Unsustainable fishing methods refers to the use of various fishing methods used to capture or harvest fish at a rate which is unsustainable for fish populations. [1] These methods facilitate destructive fishing practices that damage ecosystems within the ocean, and result in overfishing. [2]
Unsustainable fishing methods vary in scale, ranging from commercial-grade equipment, such as bottom trawling, to consumer-grade equipment, such as fishing rods and nets. [3] A combination of these fishing methods and an increase in fishing pressures through sociological practices such as over-exploitation and overfishing, make these fishing methods unsustainable. [4]
The unsustainable nature of fisheries can be characterized by three aspects, as stated by Ray Hilborn:
Bottom trawling is classified as an active gear that consists of a large weighted net, which trawls or "drags" along the sea floor; acting as a destructive mechanism that removes coral and other marine species. [7] [8] As stated by the Sea Fish Industry Authority, [7] the trawl consists of several components that assist the catch composition of the gear, which includes:
Bottom trawling is scientifically divided into two types of trawling, demersal trawling and benthic trawling, [10] which allows trawlers to target species that live close to the seabed, or those that live on or in the seabed respectively. [7]
Cyanide fishing is used as a method to capture live fish to supply the international aquarium trade, and more recently, to supply the demand for live reef fish by restaurants. [11] This method involves the spraying of sodium cyanide into the targeted fish's habitat as a means of stunning the fish without killing them. [12] For each fish captured using sodium cyanide, a square meter of coral reef is destroyed. [13]
Dynamite fishing or blast fishing is a technique that detonates explosives underwater in order to easily kill schools of fish and maximize yield. The dead or stunned fish then floats to the surface of the water where they can be easily harvested. [13] Along with the fish, the entire ecosystem, such as coral reefs, and other marine organisms within the blast radius can be destroyed; which in a coral reef's case, can take hundreds of years to rebuild. [14]
Ghost gear is fishing gear that has been left or lost in the ocean. [7] [15] The gear can potentially continue to catch or entangle any species of marine life as it drifts through the water or snags on rocky reef, eventually killing the entangled organism through laceration, suffocation or starvation. [16]
By-catching is an inevitable aspect of fishing where unwanted fish or other marine organisms including turtles, dolphins and juveniles are caught. [17] This is a by-product of the unselective nature of modern fishing gear, such as bottom trawling which captures everything in the path of the net. [18] Consumer-grade gear such as fishing rods and nets are used by pirate fishers to undertake illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing which adds to the number of marine species taken from their ecosystems. [13]
Examples of the use of unsustainable fishing methods exist globally and not only impacts the harvested species, but also all marine species that coexist or rely on the targeted harvest. [19]
Concerns over the unsustainable nature of the use of these fishing methods have been identified by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea treaty which focuses attention on over-fishing through the use of these methods. [27] According to the United Nations convention agreements in exclusive economic zones (1994): [28]
These convention agreements are recognized by global fisheries that resultantly employ harvest strategies and guidelines, such as gear restrictions and deployment limits, [29] to maintain the use of these unsustainable fishing methods. Examples of such strategies and guidelines employed by global fisheries are listed below:
As fisheries are important both socially and economically, it is difficult to maintain a socioeconomic sustainable management system, which considers the environmental impact of fishing methods; particularly in under-developed regions where communities rely on fisheries for their livelihood. [36] An observed trend between fisheries in under-developed regions, is that those regions lack fisheries management and enforcement, and when compared to well-developed and well-managed regions in the world, under-developed regions, on average, account for three-fold greater harvest rates. [37]
This shows an obstacle for the mitigation of unsustainable fishing methods, which is observed to be influenced by a social-ecological trade off. [38] In developing regions in world where communities are classified as low-income, fisheries are a means of both food security and income, [39] and with the enforcement of regulations and management, the livelihoods of people within those communities are at stake. [38] This impact can be observed through the closed fishing season policy for sardines in the Philippines. [40] The immediate loss of income to the fisheries worker's low-income households, eroded the favorability of the policy amongst the community; which also poses an implementation issue for future policies and regulations. [40]
The challenge of pursuing environmental-based objectives, is the simultaneous maintenance of social sustainability. [41] It has been identified that social factors through social conception of human well-being, have the potential to improve the implementation of fisheries regulation and governance. [42] This remains a difficult concept in developing fishery regions, such as the Caribbean coral reef fishery, where the implementation of management and regulation upon parrotfish ( Sparisoma viride ) has seen an initial decrease in income for fishery workers who rely heavily on the species. [38] To low income communities, this decrease in income is observed to drastically undermine the management of fisheries. [43]
