Marine ecosystems face many threats–mostly from overfishing, but also from pollution, shipping, offshore wind farms, climate change, eutrophication and more. Pressure on the oceans increases every year whilst efforts to limit the destructive impacts are out of proportion. Global marine conservation lags far behind terrestrial efforts. Marine Protected Areas, in particular when forming an ecologically coherent network, are considered as one of the essential tools for ocean recovery. Currently, only about 1.5 % of our oceans are designated as protected areas, with varying degrees of management, but also considering that the initial percentage of protected marine areas was 0.5 % in 2004, there are some signs of improvement.
Approximately 70% of marine production is used directly for human food, and marine fisheries play an important role in food security. Part of the world fish production is reduced to fishmeal and oil used for raising cattle, poultry and pigs and is therefore used as human food indirectly. The ability to catch fish is reflected by the growth of global fish landings, which peaked in the late 1980s at around 90 million tonnes per year. Global fisheries are living on borrowed time. The generally expressed objective of fishery management: to catch the maximum yield that a population can sustain. However, most stocks are being removed faster than they can reproduce and so are actually being mined rather than harvested. Coastal ecosystems produce more than 90% of the food provided by marine ecosystems. Coral reefs alone produce 10-12% of the fish caught in tropical countries and 20-25% of the fish caught by developing nations. Making overfishing one of the main issues regarding marine protection. Giant ships are now using...
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...nd conditions to encompass the array of applications of MPAs in marine conservation. (Web link)
The UK Climate Projections (UKCP09) showed an increase of around 2.5 ºC in the average annual sea-surface temperature in coastal waters by the 2080s, compared to the 1961-1990 average. This increase would lead to an average annual sea-surface temperature that is higher than the highest observations from the past. (http://www.mccip.org.uk/media/18758/mccip-arc2013.pdf) With your help the future may lie in participatory and inclusive decision making; since policing any agreements is difficult, management decisions must have the broad support of most stakeholders, in particular the fisher. An important start in this process is to find scientific prescriptions for fisheries management, which can be accepted, understood and policed. (Science and Environmental decision making)
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.
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).
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 a year, being one of the world’s most valuable. However, the coasts have not been treated with respect; overfishing, over consumption, and wasteful practices have deteriorated, not only the industry, but the ecosystems and fish populations. This is a huge global issue; the worldwide collapse of fisheries is projected for 2048.
Reefs are complex and diverse habits. Perhaps one of the major and important marine biomes. Yet they are relatively a small biome, roughly about 25% of the marine species that belong to the oceans live in the coral reefs. Coral reefs are an underwater structure composed of calcium carbonated, a secretion from corals. A significant portion of the world’s coral reefs forms close to the equator along the coastlines and locate themselves around islands throughout the world. Coral reefs come in a variety of shapes, size, and color yet the coral reefs are recognized by three main types Fringe reef, Barrie reef, and Atoll. Besides being beautiful and interesting colorful ecosystem or a tour attraction, the coral reefs are an important element of our ecosystem. According to NOAA National Ocean Service Education (2008), “a coral reef serves an important element in the most diverse ecosystem on earth. From serving as a protections and shelter for many different species of fish to controlling how much carbon dioxide is produce in the ocean and finally protecting the coast from strong currents and waves by slowing down the water before reaches the shore.” Lots of different sea lives rely on reefs for habitat and sources of food which including several endangered species. Yet, this world does not realize the critical importance of these coral reefs since most of the coral reefs are in trouble or dying around the world. An estimation of 30 percent of reefs is already in sever damaged. By the time we reach the year 2030, close to 6o percent of our reefs will be lost (Hughes et. al., 2003, p. 929).
Marine fisheries provide a vital contribution to food supplies, employment, and natural resources. With the new techniques of locating the fish, and the larger amount of the commercial fishing, ninety percent of the world’s fish and seafood have been depleted in the past century. If we cannot know how much fish remains in the ocean and reduced our amount of catching, one day all the fish would be gone. And at that time, human would be hard to live on due to the lack of the ocean resources. Therefore, understanding the fish population, the natural fluctuations and to avoid unsustainable catch and population crashes is an important goal.
The massive quantity of sharks harvested and lack of selection deplete shark populations faster than their reproductive abilities can replenish populations. Loss of sharks as a food staple for many developing countries threatens the stability of marine ecosystems. Not only is the finning of sharks barbaric, but their indiscriminate slaughter at an unsustainable rate is pushing many species to the brink of extinction since the 1970 the populations of several species have been decimated by over 95%. The ocean ecosystem is made up of very intricate food webs and sharks are at the top of these webs and are considered by scientist to be keystone species meaning the removing them cause the whole structure to
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 ...
