A recent NPR.org podcast reports an increase in overfishing, mainly due to the U.S. and Europe's desire to eat more fish. This got me wondering how many other countries are jumping on the "eating fish is healthier" bandwagon and contributing to the rapid decline of global fisheries. A quick search of Google News found an article summarizing a series of studies that local taboos in most developing countries have stymied overfishing of local reefs. In this light, then...
Questions:
1. List one developed country and one developing country that are to some extent contributing to the decline of global fisheries. Describe the difference between these two countries in terms of their GDP. What is their import/export of global fish stocks?
2. Describe one cultural practice in a developed country that is contributing to the decline of global fisheries and one cultural practice in a developing country that is helping to prevent the decline of global fisheries.
3. Describe two types of technology that are being used in commercial fishing and for each type of technology describe one environmental problem that arises from its use.
4. What is one legislative law that regulates global fisheries, and explain under what circumstances this law is suspended and/or reinstated.
Resources:
A Dire Prediction for the Future of Sea Life - http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6469061
Local Taboos Stop Overfishing -
http://www.sciencealert.com.au/news/20082301-16816.html
Until the Fish are All Gone -
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/21/opinion/21mon1.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
Scientists Use Satellites to Track Fish - http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1998/08/05/MN82865.DTL
Fishery Conservation and Management Act - http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/magact/mag1.html
Overfishing Presentation - http://goapes.wikispaces.com/overfishingpresentation
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Overfishing
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Both developed and developing countries are contributing to the decline of global fisheries. The United States has a GDP of $13.13 trillion, Indonesia has a GDP of $948.3 billion. Since the United States’ GDP is much greater than Indonesia’s, they will have more import and export of fish.
Developed countries, such as Australia, are contributing to the decline of global fisheries because of pirate fishing and use of destructive gears. Developing countries such as Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and East Africa have customary management and taboos to prevent overexploitation of marine resources.
Sonar units and satellites are used to track the fish location and migratory habits so fishermen can more easily find schools of fish. However, this hurts the environment because the sonar waves transmitted by the boats can disrupt the waves transmitted by dolphins and other sea creatures. Microwave telemetry can also be used. This works by placing a pop-up tag on the fish that uses sensors to collect data on temperature and pressure. From this information, fishermen can determine the location of the fish. This technology can be harmful for the fish because the trackers are embedded in their skin and can get in the digestion systems of larger fish if they are consumed.
The Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 regulates global fisheries by creating a conservation zone 200 miles around the United States shores and as well as foreign regulations. The law varies due to the biology of the stock, the needs of the fishing communities, and the interaction of the overfished stock within the marine ecosystem.
1) One developed country that is contributing towards the decline of global fisheries is Japan and a developing country is the Philippines. Japan's GDP is $5.103 trillion and the Pilippines' GDP is $142.3 billion. Japan has a much bigger population and a higher GDP, so they will import more fish so they can feed their larger population.
2) In Australia pirate fishing, the use of illegal methods or the harvesting of endangered fish, is a practice that is helping the decline of global fisheries. In developing countries the use of harbor masters, or people who control what is allowed to be caught and how the fish are caught, is helping prevent the decline of global fisheries.
3) One type of technology is the pop-up-tag. This is a tag that is attached to the fish and takes water temperature readings as well as tracking the fish's movement. Another tracking device is the radio-equipped tag. this device does the same thing as the pop-up-tag but it is hard to recover data because you have to recapture the fish. The information about these fishes migratory patterns from these devices will allow fishermen to follow the fish more precisely and catch greater quantities of fish.
4) The Fishery Conservation and Management Act is one law that helps regulate over fishing. This law protects fish that are listed as threatened, due to overfishing and does not protect fish that are not listed as threatened or endangered.
1) One developed country that is contributing the declining of global fisheries is Japan and one that is developing is Indonesia. The GDP in Japan is around $5.103 trillion where as Indonesia is around $948.3 billion. Japan has one of the greatest population densities in the world as well as a greater GDP then Indonesia. Therefore they will import and use a ton more fish than Indonesia.
2) One cultural practice that is attributing to the decline of global fishery today is Pirate Fishing. Pirate fishing exists in Australia and it is fishing endangered species and using illegal methods to do it. One cultural practice that is attributing to the prevention of the decline of global fishery is having a strict set of fish that you can fish at a certain time. For example, having a harbor master check and revise what the fisherman fishes.
