Marine ecologists and conservationists believe that the biggest single threat to marine ecosystems today is overfishing. Our appetite for fish is exceeding the oceans’ ecological limits with devastating impacts on marine ecosystems. Scientists are warning that overfishing results in profound changes in our oceans, perhaps changing them forever. Whilst thousands of boats legally empty the seas of fish thousands more illegally do the same. It is a problem that is a global issue but one that is exceedingly hard to remedy.

But not only is sea life that is at risk but also communities that have relied on fishing for centuries. These communities often fish in a sustainable way but are unable to compete and survive against larger and more technologically advanced boats that extract fish at a shocking rate. Not only is it an ecological issue but also one that is leading to the vanishing of traditions and livelihoods. Will humans be able to change their eating habits before it is too late to allow the oceans to regenerate?

Over the years I have photographed both sides of this coin, the trawlers hauling tonnes at a time and the communities that survive from them. This portfolio is a collection of those images taken in Africa and Asia.