Fisheries and conservation Flashcards
When did humans first exploit marine resources, and where?
150,000–100,000 years ago in South Africa and Europe, by both Homo sapiens and Neanderthals.
Why is fishing significant in human culture?
Fishing is deeply embedded in human history and cultural identity, especially in island and coastal communities, even among those not directly involved in fishing.
What role did fishing play in the Brexit debate?
Fishing symbolized heritage and national identity, showing the cultural importance of the industry despite limited direct ties among the population.
What was Aeschylus’ view of marine resources in 400 BCE?
He believed the sea’s resources were inexhaustible.
What did Thomas Henry Huxley say about fisheries in 1884?
He claimed that major fisheries, like cod, were inexhaustible and that regulating them was unnecessary.
Why was Huxley’s statement incorrect?
Even as Huxley spoke, North Atlantic whale populations were in decline due to overhunting for oil, and by the late 19th century, fisheries had proven depletable.
What technological advancements increased fishing pressure in the 19th and 20th centuries?
The shift from wind to steam and oil-powered fleets dramatically increased fishing capacity.
What is the ‘Tragedy of the Commons’?
It describes how shared resources, like fish stocks, are overexploited when individuals act in their own self-interest, leading to depletion.
What is Graham’s Law of Fisheries?
It states that as fisheries are overexploited, catches decrease, and efforts to maintain yields lead to further declines in fish populations.
How are shifting baselines relevant to fisheries?
People often accept degraded ecosystems as normal, basing expectations on their own experiences rather than historical abundance.
Define ‘fishery’ in fisheries science.
A combination of a biological fish population and the human fishers, defined by species, region, or both (e.g., Barents Sea cod fishery).
What is a ‘stock’?
A reproductively isolated part of a fish population, managed as a single unit for sustainability.
What is a ‘recruit’?
A fish that survives from egg to reproductive (or legal fishery) age.
Define ‘yield’ in fisheries.
The number or economic value of fish produced by recruits and available for harvest.
Why must fisheries be managed?
To prevent overfishing, ensure stock replenishment, maintain ecosystem health, and sustain long-term economic and ecological benefits.
What is the traditional aim of fisheries management?
Prevent catch rates from exceeding replenishment rates.
Maintain ecosystems capable of sustaining fish stocks.
Ensure long-term sustainability of catches and profits.
What tools are used in fisheries management?
Quotas.
Closed seasons.
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
Fishing vessel buyouts.
What is Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY)?
The largest number of fish that can be removed without depleting the stock, balancing population growth and harvest.
Why is MSY difficult to implement?
Requires accurate and costly data on population dynamics.
Ecosystem changes can shift MSY levels.
Predator-prey relationships complicate managing multiple species at MSY.
What is the ecological criticism of MSY?
It fails to account for ecosystem interconnections, where reducing one population to MSY can destabilize others.
How does the United Nations assess global fisheries?
Through the State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) reports, published every two years.
What did Hilborn et al. (2020) reveal about global fisheries?
Before 1990, global fish biomass consistently declined while fishing effort increased.
Post-1990, reduced fishing effort led to biomass recovery in many stocks.
What is the link between fishing effort and stock recovery?
Reducing fishing effort strongly correlates with increased biomass, showing that regulation works.
Why is the ‘fishery crisis’ of the 1990s significant?
It highlighted the need for global action to address overfishing and prompted regulatory efforts to reduce fishing effort.
What is the role of regulation in fisheries management?
Regulation focuses on managing fishers, not fish, using tools like quotas and protected areas to prevent overexploitation.
What are modern challenges in fisheries management?
Balancing economic needs with ecological sustainability.
Managing multiple species in interconnected ecosystems.
Adapting to changing environmental conditions, like climate change.
What is the ecosystem approach to fisheries management?
A holistic method that considers ecological, economic, and social factors to manage fisheries sustainably.
Why is modern fisheries management controversial?
High-profile failures like the Grand Banks Cod collapse illustrate the difficulty of balancing human needs with ecosystem health.
What is the primary cause of global fish biomass decline?
Overfishing, not climate change, as confirmed by fisheries data.
Does fisheries management work?
Yes, when effectively implemented, reducing fishing effort has been shown to restore depleted stocks.
