How Does Overfishing Affect Island Reefs

How does overfishing on Caribbean island reefs affect their economy?

According to Dr. Owen Day, coral reefs are truly breathtaking monuments, but coral they are not just beautiful natural wonders .They are a vital part of the ecological fabric and economic activities of small Caribbean islands. For example in Tobago they are the backbone of two largest industries; tourism and fishing, providing both jobs and food. Coral reefs also protect the coastline from erosion by breaking ocean swells. They produce the sand on our beaches. In fact, the whole of South-west Tobago rests on ancient coral limestone deposited over hundreds of thousands of years by the tiny coral polyps that make up coral reefs. (THTA 2012) As being seen today many coral reefs are being destroyed and one of the main reasons for this is overfishing.

Over fishing is a driving force that has damaging impacts on coral reefs. According to reef defense over fishing contributes to the depletion of the world's oceans and directly impacts the health of coral reef systems (Dolphin 2011). Overfishing can degrade reefs because fish are one of the key functional groups that keep reefs intact. In some areas, overfishing has already resulted in the local extinction of important species such as giant clam and grouper. By removing specific species, overfishing changes the coral reef food web. (THAT 2012) For example, removing algae eating species, like the parrot fish, can create conditions where algae may replace corals, which ultimately disrupts overall reef balance.

As mentioned before Island reefs are very important to countries that are blessed with them one major reason being economically. Island reefs supports subsistence and commercial fisheries, also jobs businesses through tourism and recreation. Countries such as Tobago, Belize thrive economically from visitors to reefs through diving tours, recreational fishing trips, hotels and restaurants based near the reef ecosystem. (THAT 2012) According to...