This is what China's overfishing problem looks like

A campaign by Greenpeace China visualises the thousands of fish it takes to feed just three of China's most farmed species
By ELEANOR PEAKE

Captured here are 4,000 fish, from 40 species, all caught at Chinese fishing ports. 

The three largest ones in the centre represent the most popular marine species in China, the yellow croaker. 

Surrounding these are the fish used to feed them. 

To breed one kilo of yellow croaker, farmers have to feed them 7.15kg of the smaller species, causing havoc with the ecosystem.
The visualisation was commissioned by Greenpeace China, who are worried about the continued effects of this on local marine life. 

China’s total marine catch allowance is eight to nine million metric tonnes every year. 

However, in 2015 this reached 13.14 million metric tonnes. 

Most of these “trash fish”, like the Japanese jack mackerel and the moon fish, are caught to feed large commercial fish like the yellow croaker.
“Although too small or too immature for human consumption, the smaller fish are increasingly in demand from China’s booming aquaculture industry,” says Greenpeace Oceans Campaigner Zhou Wei. 

This could cause a huge reduction in the amount of small fish available in the ocean. 

As a result, Greenpeace began a video campaign with this image, telling the story of the yellow croaker.