Overfished, Over Exploited Oceans And The Silent Response

          Tracking the global footprint of industrial/commercial fishing reveals oceans overly exploited and overfished. Also, a number of vessels required to have tracking devices have been known to shut off their tracking devices when illegally fishing, including when fishing in protected marine areas.
          Tracking devices are not required for many smaller fishing vessels. It is impossible to know the full extent of overfishing. The known data for larger ships already reveals heavily overfished and stressed oceans. The problem is much worse when considering the fishing done by millions of unmonitored, unregulated boats and ships.
          It is problematic not knowing the full extent of overfishing. But the greater issue is the lack of enforcement in regulating and controlling overfishing. What happens in international waters is poorly regulated. In many ecologically important marine zones and coastal areas, the nations in control do not have the resources and means to protect and patrol these areas. Overfishing and damaging fishing practices are widespread. At times, payoffs to corrupt officials ensures harmful, illegal fishing continues.
         The extent to which marine resources are over exploited escapes the public eye. The damage to the oceans continues out of sight, out of mind, with little to no interventions to address this harm.
          Fish and other marine populations exploited beyond the point of no return means starvation and hunger for many. The full, irreversible effect of destroying the world's oceans will not be known until it is too late. It will be far worse than can be imagined.