Reduce Overfishing

Provided by: Project Drawdown |Published on: January 7, 2026

Articles/Websites

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Synopsis

In this brief article from Project Drawdown, students will learn about the potential emissions reductions that can be achieved by reducing overfishing.
Students will also learn about the additional benefits of reducing overfishing and some of the obstacles that make this solution more challenging to implement.

Related Teaching Resources

Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences

Authors: Project Drawdown

Region: Global

Languages: English

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Teaching Materials

Positives

The handy chart at the beginning of the article summarizes the main points and demonstrates why Project Drawdown considers this solution worthwhile.
This article is concise, making the content accessible for many students.

Prerequisites

Students should understand climate change and the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Differentiation & Implementation

Teachers can pair this article with this game to demonstrate the impacts of overfishing and the concept of the tragedy of the commons.
Teachers can use this resource to show how solutions to one problem, like climate change, can have secondary effects on other issues, like biodiversity loss. Another way to illustrate this is by pointing out the connection to multiple Sustainable Development Goals, such as SDG 13, Climate Action, and SDG 14, Life Below Water.
For more information on the non-emissions impacts of overfishing and other unsustainable fishing practices, students can check out this podcast episode.

Scientist Notes

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Resource Type and Format

About the Partner Provider

Project Drawdown

Project Drawdown is a nonprofit organization that seeks to help the world reach “drawdown”—the future point in time when levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to steadily decline. Cities, universities, corporations, philanthropies, policymakers, communities, educators, activists, and more turn to Project Drawdown as they look to advance effective climate action. Project Drawdown resources for educators include the database of Drawdown Solutions, educational video series Climate Solutions 101, the Drawdown Stories initiative, and more.

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All resources can be used for your educational purposes with proper attribution to the content provider.