Wow, Overfishing Reduced Fish by Almost 90%?

Overfishing is a serious threat to the sustainability of fish resources and marine ecosystems. In recent decades, the number of fish caught has exceeded their natural population levels, resulting in a decline in fish stocks worldwide.

In Indonesia, this phenomenon is increasingly worrying. According to the results of the research “Trends in Marine Resources and Fisheries Management in Indonesia in 2022” conducted by the World Research Institute, it was found that more than 50% of the wild fish population in Indonesia experienced overfishing. This not only impacts the current generation, but also future generations.

If not handled properly, it is estimated that by 2050, the food fish population will collapse. This means that future generations will have difficulty getting fish as a food source.

1. Reason Overfishing

Factors that can cause overfishing are:

• Use of fishing gear that is not environmentally friendly.
  Fishing gear that is not environmentally friendly can catch fish non-selectively, including non-target species (bycatch) and small-sized species.

• Excessive and out-of-season fishing.
  Excessive fishing can result in a drastic decline in fish populations. Meanwhile, fishing outside the season can disrupt the spawning and growth of fish.

• Unprotected fishing areas.
  Unprotected areas are vulnerable to irresponsible fishing practices because there is no control over fishing.

2. Impact Overfishing

Impact overfishing consumption of fish species is very large. If this continues, fish populations could decline by up to 90%. This will result in disruption of the balance of the food chain in the marine ecosystem. Fishermen’s catches will also decrease, so fishermen’s income will decrease.

In the long run, overfishing have an impact on future generations. One impact is the loss of fish protein sources, which has a negative impact on children’s health and nutrition. Fish is an affordable and easy to obtain source of protein, so it is very important for children to grow and develop optimally.

Not only that, overfishing also impacts the marine ecosystem as a whole. Damage to coral reefs due to overfishing can reduce marine biodiversity and loss of habitat for marine species.

3. Aruna’s Efforts to Prevent Overfishing

As a fishing company that cares about the sustainability of marine resources, Aruna plays an active role in preventing overfishing. We use environmentally friendly fishing gear, such as traps, hand lines, longlines, lift nets and gill nets to reduce negative impacts on the marine ecosystem.

Apart from that, Aruna also supports the Measurable Fishing policy initiated by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP). We try to comply with the rules that have been stated in the Measured Fishing (PIT) policy so that the fish population is maintained.

In order to support small-scale fisheries, we empower local fishermen by providing training and mentoring assistance. This is done to improve the skills and productivity of fishermen, so that fishermen can obtain higher quality catches.

Overfishing is a serious problem that must be addressed immediately. We invite the entire community to play a role by choosing fishery products from companies that implement sustainable fishery practices. In this way, we can protect marine resources for a better future.

Let’s work together to preserve fish resources and marine ecosystems so that future generations can still enjoy delicious and nutritious fish.