OVERFISHING AND DESTRUCTIVE FISHING

Coral reefs support artisanal, national, and international fisheries, with hundreds of millions of people worldwide relying on fisheries for food and as a primary source of income. Last year, over 80 million tons of fish was collected from the ocean. Overfishing, especially the loss of algae-eating fish such as parrotfish, continues to be a threat to coral reefs.

Along with overfishing, destructive fishing techniques like the use of dynamite can severely damage a coral reef. This reduces the amount of habit and space for juvenile fish to hide.