Unit 9: Revamping Fishing Strategies
Curtis Meyer
Kaplan University
Revamping Fishing Strategies
Generation after generation gathered food off the land, people are continuing to practice this in our modern world today. Societies expressly continue to gather their own food as it provides an inexpensive, delightful tasting meal. One of the techniques of our historical past that is still in use today, that has been used for generation after generation is “netting” fish. Netting is a classic technique that has not faced as many revisions to its practice. It persists from one generation to the next due to the fact, that many do not understand it to be harmful to the environment; others may enjoy the idea of letting commercial fisheries catch large numbers of fish as it continues to keep some of Americans favorite meals low cost. Devastating fall out from neglectful thinking about netting will occur in the future if preservative action toward this way of life is not taken. Minimizing the use of nets in waterways will ensure salmon and other fish survive for many more generations to come, allowing this plentiful food source given to us by Mother Nature to be exploited and enjoyed by our future kin. With food sources now readily available, fishing with nets should be reevaluated as follows; who is allowed to fish with nets, what are their purposes, and how will this effect tributary fishing populations.
Fishing with the utilization of nets was one of the first techniques employed by Cromagnons (modern humans) for catching their food. An ancient site in East Timor suggest that the early humans utilized these fishing techniques in open water dating back more than 40,000 years (Balter ...
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...ade to ensure the successful future in cooperating with mother nature, to continue tor provide for everyone, as she has graciously done for many past generations.
References
Balter M. (2011). When Humans First Plied the Deep Blue Sea. Science Magazine. Retrieved from http://news.sciencemag.org/2011/11/when-humans-first-plied-deep-blue-sea
Einarsson S. M. & Gudbergsson G. (2013). The effects of the net fishery closure on angling catch in the River Hvı´ta´, Iceland. Fisheries Management and Ecology, 2003, 10, 73–78
North West Indian Fisheries Commision, (2014) Treaties. Retrieved from: http://nwifc.org/member-tribes/treaties/
Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife. (2012). 2012-13 Co-Managers' list of Agreed Fisheries Olympia, WA Retrieved from: http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/tribal/2012-13agreement.pdf
Higgins, J. (2008). Lifestyle of Fishers, 1600-1900. Retrieved June 14, 2014, from Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage: http://www.heritage.nf.ca/society/fishers_lifestyle.html
Since three-forth of the world is composed of bodies of water, it’s natural that a great number of people rely on fishing for their livelyhood or just for their recreation needs. There are numerous of fish species swimming under the lakes, seas, ponds, and rivers. Most anglers consider fishing as the delight in their purpose-driven life, a sport, as they say.
In the past twenty years a large amount of bottlenose dolphin have been killed due to the tuna fishery. In the Eastern Pacific swim large schools of tuna, these shoals tend to be under herds of dolphins, for some unexplained reason. Because of this, fishermen can easily find schools of tuna. The tuna are being caught under purse seine nets, which encircles the shoals of tuna and then is pulled back on board the fishing vessel, catching both tuna and dolphin. Initially the mortality rate was 500,000 each year for dolphins alone. Although some efforts are made to encourage the dolphins to leave the net by backing down part of the net, which allows the dolphins to escape, there are still a large number of mortalities (Bryant). On the other hand, in the last few years there has been dramatic progress in stopping the fishing industries from using purse sine nets. It has been found that dolphins are in immediate danger of extinction if these fishing techniques don’t stop.
In the late 1990s fishermen were getting stressed and many of them turned in their boats. This is because the government made new rules and regulations for the fishing industry. These rules are supposed to help endangered fish, although some are not helping at all. The government allows small boat fishermen to catch only 500 pounds of cod per day and requires them to toss any extra overboard before they reach shore.
I was raised in Jacksonville, Florida; “the river city” as most natives call it. As stated by the St. Johns River Water Management Disctrict the city has this nickname because it is home to the largest river in Florida, the St. Johns. The St. Johns is also one of the two rivers in the United States that flows north (2013). Since I was surrounded by it my whole life, activities involving water were very common. One of my family’s favorite things to do is have a fishing tournament for Easter on my grandparents’ dock on the St. Johns River.
“Summary Report for: Fish and Game Wardens”. O Net Online. 2014.Web. 4 April 2014. >.
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 a year, being one of the world’s most valuable. However, the coasts have not been treated with respect; overfishing, over consumption, and wasteful practices have deteriorated, not only the industry, but the ecosystems and fish populations. This is a huge global issue; the worldwide collapse of fisheries is projected for 2048.
There is also a theory that part of the people’s diet was fish even though fish tackle has not yet been found. It is the discovery of stone boxes, with water-proof linings that suggested they needed a tank for fish bait, such as limpets. “Limpets are effective fish bait but they need to be softened before fish find them tempting. Soaking achieves this” (Clarke and Maggiore, 2000)
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.
