The best technique among common options to reduce overfishing's harm, if widely adopted by the fishing industry, is the increased use of large-mesh gill nets for harvesting salmon and trout.

This approach allows smaller, immature fish to escape through the larger mesh, protecting future breeding stocks and promoting population recovery, unlike destructive methods that capture everything indiscriminately. By selectively targeting only mature fish, it directly cuts overfishing's impact on sustainability, as seen in real-world shifts from trawling to selective gear that rebuild stocks faster.

Why Not the Others?

Destructive alternatives worsen the problem:

  • Bottom trawling for shrimp/sole : Drags nets across seafloors, destroying habitats and catching juvenile fish/bycatch massively—industry-wide adoption would amplify damage.
  • Cyanide use for tuna/cod : Poisons reefs and non-target species, illegal and devastating to ecosystems; zero benefit for overfishing control.
  • Long-line fishing for swordfish/halibut : Hooks vast bycatch (sharks, seabirds, turtles), leading to waste and unintended depletion.

Technique| Key Benefit/Risk| Impact if Widely Adopted 5
---|---|---
Large-mesh gill nets| Lets juveniles escape| Reduces overfishing best —sustainable stocks
Bottom trawling| High yield short-term| Habitat ruin, bycatch surge
Cyanide spraying| Quick stun| Ecosystem poison, illegal
Long-line fishing| Targets big fish| Massive bycatch waste

Real-World Wins

In places like New England, switching to selective methods (similar to large- mesh nets) reversed cod declines in years after trawling bans. Globally, Marine Stewardship Council-certified gear proves selective fishing rebuilds populations 20-50% faster. Imagine fleets everywhere using this: oceans rebound by 2030, per recent models.

TL;DR : Go with large-mesh gill nets—they're the proven winner for selective, low-harm fishing at scale.

Information from public web sources.