Fish constitutes a key source of animal protein for much of the world’s population.[1] Global fishery catches from marine ecosystems were highest in the mid-1980s and have been decreasing ever since despite increasing fishing effort [2]. Many of the world’s oceans wild fish stocks are completely exploited, so the capture fisheries are no longer sustainable. In 2004 the
United Nations State of the World’s Fisheries report indicated that “52 percent of the oceans' wild fish stocks are fully exploited.[3]. In response to the decline of wild fisheries, many of the countries have put their effort to aquaculture. Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic plants and animals. FAO placed the global Aquaculture at 60 million tonnes in 2010,[1], which is about 41.2 % of the total fish production in the World. European Union (EU) countries contribute to 4% of the world aquaculture production. The value of EU aquaculture production was € 3.1 billion for 1.26 million tonnes of production in 2010[4]. Available data show a growing gap – estimated at 8 million tonnes – between the level of consumption of seafood in the EU and the volume of captures from fisheries. Thus the European Union is giving a priority to expansion of Aquaculture in its Members countries. Because of the many issues involved aquaculture, there is a deliberate measure by the EU to keep up policies which will ensure that the expansion of aquaculture is in done in an environmentally, socially and economically sustainable way by member countries. Here I discuss the general concepts of aquaculture and the significance of the EU aquaculture policies under the EU Union common fisheries policy (CFP) for the growth of aquaculture in the region. I also compare these policies with other ma...
... middle of paper ...
...ave led to success of china aquaculture include availability of market, diverse and diversity of fish products. Prioritization of the aquaculture as important sector of the economy also contributes to the significance difference in production between the EU and china.[13]
The major differences that can be seen between aquaculture in China and in the European union is that in china aquaculture production is more focused to production while the European Union focuses on the Environmental challenges.
Conclusion
The aquaculture sector has a strategic importance in contribution to food security and its growth is very promising especially under the blue growth economy. Despite the many challenges facing the aquaculture industry in the EU the growth can be realized if the polices and strategies under the CFP for aquaculture are implemented by the member countries.
In this entertaining, search into global fish hatcheries, New York Times writer Paul Greenberg investigates our historical connection with the ever changing ocean and the wild fish within it. In the beginning of the book Paul is telling his childhood fishing stories to his friends, that night Paul discovers that that four fish dominate the world’s seafood markets in which are salmon, tuna, cod, and bass. He tries to figure out why this is and the only logical answer he could come up with is that four epochal shifts caused theses wild fish population to diminish. History shows that four epochal shifts happen within fifteen years causing certain fish species populations to diminish. He discovers for each of the four fish why this happened to
Due to the demand many packaging for the fish can find its was back to sea, or when fishermen are out at sea they can leave their garbage. Many nets from the boats and gears can also be found in the water, that fish can later see as food, eat it, and die; this ties back to extinction in fish. There is much pollution and decline stocks in fish because it is very hard to regulate the seas. To fulfill the growing demand for seafood, many companies are forced to fish beyond areas that are supposed to be non-fishing zones. This is because there are hardly any laws or restrictions telling them where they can and cannot fish. Sally Driscoll and Tom Warhol report in, ‘Overfishing’, that itt wasn’t until 1956 where we saw our first regulation, the United Nations organized the first UN Convention of the Law of the Sea or the NCLOS which helped promote rights of all countries by establishing boundaries off shore. Meaning that some seafood fished in certain areas of the ocean cannot be sold in certain countries, and in some areas it is illegal to fish unless you have a permit from that country. Economy also helps make it harder to regulate the seas, in ‘Overfishing’ it is explained that Preisdent Barack Obama brought up Antiquities Act of 1906, that let fishermen expand their fishing areas. The United Nations FAO estimates that 25 percent of all fish trapped in nets are labeled unusable or not licensed for fishing by the
Earth's oceans make up over 75% of the Earth as a whole. With that being said, it is vital to understand the significance on the contents of the oceans. Since fish and marine products make up a large portion of our diet, fishing practices need to be properly managed. In this essay, overfishing will be defined, its consequences will be revealed, and plans for proper fish distribution will be executed.
For years corporations have been depleting the oceans of its wildlife for our benefit. However, one thing these corporations tend to not mention is the bycatch they encounter when catching fish for the purpose of consumption. The definition of bycatch “is the unintended capture of nontarget animals…”(Crowder and Murawski pg.1). Bycatch takes a negative toll on our ocean ecosystem that cannot be reversed.
One of the sectors facing the largest impact is the seafood industry. Fish products are prevalent in pet food products as well as human diets. Given such a high demand on the seafood industry,
Overfishing refers to an act of fishing more than what the population can replace through normal reproduction (WWF, 2016). This was led by international government efforts to increase fishing capacity in the mid-20th century, which then led to the increase in availability and affordability of protein-rich foods. With this, profitable commercial fleets became aggressive, scouring the world’s oceans and developing sophisticated technologies to find and catch their targeted species. Thus, with a wide selection of fish species available at affordable prices, customers soon became used to them (Geographic, 2016).
Fish protein has been a mainstay for the human diet for centuries. However, aquaculture, which is the practice of raising fish such as salmon in controlled conditions, as opposed to the commercial fishing industry, which is procurement of wild fish from their natural environment, made its debut in the United States as a commercial enterprise in the late 1970’s according to the Eco - Justice Marketplace Project.(n.d.). This mode of salmon procurement began to develop in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, as a response to the declining populations of native wild fish such as salmon and trout.