...hrow off the balance of the ecosystem. Different marine biodiversity requires different types of ways to conserve them, some need government and some do not. Depending on the different types of technology of public goods supplied, there are different ways to and different methods to preserve the marine biodiversity. We have looked at the different types of externalities that are associated with impure public goods (in this case marine biodiversity). We also looked at the three types of technology of public good supplies and see why it affects marine biodiversity. Lastly, we have discussed the incentives to conserve marine biodiversity, both private solutions and public solutions. To put it briefly, “wildlife exploitation and conservation involves various costs and benefits, which should all be taken into account to achieve an optimal outcome.” (Bulte, 1)
Overfishing is a harmful practice, that will eventually lead to the collapse of aquatic ecosystems, if it’s not dealt with promptly. Overfishing emerges from the combination of our over consumptive society mixed with the great profits that come from hauling in a good catch. The consumers demand for fish in Japan seems to be at an increasingly high rate due to the enjoyment and cultural values that arise from sushi and other traditional dishes involving seafood. Approximately 23 percent of Japan’s protein intake comes from the ocean, and as a nation consumes 7.5 million tonnes of seafood annually. CITATION
...ds to be extensive discussions in regards to the surrounding socio-cultural-economic issues that may impact an MPAs success before MPA is actually instituted. With guidance from Edgar’s research, future MPAs should be designed to incorporate the five key features discussed, and in relation to these factors additional consideration should be given to the future activities that may influence an MPA’s effectiveness, for example future marine uses such as alternative forms of energy. This is where the Halpern’s suggestion to focus more on ecosystem-based management approaches may present a possible means to do so, as this approach addresses the wider-scope issues that will impact the world’s oceans on a global scale and may help limit effects, outside the boundaries of MPAs, that could potentially shape and alter the ability of an MPA to achieve its conservation goals.
Systems of “impure public goods” are touted as offering a blend of private and public interests, preventing exploitation while still allowing these resources to be accessible to the public. In the field of marine biodiversity, this is important because it can potentially prevent resources from being exploited and/or species from becoming eradicated. The idea of public goods offers a system that is subject to external forces and internal mechanisms, and despite its negative and positive impacts remains a system worth investigating for the purposes of marine preservation.
Did you know that more than 90 percent of all organisms that have ever lived on Earth are extinct? According to Pandey, the author of Humans Pushing Marine Life toward ‘Major Extinction’, nearly 10,000 species go extinct each year, and this rate is estimated to be 1,000 times higher than the natural extinction rate (1). Human beings are causing irreversible damage to the oceans and their wildlife, which is being led by two major reasons: Commercial fishing or over-fishing, which damaged the marine environment and caused a loss in the marine life diversity, and pollution, which is a primary way of the extinction causes that drastically modifies the marine life habitat. As a result of the commercial fishing and pollution, many of the marine species will start disappearing of the oceans. 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 (10).”
In a research article by Lotze, Coll, Magera, Ward and Airoldi (2011) they examine the positive side of how ecosystems in the ocean can recover even though they are faced with many different types of struggles every day. The authors ask the main question: How common is recovery among depleted populations and degraded ecosystems in the ocean? It is hypothesized that over the years, ecosystems are going to recover and essentially in the future, increase. The results in this study supported the hypothesis of the research on recovery for certain ecosystems and stated that 10-50% of ecosystems actually show some rate of progression (Lotze, 2011). This has significance when looking at pollution and the effect...
The oceans need to be protected because it is where life began and if not taken care of, life as we know it will end. When dangerous substances go into the ocean, ecosystems are suffer and become endangered along with lives of people and of marine life. Surfrider Foundation recognizes the importance of protecting and preserving the quality and biodiversity of the world's coasts because they are truly irreplaceable. There is also historical evidence of ocean pollution being present in the past, but the problem still lingers today. Heal the Bay discovered that,“Did you know there is a DDT and PCB hot spot off the coast of Palos Verdes? This superfund site (which indicates it's one of the most polluted places in the United States), is left over from a 1930's era chemical plant. Because DDT takes so long to break down in the marine environment, it persists to this day, contaminating certain species of fish. There are also highly polluted sediments in the Long Beach area, a sign of the heavy shipping in the port. Heal the Bay works on developing effective capping and removal plans to keep those toxins from spreading” (Heal the Bay). DDT is still highly concentrated in the South Bay area and still contaminating different species of fish. Even after more than 80 years DDT, a toxic insecticide, is still very concentrated and during upwellings, DDT particles come back up and continue to harm marine life. If humans are careless about what is thrown on the floor or sprayed on lawns, it can lead to disastrous affects when it comes to the condition of the ocean's ecosystems, and can endanger life itself leading to a problem that only we can mend.