Few if not any of us would seriously consider the origins of the fishes we consume daily. After all, these food products are widely available and could be easily purchased.

As we are less likely to anthropomorphize on fishes, we do not feel as remorseful or disgusted on the way they were killed, processed in food industries before landing on our plates.It is precisely such indifference that perpetuates an irreversible consequence of “Tragedy of the Commons”. A term describing how finite commodities consumed at an unsustainable rate that progressively leads to depletion.

As we are less likely to anthropomorphise on fishes, we do not feel as remorseful or disgusted on the way they were killed, processed in food industries before landing on our plates.

Courtesy of Vivify [labeled for noncommercial reuse]

According to this principle, humans function as rational beings that seek to maximize their own benefits over common pool resource at the lowest cost possible. This fundamentally egocentric propensity compels one to grab hold of resources that are deemed to exist in great abundance. While it is clear to many that it is not for mankind long-term interest of running out of fishing resources, they engage in denial as means to prevent themselves from slipping into learned helplessness. This ties in squarely with the problem of overfishing where fisherman driven by the need to sustain their livelihood by over-exploiting fishing grounds in order to yield the greatest monetary returns. A snapshot of the key causes of excessive fishing is illustrated below.