Due to the demand many packaging for the fish can find its was back to sea, or when fishermen are out at sea they can leave their garbage. Many nets from the boats and gears can also be found in the water, that fish can later see as food, eat it, and die; this ties back to extinction in fish. There is much pollution and decline stocks in fish because it is very hard to regulate the seas. To fulfill the growing demand for seafood, many companies are forced to fish beyond areas that are supposed to be non-fishing zones. This is because there are hardly any laws or restrictions telling them where they can and cannot fish. Sally Driscoll and Tom Warhol report in, ‘Overfishing’, that itt wasn’t until 1956 where we saw our first regulation, the United Nations organized the first UN Convention of the Law of the Sea or the NCLOS which helped promote rights of all countries by establishing boundaries off shore. Meaning that some seafood fished in certain areas of the ocean cannot be sold in certain countries, and in some areas it is illegal to fish unless you have a permit from that country. Economy also helps make it harder to regulate the seas, in ‘Overfishing’ it is explained that Preisdent Barack Obama brought up Antiquities Act of 1906, that let fishermen expand their fishing areas. The United Nations FAO estimates that 25 percent of all fish trapped in nets are labeled unusable or not licensed for fishing by the
Defenders of Wildlife (n.d.). Salmon | Basic Facts About Salmon | Defenders of Wildlife. Retrieved from http://www.defenders.org/salmon/basic-facts
The Fraser sockeye salmon is a very important species of fish in many communities in the province of British Columbia, generating millions and millions of dollars each year. With a decline in the number of salmon returning each year, not only will environmental problems arise but also economic ones. “This puts pressure on the communities of British Columbia that rely on these sockeye salmon for food, social and ceremonial purposes”(Cohen Commission, p. 14) as well as “recreational pursuits and livelihood needs” (Cohen Commission p.14). Jobs would be lost, and as a result less money will be made, having a potential impact on British Columbia’s GDP. On the other hand, what this means for the environment is even more startling. This could affect the food chains in the marine ecosystems, and affect many of the ocean’s other creatures. Salmon have both predators and prey; their declining numbers may have a great impact on the marine food web as a whole. The potential pathogen, or one of nature’s causes, may also affect other species in the marine ecosystem, which could bring potential ecosystem altering
To fish or not to fish is a personal choice. The fact that the oceans are being overfished is a growing concern for individuals, organizations, and governments throughout the world. In this paper I want to discuss the effects of overfishing on the restaurant industry, and possible solutions to solve the problem. Fishing is an ongoing source of food for people around the world. In many countries it is a food staple in their everyday diet. In more modern societies eating fish has become a sensual experience, and not just for the wealthy. It hasn't been until population explosions in the last century that the demand for seafood has led to more effective fishing techniques and technologies. Now the demand for popular fish like the salmon, tuna, sea bass, cod and hoki, which is the key fish in McDonalds filet o' fish, is diving wild populations to dangerously low levels. The methods used to catch the amount of fish demanded by the industry do not leave sustainable populations in the wild. In an attempt to preserve the fish population, governments have set limits on the minimum size that may be harvested and how many of each may be taken. Boundaries have been set up saying which areas can be fished and which ones should be left alone. A number of smaller fisheries have gone out of business because of the limits imposed by the government. This leads to even less fish being harvested and brought to market. Therefore the amount and varieties of fish at markets are smaller and can cause shortages for wholesalers and restaurants. Some restaurants will no longer have the variety on their menus that they used to enjoy. If a restaurant thrives on its seafood menu they may be unable to cope with the shortages and will go out of business. In the ...
Have you ever thought about going to the store and not being able to purchase certain food because you are only allowed to buy it at a certain time? Here in Hawaii, the government is trying to impose laws and restrictions on fishing sanctuaries throughout the Hawaiian Islands. Articles such as “Rights and Respects for Native Fishing,” “Native Hawaiians And Streams,” and “Ancient Hawaiians Caught More by Fishing Less” discuss overfishing, and I use them to analyze my thoughts on the rights of Native Hawaiian fishing and preservation of marine life.
There are many challenges that our society faces today, and there are many STEM-based (Science Technology Engineering and Math) solutions that may provide the answers to those challenges for the future. One of those particular problems is bycatching. One hundred million sharks, three hundred thousand whales, one hundred thousand albatrosses, and three hundred thousand dolphins all caught, rejected, and killed every year in nets or fishing lines. According to Merriam-Webster bycatching is “the portion of a commercial fishing catch that consists of marine animals caught unintentionally.” Despite new technologies and industry recognition of the issue, bycatch is still a major problem. Wherever there is fishing there is bycatching, meaning that there is no really effective way to stop