More than half of the people on earth live within 193km of the ocean, but even those who live nowhere near the ocean are dependent on the massive saltwater ecosystem that covers nearly three-fourths of our planet.
SUSTAINABLE USE OF THE OCEANS
Sustainable use of the oceans refers to the maintaining or conserving of the ecological balance in the ocean by avoiding the depletion of natural resources and marine life.
Today’s ocean managers are challenged to use scientific knowledge of fish and replace regulated fisheries with well managed sustainable resources. This can be accomplished by implementing tools such as:
• Marine reserves
• Protected areas
• Strict catch limits
• Introduction of ocean conservancy
Ocean conservancy:
Ocean conservancy works everyday to ensure healthy and sustainable food for populations, it:
• Promotes sustainable fishing policies and practices to ensure the future of both fishermen and fish
This is used to restore oceans and strengthen coastal economies. It helps make fish abundant and has proven to be successful with species such as the red snapper, ...
...e use of FAD-associated purse seine caught tuna and will only sell tuna caught using environmentally responsible methods, currently defined to include pole & line and un-associated purse seine.” (JW). Some other conservation groups include the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission who works with the Government of member nations in the group to examine the human effects on tuna population and give recommendations on the amount that should be caught to keep a sustained population. WWF is another large group who collaborate with numerous other groups to help the population. Two such collaborations are with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) who work by certifying tuna fisheries, and encouraging retailers to buy from MSC certified fisheries and the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation who help in the conservation and management of tuna populations (WWF).
In February of 2010, a woman named Dawn Brancheau died while working as an animal trainer at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida. There has been a large amount of debate about the circumstances surrounding her death—some say she slipped and fell, while others say that she was dragged in by one of the orcas, Tilikum. The controversy over her tragic death brought this question to the surface: should parks like SeaWorld be closed down for safety reasons? While this argument has been going on for a long time, the death of Brancheau spurred a wave of debates about whether the park should be allowed to remain open. On one side, people believe the parks should be shut down and the animals should be released from captivity in an effort to protect the animals and the humans. On the other side of the argument, people believe the parks should be kept open because of the benefits they offer to the world in education and conservation. In light of SeaWorld’s recent transitions, I believe the park should remain open to the public.
With a coastline of over 202 000 km and over a fourth of the world’s freshwater resources, it is no wonder why Canada’s fishing industry is a huge part of its economy.1 Canada exports more than 75% of its fish to over 130 countries worldwide. Many of the 7 million people who reside on the coast depend on the ocean’s resources. In total, Canada’s entire fishing industry is worth around 5$ billion dollars a year, being one of the world’s most valuable. However, the coasts have not been treated by respect; overfishing, over consumption, and wasteful practices has deteriorated, not only the industry, but the ecosystems and fish populations. This is a huge global issue; the worldwide collapse of fisheries has been project for 2048. Slowly, as the trends continue, we will inevitably see many fish species start to disappear. In fact, the ill-treatment of species on the Canadian border has already devastated a large specie, the cod.
Earth's oceans make up over 75% of the Earth as a whole. With that being said, it is vital to understand the significance on the contents of the oceans. Since fish and marine products make up a large portion of our diet, fishing practices need to be properly managed. In this essay, overfishing will be defined, its consequences will be revealed, and plans for proper fish distribution will be executed.
There are many impacts that fishing and land animal farming have on the ocean, which are detrimental to ocean ecosystems as well as many other aspects of the environment. Overfishing, killing fish at a much quicker rate than the fish can repopulate, is one major problem. Three-fourths of the world’s fisheries are either fully exploited, overexploited, or depleted (Cowspiracy). Researchers have estimated an end of all viable fisheries by 2018 if the current trends of fishing continue (Mason). According to the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch, hundreds of thousands of animals die every year as bycatch, with one of the worst offenders being shrimp fisheries, catching up to six pounds of bycatch per pound of shrimp. Endangered species are also caught, including predators which are important in keeping the balance in ocean ecosystems (Smith). While many organizations such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch recommend consumers to eat more “sustainable” fish, this will not stop the massive environmental impacts. Sustainable fishing for one does not account for the natural flux in the population of species of fish; what is considered a sustainable amount of fish to harvest one year may deplete the fishery in another year (Smith). Sustainable fish also are becoming even less sustainable as companies that label sustainable fish must find more For example, after Wal-Mart pledged to selling Marine Stewardship
The ocean is an abundant source of life. It is home to thousand of different creatures, provides a great source of food, and provides the earth with about one half of the oxygen needed to sustain life. (National Geographic) Pollution especially plastic, is a catastrophic problem. Ironically plastic, which is a material designed to last forever is generally used for things we tend to throw away. Every year about one hundred to two hundred billion pounds of plastic are manufactured. Only 31% of that plastic is actually recycled. Biomass packaging estimates 10% of that plastic ends up in the ocean annually. About 20% of it coming from ships and other platforms, and the other 80% coming from land derived sources, such as international garbage dumping, winds or tides either way it finds its way to the ocean.(Biomass Packaging Co., et al)
middle of paper ... ... With guidance from Edgar’s research, future MPAs should be designed to incorporate the five key features discussed, and in relation to these factors additional consideration should be given to the future activities that may influence an MPA’s effectiveness, for example future marine uses such as alternative forms of energy. This is where the Halpern’s suggestion to focus more on ecosystem-based management approaches may present a possible means to do so, as this approach addresses the wider-scope issues that will impact the world’s oceans on a global scale and may help limit effects, outside the boundaries of MPAs, that could potentially shape and alter the ability of an MPA to achieve its conservation goals.
