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When we look at our oceans it’s hard to imagine that one of the biggest predators out there does not necessarily have fins or razor-sharp teeth. The top ocean predator is us, humans.

All over the world we have become so effective at fishing that we have caused a huge decline, or drop, in ocean wildlife populations. But how has fishing changed and does this affect the food chain?

The number of lobster and fish in our oceans, as well as other ocean life, is declining. How is this happening?

The decrease of ocean life is being caused by overfishing. This means that we are taking too many fish, lobsters and other marine life from the ocean. We are catching so many of one species that the species is unable to recover to normal quantities. This has reduced some species to really low numbers and it could even lead others to extinction.

Fishing has changed

Many scientists say the problem is that we are simply too good at fishing. The modern fishing industry uses the latest technology like radar, helicopter spotters, planes and giant fishing boats to increase their yield, or amount of fish they catch. Huge nets, often as big as football pitches are sometimes used to pick up everything in their path.

This technology enables large companies to fish at greater depths and in areas that are habitats for a wide variety of fish and marine life.

Many fishermen are themselves taking steps to protect the marine environment that they care so deeply about. Lobster numbers are falling in Wales and therefore a group of lobster fishermen have formed the Welsh Seafood Cluster. They have agreed to follow some simple rules to protect the lobster population off the Welsh coast.

• They have agreed that they will only catch bigger, older lobsters who are not carrying eggs.
• Any smaller lobsters that are not yet fully grown, or any lobsters that are carrying eggs will be returned to the sea where they can continue to breed and lay eggs.

It is hoped that this will help the lobster population to recover.

Some fishermen are also using specially-modified lobster pots that are designed to let smaller, younger lobsters escape. Bigger holes have been created to let lobsters that are under five years old swim free.

A food chain shows how plants and animals get their energy.

• A food chain always starts with a producer. This is an organism that makes its own food.
• A living thing that eats other plants and animals is called a consumer.
• A predator is an animal that eats other animals. The animals that predators eat are called prey.

If we disturb this food chain by overfishing, the impact is felt by larger fish and sea mammals as well as by the fish and crustaceans that we catch.

When we take fish from the sea, we need to be careful not to take too much. By reducing the amount of fish we catch, we can give the fish populations and our sea life the chance they need to recover.

Many governments have set limits to protect the fish and marine life population. They control how, when and how much fish can be caught.

We can also set specific areas for protection and recovery, these are called marine reserves.

As consumers or shoppers, we can support sustainable fishing methods by looking out for products that are approved by the Marine Stewardship Council. These labels show that these products have been caught sustainably, in a way that does not damage marine life.

The good news

The good news is that making these positive changes does work. Scientists have proven that taking steps to decrease overfishing and protect our ocean life does have a positive effect on the population of our oceans. By fishing sustainably, we are securing the future of our oceans and also making sure there is enough ocean life for the future.

Where next?