Fisheries Prepared by - Ms. Uttara Abhyankar Grade 4 – Animal Resources

What is Fishery? A fishery is an area with an associated fish or aquatic population which is harvested for its commercial value. Fisheries can be marine (saltwater) or freshwater. They can also be wild or farmed. A fishery may involve the capture of wild fish or raising fish through fish farming or aquaculture.

Why are fisheries important? Food security and nutrition. Economic growth through fish production and trade. Poverty alleviation and the creation of employment opportunities in rural areas. Safety for fisherman Overfishing Ocean acidification- Ongoing acidification of the oceans threatens food chains connected with the oceans Habitat modification Ocean pollution Changing the ecosystem balance by fishing down the food web.

Wild fisheries Wild fisheries are sometimes called capture fisheries. The aquatic life they support is not controlled in any meaningful way and needs to be "captured" or fished. Wild fisheries exist primarily in the oceans, and particularly around coasts and continental shelves. They also exist in lakes and rivers. Significant wild fisheries have collapsed or are in danger of collapsing, due to overfishing and pollution.

  Commercial fisheries refer to the whole process of catching and marketing fish and shellfish for sale. Commercial fisheries include fishery resources, fishermen, and related businesses. Directly or indirectly, the livelihood of over 500 million people in developing countries depends on fisheries and aquaculture. Overfishing, including the taking of fish beyond sustainable levels. This is reducing fish stocks  and employment.

Over fishing

Giant kelp, , has been utilized for many years as a food source, it contains many compounds such as iodine, potassium, other minerals vitamins and carbohydrates and thus has also been used as a dietary supplement.

HOW DO FISHERMEN CATCH FISH? Commercial fishermen generally harvest seafood with some variety of pots, nets, or fishing line. Fishing methods vary in scale and operation depending on the species and area being fished. For example, fishermen lower pots onto the seafloor to harvest crabs and lobsters, tow large trawl nets through the water column to harvest schools of Alaska pollock, and deploy baited longlines into the water to catch swordfish. A commercial fishery could be just one person on a small boat casting nets by hand, or a huge fleet of trawlers processing tons of fish at a time.

DOES FISHING HARM THE ENVIRONMENT DOES FISHING HARM THE ENVIRONMENT? Some fishing methods can incidentally capture other marine animals (bycatch) or damage sensitive habitats such as coral reefs. In the United States, reducing bycatch and protecting habitat are two of the fundamental standards that drive the management of all fisheries.