There are many impacts that fishing and land animal farming have on the ocean, which are detrimental to ocean ecosystems as well as many other aspects of the environment. Overfishing, killing fish at a much quicker rate than the fish can repopulate, is one major problem. Three-fourths of the world’s fisheries are either fully exploited, overexploited, or depleted (Cowspiracy). Researchers have estimated an end of all viable fisheries by 2018 if the current trends of fishing continue (Mason). According to the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch, hundreds of thousands of animals die every year as bycatch, with one of the worst offenders being shrimp fisheries, catching up to six pounds of bycatch per pound of shrimp. Endangered species are also caught, including predators which are important in keeping the balance in ocean ecosystems (Smith). While many organizations such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch recommend consumers to eat more “sustainable” fish, this will not stop the massive environmental impacts. Sustainable fishing for one does not account for the natural flux in the population of species of fish; what is considered a sustainable amount of fish to harvest one year may deplete the fishery in another year (Smith). Sustainable fish also are becoming even less sustainable as companies that label sustainable fish must find more For example, after Wal-Mart pledged to selling Marine Stewardship
With a coastline of over 202 000 km and over a fourth of the world’s freshwater resources, it is no wonder why Canada’s fishing industry is a huge part of its economy.1 Canada exports more than 75% of its fish to over 130 countries worldwide. Many of the 7 million people who reside on the coast depend on the ocean’s resources. In total, Canada’s entire fishing industry is worth around 5$ billion dollars a year, being one of the world’s most valuable. However, the coasts have not been treated by respect; overfishing, over consumption, and wasteful practices has deteriorated, not only the industry, but the ecosystems and fish populations. This is a huge global issue; the worldwide collapse of fisheries has been project for 2048. Slowly, as the trends continue, we will inevitably see many fish species start to disappear. In fact, the ill-treatment of species on the Canadian border has already devastated a large specie, the cod.
To fish or not to fish is a personal choice. The fact that the oceans are being overfished is a growing concern for individuals, organizations, and governments throughout the world. In this paper I want to discuss the effects of overfishing on the restaurant industry, and possible solutions to solve the problem. Fishing is an ongoing source of food for people around the world. In many countries it is a food staple in their everyday diet. In more modern societies eating fish has become a sensual experience, and not just for the wealthy. It hasn't been until population explosions in the last century that the demand for seafood has led to more effective fishing techniques and technologies. Now the demand for popular fish like the salmon, tuna, sea bass, cod and hoki, which is the key fish in McDonalds filet o' fish, is diving wild populations to dangerously low levels. The methods used to catch the amount of fish demanded by the industry do not leave sustainable populations in the wild. In an attempt to preserve the fish population, governments have set limits on the minimum size that may be harvested and how many of each may be taken. Boundaries have been set up saying which areas can be fished and which ones should be left alone. A number of smaller fisheries have gone out of business because of the limits imposed by the government. This leads to even less fish being harvested and brought to market. Therefore the amount and varieties of fish at markets are smaller and can cause shortages for wholesalers and restaurants. Some restaurants will no longer have the variety on their menus that they used to enjoy. If a restaurant thrives on its seafood menu they may be unable to cope with the shortages and will go out of business. In the ...
In another article published by the Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science (DUJS), called “The Threats of Overfishing: Consequences at the Commercial level,” the DUJS found that overfishing has long term and devastating effects on natural habitats, food chains, and ocean communities (2). Not only is overfishing affecting the rate at which fish reproduce, but is also causing damage to their habitats and food supply. Recent studies have also found that overfishing decreases the genetic diversity of fish world wide (DUJS 2). Not only does overfishing affect oceans but also affects lakes by reducing nutrients in the water and it destabilizes the ecosystem (DUJS 14). MPAs can stop the damage and possibly even undo all the damage caused by overfishing.
Growing food with Aquaponics is more efficient than growing food the traditional soil garden way. In a typical soil garden, growers end up spending hours of their time doing back breaking work on their garden, but not anymore, with Aquaponics the need for any tilling, digging, or weeding is eliminated. Aquaponics combines Aquaculture (Raising fish in tanks), and Hydroponics (Growing plants without soil). The outcome is a working system that provides plants with all the nutrients they need, while using a minimum of space, effort, water, fertilizers, and pesticides. Aquaponics allows farmers to use up to 90% less water than normal farming would use, so instead of watering your soil and having the majority of your water either lost by run off or evaporated by the sun, the water is recycled repeatedly through the system saving farmers hundreds of dollars on their monthly water bills. Also when growing with Aquaponics, much more food can be produced in a smaller space, in some cases growers have produced around twenty times the amount of produce in the same area a soil garden would. In addition, with the closed, controlled environment of the system, the need for the use of any pesticides a basically eliminated. Finally, Aquaponics enables growers to grow bigger, better and more quality produce.
Economic Factors determine the production and distribution of goods and the use of income and wealth. What economic factors relate to shark finning and shark products? Most countries are engaged in Shark fin trade. By 2008, the world’s top exporters of shark fins are Spain, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, and United Arab Emirates who exports them to Hong Kong. Most countries have been introduced to a really popular dish called Shark fin soup is considered a traditional delicacy in China. The Chinese beliefs have driven demand for shark fin soup. They are one of the most expensive seafood products in the world, which can cost up to 500 euros or $676 per kilogram. A whale shark pectoral fin can be sold for up to $100,000 US dollars, while a Basking Shark pectoral fin can cost up to $250,000 US dollars. It serves the ...
Overfishing is the most major problem related to oceans, but it is also the most overlooked. Fishing has been going on for thousands of years, and fish have always been seen as a renewable resource, that would replenish itself forever for our benefit. But around the world there is evidence that fish are not recove...
Unless the current situation improves, stocks of all organisms that are currently fished for food are predicted to collapse drastically by 2048 (WWF 2.) Briggs emphasizes that over-fishing “has induced population collapses in many species. So instead of having less than a hundred species at risk, as was the case some 30-40 years ago, there are now a thousand or more