PART SEVEN Fish Resource Management

Introduction About 80% of fish harvested come from oceans. Why is this obvious?  Most of the world’s water is ocean, therefore it would be expected that fresh water would only contain a small portion of the world’s fish.

Introduction There are 4 major fishing regions: –North east Atlantic (England/Norway); –North west Pacific (Japan); –West central Pacific (China/Indonesia); –South east Pacific (Western South America).

Most fishing grounds are found on continental shelves for 2 reasons: 1.The shallow waters of the shelves make harvesting more cost effective. ~The fish have to be landed on shore for human use so the regions closer to shore are fished most profitably.

2.The shallow waters of the shelf promote plankton production which serve as the base of the marine food web including fish. –Shallow water ensures: enough light for phytoplankton effective circulation of nutrients.

Trends in Fish Catches Usually when one fish species declines, fishers increase harvesting of another species. According to the graph does seem to be true for NL? In NL it looks like the decline in the ground fish species (ex: cod), caused an increase in harvesting shell fish. Most likely, the increase came in the crab and shrimp fisheries. However, some of the increased shellfish harvest might have been mussels.

Fisheries Management There are a number of issues related to the fishery that require management. Pollution and conservation of fish stocks top the list.

Major Sources of Ocean Pollution Oil Oceans suffer from many devastating spills. Hundreds of millions of gallons of oil quietly end up in the seas every year, mostly from non-accidental sources.

Major Sources of Ocean Pollution Toxic Material Industrial, agricultural, household cleaning, gardening, and automotive products regularly end up in water. EX: TBT, or tributyl tin, is added to boat paints to kill or repel barnacles and other troubling organisms that soil ships' hulls.

Major Sources of Ocean Pollution Dangerous Debris When trash, particularly plastics, end up in the sea, they pose hazards to marine life. Animals drown or strangle from getting tangled in discarded or lost fishing gear, or suffer and even die from eating plastics and other garbage.

Major Sources of Ocean Pollution Deposits & Withdrawals Humans have used oceans as vast dumps for domestic, municipal, and industrial garbage for thousands of years. The enormous deep-sea resources will undoubtedly attract more miners in the future, as easy-to-reach deposits on land are depleted.

Two Types of Fishery 1.Inshore Fishery Boats remain within km of shore and return home every day during warmer months. Boats are small (5-20m in length) with fixed gear and independently owned and operated. Boat crews consists of 1-3 people. Income is low and irregular, and fisherman usually collect unemployment insurance in the offseason. These fisherman are self-employed, and market and sell their own catch.

2.Offshore Fishery Boats fish to edges of continental shelf, up to 350km from shore. Boats stay out to sea for 2-3 weeks or longer before returning home and fish all year long. Boats are large (20-50m in length), with the latest technology and equipment (usually mobile fish nets). Boat crews consists of people. Fisherman obtain a steady income. Boats are owned and operated by large companies that catch, process, and market the fish.

Impact of New Technology on the Ocean Environment (Pg. 206) Factory freezer Trawlers ~ have likely had the most significant and negative impact.

The reasons for this include: 1.Highly efficient at catching fish, but greatly reduces the population & reproduction. 2.Large diesel engines, echo sounding equipment, onboard freezers, and GPS navigation contribute to their efficiency. 3.Destruction of the ocean floor by trawls/draggers eliminates good spawning locations for fish. Also, it disperses eggs, making fertilization more difficult.

4.By-catch is often discarded. Some regulations require ships to return with low levels of by catch. 5.Traveling great distances and being able to stay at sea for long periods allows trawlers from all over the world to come together in good fishing areas. This puts added pressure on the fish stock.

Sustainable Fishery Definition: Using a resources such as the ocean species in a way that will ensure they will not become extinct, but will be protected to increase for the benefit of future generations.

Strategies for a Sustainable Fishery Have knowledge about sustaining the fishery. Human attitudes must change. People need to understand the long-term wellbeing of the resource. Decrease consumption and world’s population. Extend legal jurisdictions. Try to prevent foreign fishing.

Aquaculture : It is also known as fish farming and involves the raising of marine life in a controlled environment. Hence, this activity breeds and raises fish in tanks, ponds, and reservoirs. ~ Since the fish are fed regularly and are safe from natural predators, they mature rapidly and successfully.

Aquaculture Supporters Farmed fish are rich in omega 3 fats and are equally as healthy to eat as wild fish. Aquaculture is the main economic base of many coastal communities. Farmed fish provide a large supply of protein and food security as wild fish stocks decline worldwide. Divers regularly inspect the ocean floor and check for holes in nets. New containment technology reduces the escape of fish into the wild. Antibiotic use is strictly controlled by vets and used for diagnosed conditions only. Contaminants in farmed salmon are below the levels set by Health Canada. Salmon farming is a highly regulated industry with more than 50 different provincial and federal requirements. Opponents Farmed salmon contains more fat than wild salmon and more toxic contaminants like PCBs and pesticides that may affect human health. Waste products from fish, uneaten food, and dead fish sink to the ocean bottom and pollute natural habitat. Fish are raised in densely packed net cages so diseases spread quickly. Sea lice, rampant on fish farms, escape and weaken wild salmon stocks. Antibiotics and pesticides to prevent disease and sea lice contaminate water in which wild salmon swim, kill other species, and may be harmful to consumers. Net cages often tear, allowing farmed salmon to escape, which affects wild salmon.

Fish Resource & Fishers’ Livelihood  The declining fish resources may have a variety of affects on fishers. Some of those include: Fishers may concentrate more on conservation. Fishers and their community will have to diversify: –develop aquaculture (ex. Bay D'Espoir) –golf course construction (ex. Frenchman’s cove) –sea weed aquaculture (ex. Isle aux Morts) –eco-tourism (ex. Northern Peninsula) –catch underutilized species