In particular, when there exists a high demand and price in global markets for specific fish species, low income communities who have access to those specific species have been observed to be the main cause of over-fishing. [11] In a region where fishermen have fewer alternatives to earn an income, and where fishery regulation and management have weak control, over-fishing of highly desired fish species is observed to be the best option for improving social well-being; despite the environmental impact. [44] This coincides with illegal fishing practices (pirate fishing) that is fueled by the global demand for exotic seafood. [45]
Pirate fishing fostered by the flags of convenience that allow vessels to operate under a state's flag where there exists limited fisheries regulations or laws, enables fishing vessels the ability to practice illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. [46] This U.S. $1.2 billion-dollar industry poses a drastic impact on global fish populations and blatantly undermines the international rules of conversation and management of the high seas resources, according to Ian Macdonald, Australian Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation (2003-2010). [46] Illegal and unreported fishing contributes to the reduction in fish stocks and hinders the ability for fish populations to recover. It is believed that between 10 billion and 23 billion incidents[ spelling? ] of illegal and unreported fishing happen annually, with communities in developing countries being more likely to partake in these illegal activities. [47]
Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life or, more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place. Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farms, both in freshwater waterbodies and the oceans. About 500 million people worldwide are economically dependent on fisheries. 171 million tonnes of fish were produced in 2016, but overfishing is an increasing problem, causing declines in some populations.
Trawling is an industrial method of fishing that involves pulling a fishing net through the water behind one or more boats. The net used for trawling is called a trawl. This principle requires netting bags which are towed through water to catch different species of fishes or sometimes targeted species. Trawls are often called towed gear or dragged gear.
Bycatch, in the fishing industry, is a fish or other marine species that is caught unintentionally while fishing for specific species or sizes of wildlife. Bycatch is either the wrong species, the wrong sex, or is undersized or juveniles of the target species. The term "bycatch" is also sometimes used for untargeted catch in other forms of animal harvesting or collecting. Non-marine species that are caught but regarded as generally "undesirable" are referred to as rough fish or coarse fish.
Overfishing is the removal of a species of fish from a body of water at a rate greater than that the species can replenish its population naturally, resulting in the species becoming increasingly underpopulated in that area. Overfishing can occur in water bodies of any sizes, such as ponds, wetlands, rivers, lakes or oceans, and can result in resource depletion, reduced biological growth rates and low biomass levels. Sustained overfishing can lead to critical depensation, where the fish population is no longer able to sustain itself. Some forms of overfishing, such as the overfishing of sharks, has led to the upset of entire marine ecosystems. Types of overfishing include growth overfishing, recruitment overfishing, and ecosystem overfishing.
The fishing industry includes any industry or activity that takes, cultures, processes, preserves, stores, transports, markets or sells fish or fish products. It is defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization as including recreational, subsistence and commercial fishing, as well as the related harvesting, processing, and marketing sectors. The commercial activity is aimed at the delivery of fish and other seafood products for human consumption or as input factors in other industrial processes. The livelihood of over 500 million people in developing countries depends directly or indirectly on fisheries and aquaculture.
Gillnetting is a fishing method that uses gillnets: vertical panels of netting that hang from a line with regularly spaced floaters that hold the line on the surface of the water. The floats are sometimes called "corks" and the line with corks is generally referred to as a "cork line." The line along the bottom of the panels is generally weighted. Traditionally this line has been weighted with lead and may be referred to as "lead line." A gillnet is normally set in a straight line. Gillnets can be characterized by mesh size, as well as colour and type of filament from which they are made. Fish may be caught by gillnets in three ways:
Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions. Large-scale commercial fishing is called industrial fishing.
Bottom trawling is trawling along the seafloor. It is also referred to as "dragging". The scientific community divides bottom trawling into benthic trawling and demersal trawling. Benthic trawling is towing a net at the very bottom of the ocean and demersal trawling is towing a net just above the benthic zone. Bottom trawling can be contrasted with midwater trawling, where a net is towed higher in the water column. Midwater trawling catches pelagic fish such as anchovies and mackerel, whereas bottom trawling targets both bottom-living fish (groundfish) and semi-pelagic species such as cod, squid, shrimp, and rockfish.
