August 2, 2009
Proper fishing habits bring renewed fish populations
In a paper just published Science Magazine, a team of fisheries led by Boris Worm, a marine biologist at Canada’s Dalhousie University, provided the most comprehensive analysis to date of global fisheries. The findings are mixed.
In 5 of 10 well-studied regions — Iceland, Newfoundland-Labrador, the Northeast U.S., Southeast Australia, and the California Current — fishing pressures have on average become less intense. 1/3 of all fish populations have been steered away from imminent doom, and appear to be recovering. Their ecosystems are no longer fast-tracked for collapse.
The solutions were relatively simple: abandon destructive fishing techniques like longlining and bottom trawling, reduce catches, put some waters off-limits, and give fishermen an economic reason to not overfish.
As this passage from Science suggests, new solutions didn’t need to be invented:
“After a long history of overexploitation, increasing efforts to restore marine ecosystems and rebuild fisheries are under way… Yet 63% of assessed fish stocks worldwide still require rebuilding, and even lower exploitation rates are needed to reverse the collapse of vulnerable species.
Combined fisheries and conservation objectives can be achieved by merging diverse management actions, including catch restrictions, gear modification, and closed areas, depending on local context.
Impacts of international fleets and the lack of alternatives to fishing complicate prospects for rebuilding fisheries in many poorer regions, highlighting the need for a global perspective on rebuilding marine resources.” – Science Magazine
A side-product of trawling for shrimp – a bunch of unwanted fish.
Credit: Wired
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