Game:

Planet Zoo (2019)

Duration: 2:37

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Here's some educational content provided by the game Planet Zoo on Overexploitation, which can be found on the information of its Conservation Education Boards.

Overexploitation occurs when a resource is depleted to a point that natural environmental processes cannot restore the balance. Overexploitation of one resource often affects entire ecosystems and the cultures and livelihoods that depend on that ecosystem.

In an ecosystem’s delicate balance, species and environments rely on each other. If something is removed for human gain, everything connected can be negatively affected. Overexploitation may take the form of unsustainable hunting, aquifer extraction, or logging.

Trends in commercial fishing reveal damages caused by overexploitation. Over the past century, many species of fish were overharvested to the brink of extinction. Humans harvest fish from different ecological niches for consumption. As such, fish are being removed unsustainably from every level in the food chain. Removal of predatory fish high up the food chain, such as the Atlantic bluefin tuna, destabilizes the entire ecosystem. Tuna also take long to reach maturity and reproduce, so demand for this species means they may not go through even one reproductive event before being caught.

Additionally, indiscriminate harvesting of smaller fish and shellfish is likely to remove herbivorous fish and filter feeders from ecosystems. They are important to maintaining coral reefs by cleaning water and grazing on kelp and algae. A healthy reef means oxygenated water, allowing for high biodiversity of corals, plants, and microorganisms. Without these feeders, a build-up of algae, toxins, and pollutants can overwhelm a reef, making it uninhabitable.

Overfishing is a complex problem with far-reaching ecological and humanitarian effects. Small communities can no longer live off depleted stocks. Despite an obvious reduction in available populations, commercial fishing continues to overexploit fish stocks. Without mitigation, oceans may not recover.

However, recovery is possible. Atlantic bluefin tuna were overfished in the 1960-70s, but sustainable fishing practices were eventually introduced. Catch and size limits were set for them, ensuring only mature adults were harvested in sustainable quantities, and certain types of equipment were banned to prevent bycatch or harvesting whole shoals. Tuna numbers are recovering, and the species is no longer categorized as endangered.

Videos used:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfO-3Oir-qM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQYgCxu988s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4Eiv16ZLtY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r9-WeNXzTQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og8N-EslUPQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMtumsxoT8c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9PeYPHdpNo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3rLfrIUzY4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZizIpLCQ_oM

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