Overfishing can no longer be accepted

Overfishing at its finest and a clear look at by-catch:

A thought to keep in mind as you read:  The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization who monitors worldwide fisheries states that, “since 1990 approximately one-quarter of fish stocks have been overexploited, depleted, or are recovering from depletion”( Beddington 2).  I want fisherman to consider this statistic, and imagine the future for their children and then for their grandchildren.  If fish stocks continue to drop at this rate, when the time comes will the future generations of fisherman be able to make a living in the fishing industry?  Will there even be a fishing industry at all? I would strongly argue that if fisherman were faced with answering these difficult questions, they would be more cautious when fishing in the deep seas. Also, worldwide fisherman would more often take into consideration all the potential harmful effects their actions potentially have on marine life and ecosystems worldwide.

I believe that the critical situation stems from the failed management of fisheries worldwide who are lacking in achieving sustainability.  Without the strict management of fisheries worldwide, global marine fishing is approaching its upper limit, and the numbers of overfished populations continue to increase. “In the South Atlantic, recent federal assessments found that 10 of 20 ground fish populations- species that live near the ocean floor such as cod- are subject to overfishing”(Jackson 1).

Via flickr by Michelle Kondrich

To make matters worse, these are long-lived fish that reproduce slowly, and such populations take decades to recover!  I know fishermen that you are thinking in the back of your mind the numerous times you have pulled hundreds of cod out of your fish nets, without thinking anything of it. This is unacceptable and undermines the principle of conservation while also keeping in mind future marine abundance as a primary goal.  Before understanding the correct management processes leading to sustainability, it’s important to recognize the stakeholder of this controversy:  the over exploited fisheries.  This is a huge problem that not only fisherman need to recognize, but also society in general.  Why can’t present-day commercial marine management achieve proper sustainability to preserve and revive marine life?  I know why!  It’s there constant use of overcapacity fishing fleets and their unrestricted fishing expeditions. This contributes strongly to the threat of overfishing and the decline in fish stocks.  In result, ecosystem based management must be more strongly enforced.  The search for a more effective ecosystem based management is inevitable.  This search needs to occur in the near future rather than when it’s to late or to bad to revive to proper order.

Deep sea steam-trawler: Via flickr
by John Masefield

Via flickr by unknown

The management of fisheries up until now have told fisherman to focus strictly on catching the maximum amount of target species, which are the species that are most profitable to them.  This becomes a clear example of the lacking concern managements worldwide have on sustainability and the huge concern they have on maximizing fishing production and salary.  As a fisherman it’s essential to understand the political pressures managements are faced with, as well as the short- term benefit approach they are forced to take.  Louis Botsford et al. claim that, “This structure leads managers to constantly increase fishing pressure to excessive levels” (Botsford 2). Upon making this statement, I urge increased avocation and regulation. So that fishermen will understand the importances of ecosystem structures and avoid protocols that condone overfishing.  I wonder, do fisherman ever consider the risks from solely concentrating on the profitable catch?  I would answer no, and go out on a limb saying average fisherman might even be oblivious to the complexities surrounding this question. The economic pressure for the fishermen to support their small, localized communities does not allow them time to recognize the greater environmental implications.  For example, “food webs may are significantly disrupted by this pattern of fishing down the food chain, with cascading implications for the stability of stocks and ecosystems” (Jorgensen 3).   A quota for fishermen is often implemented in order for canning and other onshore industries to survive. It is impossible to ignore what actually is resulting from targeted fishing as many fisherman witness incidental deaths of non-targeted species every time they go to fish.  It’s hard to take into consideration, that these non-targeted species often times are caught in numbers that exceed far greater than the actual targeted species.  This is a clear example, demonstrating how management of fisheries very rarely modify primary management guidance for important fisheries and species.

Via flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/visualizechange/5545032912/
It is time to think about a more productive incentive that increases regulation; one that is universal and has a more complete approach.  Speaking to fisherman of the world, how would you feel if you were guaranteed a certain proportion of catch in certain fisheries? You would feel a side of relief right?   Certain regulations are made today in fishery management that envision a more healthy and enhanced fish population, so that competition is no longer relevant.  Transforming the management process to reduce the influence of pressure for greater harvest is a more immediate promise.  I believe the fishing industry would be willing to support conservative management styles, knowing that they are guaranteed long-term profits, sustained market share value, and also no longer have to compete for fish.


 

Bottom trawling is a fishing technique used by the industrial fishing vessels brought in from China and the European Union, who illegally fish in the Sierra Leone waters. Meticulous language choice and evidence used by CNN throughout the video, is an effective rhetoric device used to inform the audience’s that the oceans sea life is at risk.  The reporters of CNN are trying to persuade the audience by ingraining emotions of sympathy, by describing a suffering ecosystem in Sierra Leone. A reporter states, “Alpha Aroma heads out to see, but these are troubled waters, the fish are disappearing, and so too is his livelihood and the rest of the Sierra Leone people.”(Sierra Leone Overfishing)  The common audience being scientist and environmentalist are stakeholders who are responsible for the re-establishment of Sierra Leone waters, and CNN strategically works to make this argument significant.      

Works Cited:

Beddington, J. R., D. J. Agnew, and C. W. Clark. "Current Problems in the Management of Marine Fisheries." Science 316.5832 (2007): 1713-716. Print.

Botsford, Louis W., Juan C. Castilla, and Charles H. Peterson. "The Management of Fisheries and Marine Ecosystems." Science Magazine 277 (1997): 509-15. Http://www.sciencemag.org. Science Magazine. Web.

Jackson, J. B. C. "Historical Overfishing and the Recent Collapse of Coastal Ecosystems." Science 293.5530 (2001): 629-37. Print.

Jorgensen, C., K. Enberg, E. S. Dunlop, R. Arlinghaus, D. S. Boukal, K. Brander, B. Ernande, A. Gardmark, F. Johnston, S. Matsumura, H. Pardoe, K. Raab, A. Silva, A. Vainikka, U. Dieckmann, M. Heino, and A. D. Rijnsdorp. "Ecology: Managing Evolving Fish Stocks." Science 318.5854 (2007): 1247-248. Print.