Broad Context Fisheries management draws on fisheries science in order to find ways to protect fisheries resources so that sustainable exploitation is possible,” (FAO, 2005). Fisheries management also involves legal governance of the ocean activities at an international or national level (Jentoft, Bavinck, Johnson, & Thomson, 2009). The Government of Canada created processes, tools, and systems to implement and monitor activities in the sea. For example, In 1867, the Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) was formed to issue licenses, create operational seasons, document catches, establish quotas, and enforce regulations regarding the quantity of those stocks fished and future total allowable catches (Campbell, 2017).
Overfishing has become a huge problem for today’s oceans. A total of almost 80% of the world's fisheries are fully- to over-exploited, depleted, or in a state of collapse. Overfishing is exactly what it seems like it would be. The act of “fishing too much” is when fishermen are catching fish so fast and with a high occurrence that the fish are not able to reproduce quickly enough to regrow the population in the respective bodies of water. This problem has gotten progressively worse as we humans are now relying on fish as a food resource even more then the past and the equipment and techniques used by the fishermen have made it easier and more efficiently for more fish than ever to be caught. Even though overfishing
Oceans are such so vast that people underestimate the impact their actions —seeming so insignificant— have on them. Humans have by and large taken the oceans for granted; not considering how important a healthy ocean is to our survival. A popular mind-set is that the oceans are a bottomless supply of fish, natural resources, and an infinite waste dump. There are myriad reasons why the oceans should be saved and the most obvious one is marine life. With 71% of the Earth being covered by water, it is obvious that sea creatures are predominant form of life, making up 80% of the species of life on Earth. However, as important as marine life is, that is not the only reason why saving the oceans is crucial. The ocean floor provides natural resources such as, oil, natural gas, petroleum, minerals, medications, and ingredients for foods and products. The economic benefits of the oceans are huge and significant, as well. Fishing and fish products have provided employment to 38 million people and have generated about $124 billion in economic benefits. However, oceans are on the verge of crisis, marine life, natural resources, transportation, the economy, and important ingredients are at risk due to overfishing, pollution, and acidification. Thus, in this essay I will argue that, oceans are not impervious to human activity and threatening the health of the ocean threatens the health of humanity, since oceans key to our survival.
Overfishing is a major threat to ocean ecosystems and to our food source. Overfishing is when we capture drastic amounts of fish in a smaller amount of time than fish can reproduce. For centuries we have relied on fishing as a source for food. Over the years we have developed new methods of fishing and have enhanced our equipment to capture vast amounts of fish in a minimum amount of time. We now have industrial fishing companies that provide for our seafood demand.
Ignorance, unemployment, poverty, greed and lack of discipline are only some of the factors that have led to the growth in popularity of Cyanide and Dynamite fishing. These dangerous fishing methods may not seem like a big deal but in the long run it can bring tragic consequences. We share this earth with not only other humans, but with other animals and organisms. Neither one of us can survive without the other, and wiping out coral reefs through Cyanide and Dynamite fishing wipes out hundreds of other species that are crucial to the ultimate survival of our planet. There are better and safer fishing methods that we can practice which will allow coral reefs and their environments to grow and thrive. We always have a choice, so let’s make the choice to be more aware and help rather than hurt those we share our planet Earth with.
The number of depleted fish populations, and affected marine ecosystem reflect that management has failed to reach its overall goal of sustainability. The failure is directly linked with increasing harvest rates, derived from economic and sociopolitical pressure for greater harvests. Internationally, many countries do not have fishery management policies, and when in existence they are rarely enforced due to the need to maintain quotas. However many nations have begun to regulate annual fish catch. For example the European Union set quotas which are based on scientific recommendation from International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.
Given that aquaculture is prevalent in coastal ecosystems and freshwater habitats, which are often under pressure from multiple human impacts, it is not surprising that the sector raises environmental concerns. Thus the challenge in natural resource management is to strike a balance between conservation and economic development, taking into consideration different opinions and interests so as to achieve reasonable outcomes (Mazur and Curtis, 2008). Environmental damage is not only a consequence of aquaculture but also represents a momentous constraint, owing to the sector’s primary dependence on good environmental conditions and hence a shared interest in their maintenance (Young, Brugere and Muir, 1999).
The ocean can serve man purposes things for many different people; as a school, a home, a park...