caught more than permitted, raising questions about the effectiveness of current regulations in preventing overfishing.

Under the new penal regulations, fishermen will be required to submit periodic reports on details of their hauls and the agency will be authorized to order fishermen to suspend operations if their catches are likely to outstrip the limits.

Violators will face a prison term of up to three years or a fine not exceeding ¥2 million.

Japan's current regulations have no penalty provision. This means that maintaining fishing limits effectively depends on voluntary efforts.

The penal regulations will take force in January for round haul net fishing, which uses midsize and large ships, and in July for coastal fishing, including fixed net fishing.

Pacific bluefin tuna resources were estimated at 17,000 tons in 2014, in terms of adult fish, only a tenth of the level of the early 1960s. Since 2015, the WCPFC has substantially cut catch quotas assigned to member economies in a bid to help resources recover.

Japanese fisheries industry people are concerned that the United States and the European Union may call for a further tightening of international regulations if resources fail to recover strongly.

The WCPFC aims to increase Pacific bluefin tuna resources to about 41,000 tons by 2024 and some 130,000 tons by 2034.

Japan hopes to gain a lager catch quota by contributing to an early recovery of resources, the officials said.

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Japan to enforce penalties for bluefin catch quota violations starting next month | The Japan Times

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The Fisheries Agency will start enforcing penal regulations on Pacific bluefin tuna caught by Japanese fishermen in January, in line with stricter international controls aimed at overfishing. The agency hopes that comprehensive resources management will allow fishermen to continue catching the prized fish amid concerns that global tuna stocks are being depleted, officials said.

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Federal fishing regulators say they are looking to change the way they manage Atlantic halibut in the wake of a surge in catch of the fish.

The government lists Atlantic halibut as "overfished" and conservationists want to protect it. But many fishermen say the catch is up because the stock has been rebuilt over recent years.

East Coast fishermen caught more than 215,000 pounds of Atlantic halibut in 2015 in the most productive year of fishing for the flatfish since 1972. Catch of the fish in nearshore Maine waters is helping drive the increase, regulators say.

The regulatory New England Fishery Management Council decided last month to review management of halibut, which is popular with diners and chefs for its thick, meaty steaks. Exactly what form regulation changes could take isn't yet known.

"We've identified that this is an issue, and this will be a priority for 2017," Janice Plante, a spokeswoman for the council, said.

The council has also asked that Maine's state fishing managers adjust the way they oversee halibut. Part of the issue is that if fishermen exceed their quota for the fish, it can trigger restrictions on fishing that impact fishermen who operate in federal waters. About 40 percent of the halibut catch for the 2015 fishing year was taken in state waters, mostly in Maine.

Ben Martens, executive director of the Maine Coast Fishermen's Association, said Maine should consider limiting the amount of halibut fishing in state waters. Otherwise, federal fishermen will be negatively affected by the surge in state catch, he said.

Martens also said better data also is needed because many fishermen believe the stock has rebuilt significantly in recent years, and that's why catch is up.

"The story is that this is a rebuilding success," he said. "In New England, we don't know what to do with successes."

A spokesman for the Maine Department of Marine Resources declined to comment beyond acknowledging that the agency is reviewing the council's request, and taking it seriously.

Some conservationist groups have tried to dissuade consumers from buying Atlantic halibut.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration lists it as a "species of concern," meaning there are "concerns regarding status and threats," but also insufficient information about whether a listing under the federal Endangered Species Act is warranted.

Atlantic halibut is fished commercially off New England, with the majority of the catch coming ashore in Maine and Massachusetts. The fish is of high economic value, frequently serving as an entree item in the $30 range, and its price per pound at the dock has doubled for fishermen in the last ten years.

The much larger Pacific halibut fishery, which is based around Alaska, generates more than 20 million pounds of fish per year.

© 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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Overfished halibut under scrutiny as Maine's catch increases

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Federal fishing regulators say they are looking to change the way they manage Atlantic halibut in the wake of a surge in catch of the fish. The government lists Atlantic halibut as "overfished" and conservationists want to protect it. But many fishermen say the catch is up because the stock has been rebuilt over recent years.

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Atlantic Halibut

The Atlantic Halibut is known as a long-lived species that is slow to mature; its average age of maturity is believed to be about five to eleven years. Because females maturity age in this species is between seven and eleven years, it is hard for this fish to reproduce when exposed to over fishing. These fish feed basically on invertebrates and depending on their size on fishes too. They live in costal to upper slope areas and are bottom oriented (this means they live on the bottom of the sea). Halibut fish are extremely large and have little and sometimes almost no productivity because they lay on the ground of the sea and wait for their preys there. According to The Northeast Fishery Science Center, surveys show that biomass in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank remains low and since 1960s Halibut Fish are decreasing in quantity.

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The Atlantic Halibut is known as a long-lived species that is slow to mature; its average age of maturity is believed to be about five to eleven years. Because females maturity age in this species is between seven and eleven years, it is hard for this fish to reproduce when exposed to over fishing.

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BRUNSWICK, Maine (AP) - Federal fishing regulators say they are looking to change the way they manage Atlantic halibut in the wake of a surge in catch of the fish.

The government lists Atlantic halibut as "overfished" and conservationists want to protect it. But many fishermen say the catch is up because the stock has been rebuilt over recent years.