3) Two types of technology that is being used in commercial fishing are using satellites to track fish in the forms of pop-up tags and radio-equipped tags. Pop up tags work by popping up on the surface of the water at some time to transmit info like the temperature to ARGOS satellites. Radio-equipped tags work the same as the pop up tags however instead of transmitting the data through satellites; you have to get the fish back. One environmental problem that rises from Pop-up tags and radio-equipped tags are bad because it will be a lot easier for the fishermen to track down the fish and catch them. This will contribute to the overfishing problem we have today.
4) One legislative law the enables global fisheries is the Fishery Conservation and Management Act which helps the fish in almost every way possible to survive by giving them such things as 200 miles along the U.S. shores dedicated to conserving fish. The law can be suspended when they’re not listed as threatened and are not being harvested at sustainable yields. It can be reinstated when they are listed as threatened or endangered.
1) One developed country that is contributing the declining of global fisheries is Japan and one that is developing is Indonesia. The GDP in Japan is around $5.103 trillion where as Indonesia is around $948.3 billion. Japan has one of the greatest population densities in the world as well as a greater GDP then Indonesia. Therefore they will import and use a ton more fish than Indonesia.
2) One cultural practice that is attributing to the decline of global fishery today is Pirate Fishing. Pirate fishing exists in Australia and it is fishing endangered species and using illegal methods to do it. One cultural practice that is attributing to the prevention of the decline of global fishery is having a strict set of fish that you can fish at a certain time. For example, having a harbor master check and revise what the fisherman fishes.
3) Two types of technology that is being used in commercial fishing are using satellites to track fish in the forms of pop-up tags and radio-equipped tags. Pop up tags work by popping up on the surface of the water at some time to transmit info like the temperature to ARGOS satellites. Radio-equipped tags work the same as the pop up tags however instead of transmitting the data through satellites; you have to get the fish back. One environmental problem that rises from Pop-up tags and radio-equipped tags are bad because it will be a lot easier for the fishermen to track down the fish and catch them. This will contribute to the overfishing problem we have today.
4) One legislative law the enables global fisheries is the Fishery Conservation and Management Act which helps the fish in almost every way possible to survive by giving them such things as 200 miles along the U.S. shores dedicated to conserving fish. The law can be suspended when they’re not listed as threatened and are not being harvested at sustainable yields. It can be reinstated when they are listed as threatened or endangered.
One developed country that is contributing the declining of global fisheries is Japan and one that is developing is Indonesia. The Japan’s GDP is around $5.103 trillion while Indonesia’s is around $948.3 billion. Japan has one of the greatest population densities in the world as well as a greater GDP then Indonesia, so it’s only natural that they will import and use a lot more fish than Indonesia.
Pirate fishing is a cultural practice that is leading to the decline of global fishery. It exists in developed countries such as Australia, and is the fishing of endangered species and using illegal methods to do it. One cultural practice that is attributing to the prevention of the decline of global fishery is having a strict fishing season that fishers have to follow.
One type of technology is the pop-up-tag. This is a tag that is attached to the fish and takes water temperature readings as well as tracking the fish's movement. After some time, the tag detaches from the fish and floats to the surface of the water. Another tracking device is the radio-equipped tag. This device does the same thing as the pop-up-tag but is harder to recover data because you have to recapture the fish. The information about these fish’s migratory patterns from these devices allows fishermen to follow the fish better and catch more of fish.
The Fishery Conservation and Management Act is a law that helps regulate over-fishing, since this law protects fish that are listed as threatened, due to overfishing. The law only protects fish that are on the threatened or endangered list.
1. A developed country that is contributing to the decline of global fisheries is the United States. A developing country that is contributing to the decline of global fisheries is the Philippines. The United States GDP is $13.3 trillion and the GDP of the Philippines is $142.3 billion. With the larger GDP, the United States is importing and exporting a larger number of fish and therefore are contributing more to the decline of global fisheries.
2. A developed country such as Australia is contributing to the decline in global fisheries with its pirate fishing. This is when dangerous and illegal methods are being used to capture and kill all types of fish, including endangered fish. The developing country such as Indonesia uses strict rules on fishing and harbor masters to prevent the decline in global fisheries. In this country and close eye is kept on their fish population.
3. Two types of equipment that are being used in commercial fishing is sonar tracking devices such as pop-up-tags and radio-equipped tags. Pop-up-tags are placed on the fish and report the fish’s location as well as the temperature of the water. Radio-equipped tags use the same device that the pop-up-tags use but the fish must be recaptured to collect the data, this runs the risk of hurting the fish. Both of these methods can deplete the population of the fish dramatically, they allow fishermen to locate large populations of fish.
4. The Fishery and Conservation and Management Act of 1976 protects and regulates fisheries. The law protects fish that are on the threatened and endangered list and they do this by creating a conservation zone around the United States shore.
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