Oil spills may have a chronic effect on fish population dynamics. In some hypothetical spill scenarios, the ecosystem model predicts that fish populations would continue to be negatively affected at least two years after oil was completely removed from the ecosystem. Some fish populations in Prince William Sound—like herring—still have not recovered from the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill.

In general, as oil contamination increases, fish populations decrease.

Oil contamination reduces fish populations

Oil contamination can impair or kill fish, which reduces overall fish populations in the affected areas. Decline in fish populations can affect indigenous people who rely on those fish as a source of food.

Change in Percent Catch of Fish for the Coastal Community of Nuiqsut

For example, in a hypothetical scenario where oil spills from an oil platform off the Beaufort Sea coast, the ecosystem model predicts that the community of Nuiqsut’s catch of fish would decrease substantially—and remains depressed—in the years after the spill.

Join Ocean Conservancy and help us prevent this kind of oil spill from happening. Take action by telling the Secretary of the Interior not to open new areas of the ocean to risky offshore drilling.