Reducing the amount of carbon used by your fishing boat will help cause minimal damage to fish and marine life and contribute to sustainable fishing. Use lead-free fishing gear. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, lead harms fish, causing muscle problems, reproductive problems, stunted growth and sometimes even paralysis. Avoid leaving trash on beaches, as it washes into seas and rivers and fish are fooled into thinking it is food. They eat it and end up suffocating. Fish extinction is just a few steps away if these sustainable fishing practices are not implemented