ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

The End of the Line: How Overfishing Is Changing the World and What We Eat

Okay, so imagine that fish are like candies in a big jar. Now, if you keep taking candies out of the jar without putting any back, eventually the jar will become empty and you won't have any more candies left to eat. This is kind of what's happening with fish in the ocean.

Lots and lots of people all around the world love to eat fish because they are super yummy and healthy. But because so many people are eating fish, fishermen have to catch more and more fish to keep up with the demand. This is called overfishing.

Overfishing is bad because it means that we are taking too many fish out of the ocean and not letting them have enough time to grow and make more baby fish. This can cause big problems for the ocean and the animals that live in it because there aren't enough fish for everyone to eat or live off of.

When there aren't enough fish, some animals that eat fish, like seals or dolphins, will have a hard time finding enough food. This can make them sick, weak or even die. They are also important to keep the balance in the ocean's food chain.

Overfishing can also make some types of fish go extinct, which means they would disappear forever. This is really, really bad because every type of fish is important and has a job to do in the ocean.

So, basically, overfishing is changing the world because it's causing problems for the ocean and the animals that live in it. It's also changing what we eat because we might not be able to have as much fish in our meals anymore. So, we need to be responsible and only take what we need from the ocean so that we can keep enjoying fish forever.