It's difficult to imagine the sea ever running out of fish. It's so vast, so deep, so mysterious. Unfortunately, it's not bottomless. Over-fishing, coupled with destructive fishing practices, is killing off the fish and ruining their environment.
(1)_________________________. At least 60 percent of the world's commercially important fish species are already over-fished, or fished to the limit. As a result, governments have had to close down some areas of sea to commercial fishing.
(2)_________________________. Anything too small, or the wrong thing, is thrown back either dead or dying. That's an average of more than 20 million metric tons every year.
When you consider that equal a quarter of the world catch, you begin to see the sides of the problem.
In some parts of the world, for every kilogram of prawns caught, up to 15 kilograms of unsuspecting fish and other marine wildlife die, simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
True, some countries are beginning to deal with this problem, but it is vital we find rational ways of fishing, before every ocean becomes a dead sea.
(3)_________________________.
