1: Fisheries Case Study Flashcards
What is a global trend in the state of the world’s marine fish stocks?
More fish stocks are becoming biologically unsustainable
What are perpetual resources? E.g.
Resources that replenish constantly and are not impacted by human activity
e.g. solar
What are renewable resources? E.g.
Resources that restore/replenish themselves on a timescale that is meaning to human society (part of an active ecological system)
e.g. trees
What are non-renewable resources? E.g.
Resources that exist in a fixed quantity or stock in the earths crusts. Any renewal rate is too slow to be meaningful to human activity.
e.g. coal
Resource source vs sink
We are using resources as sources when we take them from the environment and make use of them in consumption or production e.g. drinking water, cutting down a tree for timber
We are using resources as sinks when we use them to store or process waste products e.g. trees as carbon sink
What is renewable resource degradation?
Occurs when the capacity of the renewable resource to act as a source or sink is reduced OR when the ecological functioning of the resource is degraded
What is sustainable yield? Critical load?
SY: the highest rate at which a renewable resource can be used indefinitely as a source without degrading it
CL: highest rate at which a renewable resource can be used indefinitely as a sink without degrading it
What is freedom of the high seas
Most of the ocean has no global rules (some agreements)
Once you’re in the ocean, you can just fish
Canadian control over fishing before and after 1977
Before 1977, Canada enacted no efforts to restrict or control fishing beyond a 12 nautical mile limit
Large European, Canadian and American fishing trawlers were fishing without restriction
In 1977, Canada declared an exclusive economic zone set at a 200 nautical mile limit which gave them control over much of the area
What fishery collapse happened in Newfoundland and when (east coast)? How?
Collapse of Atlantic cod stock 1992
So many fish were caught/taken out there was no breeding stock to replenish
Why did the east coast fisheries have a tragic outcome?
- transboundary situation: Canadian government did not control the entire resource, part of it was an open access common property
- government subsidies pushed exploitation of the resource beyond what markets would have
- scientists/local fisherman who put forward concerns were ignored, optimistic scientists were embraced by policymakers (precautionary principle was ignored)
- scientific monitoring was not in place and there was no system of adaptation to address changes in the condition of the fish stocks (no adaptive management)
What is the precautionary principle
In order to protect the environment, when there is reasonable probability of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty regarding the extent or possibility of risk should not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation
What is adaptive management
Use of a structured, rigorous and iterative process of decision making regarding monitoring of current outcomes that can affect the application of regulations and other policy instruments to achieve a desired goal
Changing policy to adapt as information comes in
What was the issue with the pacific halibut fisheries? What was done to counteract this?
1920s: increased fishing efforts required (fishery degradation)
Used a regulatory approach and an international agreement to establish a shortened season so that there is a ‘recovery period’
Initially, four month period with no fishing. Fishermen bought more boats. By 1994 the season was down to two days.
What are independent fishing quotas? When did they start? How do they work?
In 1991 Independent Fishing Quota’s introduced (tradable permits)
- total quota is set each year and permits distributed by existing formula (max amount of fish that can be caught; how much each person can catch is divided up)
- permits are tradable between fishing companies
- permits can be sold permanently