East Coast fishermen caught more than 215,000 pounds of Atlantic halibut in 2015 in the most productive year of fishing for the flatfish since 1972. Catch of the fish in nearshore Maine waters is helping drive the increase, regulators say.

The regulatory New England Fishery Management Council decided last month to review management of halibut, which is popular with diners and chefs for its thick, meaty steaks. Exactly what form regulation changes could take isn't yet known.

"We've identified that this is an issue, and this will be a priority for 2017," Janice Plante, a spokeswoman for the council, said.

The council has also asked that Maine's state fishing managers adjust the way they oversee halibut. Part of the issue is that if fishermen exceed their quota for the fish, it can trigger restrictions on fishing that impact fishermen who operate in federal waters. About 40 percent of the halibut catch for the 2015 fishing year was taken in state waters, mostly in Maine.

Ben Martens, executive director of the Maine Coast Fishermen's Association, said Maine should consider limiting the amount of halibut fishing in state waters. Otherwise, federal fishermen will be negatively affected by the surge in state catch, he said.

Martens also said better data also is needed because many fishermen believe the stock has rebuilt significantly in recent years, and that's why catch is up.

"The story is that this is a rebuilding success," he said. "In New England, we don't know what to do with successes."

A spokesman for the Maine Department of Marine Resources declined to comment beyond acknowledging that the agency is reviewing the council's request, and taking it seriously.

Some conservationist groups have tried to dissuade consumers from buying Atlantic halibut.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration lists it as a "species of concern," meaning there are "concerns regarding status and threats," but also insufficient information about whether a listing under the federal Endangered Species Act is warranted.

Atlantic halibut is fished commercially off New England, with the majority of the catch coming ashore in Maine and Massachusetts. The fish is of high economic value, frequently serving as an entree item in the $30 range, and its price per pound at the dock has doubled for fishermen in the last ten years.

The much larger Pacific halibut fishery, which is based around Alaska, generates more than 20 million pounds of fish per year.

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Overfished halibut under scrutiny as Maine's catch increases

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BRUNSWICK, Maine (AP) - Federal fishing regulators say they are looking to change the way they manage Atlantic halibut in the wake of a surge in catch of the fish. The government lists Atlantic halibut as "overfished" and conservationists want to protect it.

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Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies

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Effects of Overfishing on Wild Seafood Populations from the Seafood Watch Program at the Monterey Bay Aquarium

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Learn about overfishing, one of the biggest threats to ocean ecosystems, and its impacts on fish populations and ocean health.

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Ocean overfishing is simply the taking of wildlife from the sea at rates too high for fished species to replace themselves. The earliest overfishing occurred in the early 1800s when humans, seeking blubber for lamp oil, decimated the whale population. Some fish that we eat, including Atlantic cod and herring and California's sardines, were also harvested to the brink of extinction by the mid-1900s.

Highly disruptive to the food chain, these isolated, regional depletions became global and catastrophic by the late 20th century.

When It Started

Marine scientists know when widespread overfishing of the seas began. And they have a pretty good idea when, if left unaddressed, it will end.

In the mid-20th century, international efforts to increase the availability and affordability of protein-rich foods led to concerted government efforts to increase fishing capacity. Favorable policies, loans, and subsidies spawned a rapid rise of big industrial fishing operations, which quickly supplanted local boatmen as the world's source of seafood.

These large, profit-seeking commercial fleets were extremely aggressive, scouring the world's oceans and developing ever more sophisticated methods and technologies for finding, extracting, and processing their target species. Consumers soon grew accustomed to having access to a wide selection of fish species at affordable prices.

But by 1989, when about 90 million tons (metric tons) of catch were taken from the ocean, the industry had hit its high-water mark, and yields have declined or stagnated ever since. Fisheries for the most sought-after species, like orange roughy, Chilean sea bass, and bluefin tuna have collapsed. In 2003, a scientific report estimated that industrial fishing had reduced the number of large ocean fish to just 10 percent of their pre-industrial population.

When It Will End

Faced with the collapse of large-fish populations, commercial fleets are going deeper in the ocean and father down the food chain for viable catches. This so-called "fishing down" is triggering a chain reaction that is upsetting the ancient and delicate balance of the sea's biologic system.

A study of catch data published in 2006 in the journal Science grimly predicted that if fishing rates continue apace, all the world's fisheries will have collapsed by the year 2048.

What's Next?

Over the past 55 years, as fisheries have returned lower and lower yields, humans have begun to understand that the oceans we'd assumed were unendingly vast and rich are in fact highly vulnerable and sensitive. Add overfishing to pollution, climate change, habitat destruction, and acidification, and a picture of a system in crisis emerges.

Many scientists say most fish populations could be restored with aggressive fisheries management, better enforcement of laws governing catches, and increased use of aquaculture. And in many regions, there is reason for hope. But illegal fishing and unsustainable harvesting still plagues the industry. And a public grown accustomed to abundant seafood and largely apathetic about the plight of the oceans complicates efforts to repair the damage we've done.

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Ocean overfishing is simply the taking of wildlife from the sea at rates too high for fished species to replace themselves. The earliest overfishing occurred in the early 1800s when humans, seeking blubber for lamp oil, decimated the whale population.