Don't Touch the Coral: Overfishing in the Reef

As may be expected, some of the main threats to any ecosystem come from humans. More specifically, one of the main threats to the Great Barrier Reef today is overfishing. According to a University of Michigan website on Human Impact on the Great Barrier Reef, “Overfishing of certain species near coral reefs can easily affect the reef's ecological balance and biodiversity.” When a species of fish is hunted, it can create an imbalance that has a negative effect on the reef. A decrease in a herbivore, or plant-eating species can cause an increase in algae on the coral. For example, the Surgeonfish feeds primarily on algae on coral in shallow waters.

Photo Credit: AustralianMuseum.net.au

The coral requires a certain amount of nutrients that only fish can provide in order to maintain the reef. “Since certain amounts of nutrients, oxygen and salt content the fishes in the coral reef ecosystem help maintain the balance needed by the corals, without these fishes the coral reef will collapse,” (Human Impact on the Great Barrier Reef.) However, an imbalance of marine life is not the only negative effect that overfishing has on the Great Barrier Reef.

The initial fishing can also cause damage to the reef as well. The fishing boats create pollution that is harmful to the reef. The equipment that the fishers use, like nets, can also be harmful to the reef, especially if they become unattached from the boat and get tangled in the coral.

Bycatch is another problem affecting the Great Barrier Reef. Bycatch is the unwanted marine life caught by the fishing gear, and it is either kept and killed or thrown back into the water. Many times, if the animal gets thrown back, it hurts or kills the animal and, according to The Rhode Island Sea Grant, the unwanted fish, or discard, “does not become a part of the reproducing population. As a result, discard not only affects the current population, but influences the species’ opportunity to replenish itself.” Bycatch can consist of dolphins and different species of whales.

Photo Credit: habadive.com.au

According to Buzzle.com, about "1/3rd of the Great Barrier Reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which prohibits fishing without proper documentation." The Australian government is trying to take action against overfishing in the Great Barrier Reef, but the reef covers such a large area, it is hard to monitor. People need to realize that the reef is unlike anything else in the world, and little things we do, like fishing, add up and cause tremendous damages.