![Picture](/uploads/2/8/7/5/28753315/overfishingfrompew.png?473)
By overfishing it creates 3 main problems for the ecosystem:
Firstly, the harvest mortality when overfishing is huge, as they are ill treated, and, in some cases, left to die.
Secondly, the physical impact of the fishing gear not only scars or injures the fish, but in most cases kills them.
Lastly, many other species that were not intended of being caught, from turtles to sharks, resulting in death for them.
All of these factors then affect relationships, such as predictor prey or competitive interactions, so therefore the marine food web.
By altering all of these different aspects of the marine environment it changes the ecosystem.
Firstly, the harvest mortality when overfishing is huge, as they are ill treated, and, in some cases, left to die.
Secondly, the physical impact of the fishing gear not only scars or injures the fish, but in most cases kills them.
Lastly, many other species that were not intended of being caught, from turtles to sharks, resulting in death for them.
All of these factors then affect relationships, such as predictor prey or competitive interactions, so therefore the marine food web.
By altering all of these different aspects of the marine environment it changes the ecosystem.
![Picture](/uploads/2/8/7/5/28753315/4088602-orig.jpg?434)
The main hotspots for overfishing are pictured in the map beside. It displays that the main spots are in the Southern Hemisphere, with a couple in the Northern Hemisphere. Though, there are very few other common factors where overfishing occurs, apart from the fact that the area has plenty of fish, as well as being close to an accessible coast.
![Picture](/uploads/2/8/7/5/28753315/fishing-with-light-diagram-safetynet-technologies-crop1.jpg?459)
The picture beside displays the main facts of overfishing and what is wasted. The pictograph explains how between 8 and 25% of the fish caught are discarded. It works out to about 27 million tons a year that is being thrown out, yet it does not include all of the by catch that is caught and discarded, as well as the fish lost whilst fishing, before they have even been caught.