Blast fishing, fish bombing, dynamite fishing or grenade fishing is a destructive fishing practice using explosives to stun or kill schools of fish for easy collection. This often illegal practice is extremely destructive to the surrounding ecosystem, as the explosion often destroys the underlying habitat that supports the fish. The frequently improvised nature of the explosives used, and undetonated charges, means danger for fishermen and divers as well, with accidents and injuries.
The Experimental Oculina Research Reserve preserves the Oculina Banks, a reef of ivory bush coral off the coast of Fort Pierce, Florida. Oculina varicosa is a U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service species of concern. Species of concern are those species about which the U.S. Government's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service, has some concerns regarding status and threats, but for which insufficient information is available to indicate a need to list the species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) is an issue around the world. Fishing industry observers believe IUU occurs in most fisheries, and accounts for up to 30% of total catches in some important fisheries.
The environmental impact of fishing includes issues such as the availability of fish, overfishing, fisheries, and fisheries management; as well as the impact of industrial fishing on other elements of the environment, such as bycatch. These issues are part of marine conservation, and are addressed in fisheries science programs. According to a 2019 FAO report, global production of fish, crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic animals has continued to grow and reached 172.6 million tonnes in 2017, with an increase of 4.1 percent compared with 2016. There is a growing gap between the supply of fish and demand, due in part to world population growth.
Fishing techniques are methods for catching fish. The term may also be applied to methods for catching other aquatic animals such as molluscs and edible marine invertebrates.
A wild fishery is a natural body of water with a sizeable free-ranging fish or other aquatic animal population that can be harvested for its commercial value. Wild fisheries can be marine (saltwater) or lacustrine/riverine (freshwater), and rely heavily on the carrying capacity of the local aquatic ecosystem.
This is a glossary of terms used in fisheries, fisheries management and fisheries science.
Destructive fishing practices are fishing practices which easily result in irreversible damage to habitats and the sustainability of the fishery ecosystems. Such damages can be caused by direct physical destruction of the underwater landform and vegetation, overfishing, indiscriminate killing/maiming of aquatic life, disruption of vital reproductive cycles, and lingering water pollution.
As with other countries, the 200 nautical miles (370 km) exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the coast of the United States gives its fishing industry special fishing rights. It covers 11.4 million square kilometres, which is the second largest zone in the world, exceeding the land area of the United States.
The fishing industry in the Maldives is the island's second main industry. According to national tradition in the words of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, "Fishing is the lifeblood of our nation, it is inborn. From the soil on which we live, to the sea around us, it remains an integral part of our existence. Fishing, and our country and its people, [are] one and shall remain inseparable forever." The Maldives has an abundance of aquatic life and species of fish. Common are tuna, groupers, dolphin fish, barracuda, rainbow runner, trevally and squirrelfish and many more. Aside from being of essential importance to the economy, fishing is also a popular recreational activity in the Maldives, not only among locals but by tourists. The islands have numerous fishing resorts which cater for these activities.
Human activities have substantial impact on coral reefs, contributing to their worldwide decline. Damaging activities encompass coral mining, pollution, overfishing, blast fishing, as well as the excavation of canals and access points to islands and bays. Additional threats comprise disease, destructive fishing practices, and the warming of oceans.[2] Furthermore, the ocean's function as a carbon dioxide sink, alterations in the atmosphere, ultraviolet light, ocean acidification, viral infections, the repercussions of dust storms transporting agents to distant reefs, pollutants, and algal blooms represent some of the factors exerting influence on coral reefs. Importantly, the jeopardy faced by coral reefs extends far beyond coastal regions. The ramifications of climate change, notably global warming, induce an elevation in ocean temperatures that triggers coral bleaching—a potentially lethal phenomenon for coral ecosystems.
The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WPRFMC) is one of eight regional councils established under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) in 1976 to manage offshore fisheries. The WPRFMC's jurisdiction includes the US exclusive economic zone (EEZ) waters around the State of Hawaii; US Territories of American Samoa and Guam; the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI); and the US Pacific remote island areas of Johnston, Midway, Palmyra and Wake Atolls; Baker, Howland and Jarvis Islands; and Kingman Reef. This area of nearly 1.5 million square miles is the size of the continental United States and constitutes about half of the entire US EEZ. It spans both sides of the equator and both sides of the dateline. The WPRFMC also manages domestic fisheries based in the US Pacific Islands that operate on the high seas.
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