Fisheries and conservation Flashcards

1
Q

When did humans first exploit marine resources, and where?

A

150,000–100,000 years ago in South Africa and Europe, by both Homo sapiens and Neanderthals.

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2
Q

Why is fishing significant in human culture?

A

Fishing is deeply embedded in human history and cultural identity, especially in island and coastal communities, even among those not directly involved in fishing.

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3
Q

What role did fishing play in the Brexit debate?

A

Fishing symbolized heritage and national identity, showing the cultural importance of the industry despite limited direct ties among the population.

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4
Q

What was Aeschylus’ view of marine resources in 400 BCE?

A

He believed the sea’s resources were inexhaustible.

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5
Q

What did Thomas Henry Huxley say about fisheries in 1884?

A

He claimed that major fisheries, like cod, were inexhaustible and that regulating them was unnecessary.

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6
Q

Why was Huxley’s statement incorrect?

A

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.

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7
Q

What technological advancements increased fishing pressure in the 19th and 20th centuries?

A

The shift from wind to steam and oil-powered fleets dramatically increased fishing capacity.

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8
Q

What is the ‘Tragedy of the Commons’?

A

It describes how shared resources, like fish stocks, are overexploited when individuals act in their own self-interest, leading to depletion.

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9
Q

What is Graham’s Law of Fisheries?

A

It states that as fisheries are overexploited, catches decrease, and efforts to maintain yields lead to further declines in fish populations.

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10
Q

How are shifting baselines relevant to fisheries?

A

People often accept degraded ecosystems as normal, basing expectations on their own experiences rather than historical abundance.

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11
Q

Define ‘fishery’ in fisheries science.

A

A combination of a biological fish population and the human fishers, defined by species, region, or both (e.g., Barents Sea cod fishery).

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12
Q

What is a ‘stock’?

A

A reproductively isolated part of a fish population, managed as a single unit for sustainability.

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13
Q

What is a ‘recruit’?

A

A fish that survives from egg to reproductive (or legal fishery) age.

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14
Q

Define ‘yield’ in fisheries.

A

The number or economic value of fish produced by recruits and available for harvest.

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15
Q

Why must fisheries be managed?

A

To prevent overfishing, ensure stock replenishment, maintain ecosystem health, and sustain long-term economic and ecological benefits.

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16
Q

What is the traditional aim of fisheries management?

A

Prevent catch rates from exceeding replenishment rates.
Maintain ecosystems capable of sustaining fish stocks.
Ensure long-term sustainability of catches and profits.

17
Q

What tools are used in fisheries management?

A

Quotas.
Closed seasons.
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
Fishing vessel buyouts.

18
Q

What is Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY)?

A

The largest number of fish that can be removed without depleting the stock, balancing population growth and harvest.

19
Q

Why is MSY difficult to implement?

A

Requires accurate and costly data on population dynamics.
Ecosystem changes can shift MSY levels.
Predator-prey relationships complicate managing multiple species at MSY.

20
Q

What is the ecological criticism of MSY?

A

It fails to account for ecosystem interconnections, where reducing one population to MSY can destabilize others.

21
Q

How does the United Nations assess global fisheries?

A

Through the State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) reports, published every two years.

22
Q

What did Hilborn et al. (2020) reveal about global fisheries?

A

Before 1990, global fish biomass consistently declined while fishing effort increased.
Post-1990, reduced fishing effort led to biomass recovery in many stocks.

23
Q

What is the link between fishing effort and stock recovery?

A

Reducing fishing effort strongly correlates with increased biomass, showing that regulation works.

24
Q

Why is the ‘fishery crisis’ of the 1990s significant?

A

It highlighted the need for global action to address overfishing and prompted regulatory efforts to reduce fishing effort.

25
Q

What is the role of regulation in fisheries management?

A

Regulation focuses on managing fishers, not fish, using tools like quotas and protected areas to prevent overexploitation.

26
Q

What are modern challenges in fisheries management?

A

Balancing economic needs with ecological sustainability.
Managing multiple species in interconnected ecosystems.
Adapting to changing environmental conditions, like climate change.

27
Q

What is the ecosystem approach to fisheries management?

A

A holistic method that considers ecological, economic, and social factors to manage fisheries sustainably.

28
Q

Why is modern fisheries management controversial?

A

High-profile failures like the Grand Banks Cod collapse illustrate the difficulty of balancing human needs with ecosystem health.

29
Q

What is the primary cause of global fish biomass decline?

A

Overfishing, not climate change, as confirmed by fisheries data.

30
Q

Does fisheries management work?

A

Yes, when effectively implemented, reducing fishing effort has been shown to restore depleted stocks.