managing marine environments Flashcards
1
Q
overexploitation of the ocean
A
- overexploitation or overfishing is the removal of marine living resources to levels that can’t sustain viable populations
- exploitation of marine biodiversity is far less managed than on land
- insufficient consideration has been given to the unexpected and unpredictable long term effects that such primitive food gathering practices engender
- the exponential growth in the human population experienced in the last decade has led to an overexploitation of marine living resources to meet growing demand for food
- the use of modern techniques to facilitate harvesting, transport and storage has accelerated the growth in fishing fleet size
- overexploitation affects both local waters and the high seas
- the oceans are not a limitless source of food
2
Q
facts and figures about ocean overexploitation
A
- humans exploit over 400 species as food resources from the marine environment, whereas on land, only tens of species are harvested for commercial use
- worldwide fishing fleets are 2-3 times as large as needed to take present day catches of fish and other marine species and as what our oceans can sustainably
- according to the united nations food and agriculture organisation (FAO), over 25% of all the world’s fish stocks are either overexploited or depleted and 52% are fully exploited
- thus a total of almost 80% of the world’s fisheries are fully overexploited, depleted or in a sate of collapse
3
Q
overfishing
A
- overfishing means to catch more fish than the natural system can replace
- in 1900, our oceans contained 6 times more fish than today
- in 2003, a scientific report estimated that industrial fishing had reduced the number of large ocean predators to just 10% of their pre industrial population
- millions of people rely on fisheries for employment - in 1993, the north cod fishery in newfoundland, canada collapsed because of overfishing, approx. 40,000 jobs were lost
- a billion people rely on fish as their main source of protein
- a study in 2006, it was predicted that if fishing rates continued at the present rate. all the world’s fisheries will collapse by 2040
- the global biomass of large predatory fish such as tuna, cod and swordfish, has fallen by 2/3 over the last century
4
Q
understanding overfishing
A
- 1.4 billion hooks are launched by long line fishing vessels yearly
- bycatch are the living marine resources that are caught by nets but are deemed as waste
- for every 1km of shrimp, 9kg of other marine wildlife wildlife are caught and wasted
- scientists recommend a fishing limit on tuna of 10,000 tonnes, the EU set the limit at 29,500 tonnes, the actual catch was 61,000 tonnes
5
Q
MARPOL
A
- MARPOL, the international convention for the prevention of pollution from ships, has been in force since 1973
- it has 6 sections that regulate pollution from ships covering: oil, noxious liquid, packaged goods, sewage, garbage and air pollution
- annex 6 on air pollution was added in 2005
- one of the difficulties in implementing MARPOL is from the international nature of maritime shipping
- the country that the ship visits can conduct its own examination to verify a ship’s compliance with international standards and can detain the ship if it finds significant noncompliance
- when incidents occur outside such country’s jurisdiction or jurisdiction cannot be determined, the country refers cases to flag states, in accordance with MARPOL
- even when referrals have been made, the response rate from flag states has been poor
6
Q
IWC
A
- since 1982, there has been a global ban on whaling with relative success
- about 10 countries continue to catch whales, but the number caught is small
- Norway and Japan have commercial whaling they hunt under an objection to the IWC
- in Canada, Russia and the USA, a small number of whales are caught annually by indigenous people (e.g. inuit)
- in 1994, the IWC established a southern ocean whale sanctuary although Japan continues to hunt whales there
7
Q
FAO and MPAs
A
- the UN food and agriculture organization (FAO) aims to ‘ensure long-term conservation and sustainable use of marine living resources in the deep sea and to prevent significant adverse impacts on vulnerable marine ecosystems’
- as part of its work, the FAO can designate marine protected areas (MPAs) in the high seas - UNCLOS states are expected to follow FAO rules and guidelines, but lack of enforcement means it continues
- world oceans day (June 8th) is a UN led awareness collaboration with the ocean project
8
Q
quotas
A
- the fishing opportunities, or total allowable catches (TACs), are quotas set for most of europe’s commercial fish stocks in order to keep them in a healthy status or help them return to it, while guaranteeing the wellbeing of fishermen and women
- under the common fisheries policy (CFP), the EU member states are legally bound to manage fish stocks at sustainable levels
- it is estimated that EU countries have overfished 8.78 million tonnes during the last 20 years
- not always adhered to
- can create incentives for fishers to operate in a sustainable and economic way and if done correctly can result in sustainable fishing
9
Q
citizens’ campaigns
A
- individuals can do their bit by making shopping choices that do not support unsustainable fishing
- e.g. many shoppers avoid buying tinned tuna that has been caught in nets that may have trapped dolphins
- the chef, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall leads a campaign called ‘fish fight’ which encourages shoppers to try ‘less fashionable’ fish such as mackerel instead of popular fish species such as cod or plaice
- the campaign has also drawn public attention to the need to avoid produce sourced from overfished areas and the ‘shameful waste’ as a result of quotas
- can have a big impact on changing perceptions however have no legal power to make large scale, meaningful change
- boycotts only work if a very high number of people participate as businesses won’t stop until they can no longer make a profit
10
Q
aquaculture
A
- fish farming is now well established with large numbers of trout and salmon produced in uk waters alone
- some people think it presents a good alternative to fishing wild stocks
- could improve food security by increasing the amount of seafood that is available for human consumption
- provides jobs, revenue for businesses and can contribute to reaching goal 14
- can lead to invasive species, which damages ecosystems and can be hard to minimise negative environmental impact (e.g. waste management, using antibiotics or feed)
11
Q
no take zones
A
- an organisation called COAST (community of arran seabed trust) successfully campaigned for this several years ago
- no-take zones have helped regenerate fish stocks in other parts of the world by offering species a protected spawning ground
- COAST’s specific aims were to: improve the marine environment and reverse fish decline, help sustain the livelihood of all those dependent on tourism as well as fishing, increase the popularity of the area as both a diving site and tourist destination
- offers greater protection within larger, less restrictive protective areas
- difficult to enforce protection and completely eliminate exploitation, would easily fail if there was poor management/planning
12
Q
UN goal 14
A
- oceans cover 3/4 of the earth’s surface, contain 97% of the earth’s water, and represent 99% of the living space on the planet by volume
- over 3 billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods
- globally, the market value of marine and coastal resources and industries is estimated at $3 trillion per year or about 5% of global GDP
- oceans contain nearly 200,000 identified species, but actual numbers may lie in the millions
- oceans absorb about 30% of carbon dioxide produced by humans, buffering the impacts of global warming
- oceans serve as the world’s largest source of protein, with more than 3 billion people depending on the oceans as their primary source of protein
- marine fisheries directly or indirectly employ over 200 million people
- subsidies for fishing are contributing to the rapid depletion of many fish species and are preventing efforts to save and restore global fisheries and related jobs, causing ocean fisheries to generate US$ 50 billion less per year than they could
- as much as 40% of the world oceans are heavily affected by human activities, including pollution, depleted fisheries, and loss of coastal habitats
13
Q
goal 14 targets
A
- by 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution
- by 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans
- minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels
- by 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics
- by 2020, conserve at least 10% of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information
- by 2020, prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and refrain from introducing new such subsidies, recognizing that appropriate and effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries should be an integral part of the World Trade Organization fisheries subsidies negotiation
- by 2030, increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism
- increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries
- provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets
- enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in UNCLOS, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources, as recalled in paragraph 158 of The Future We Want
14
Q
Lamlash bay, Scotland
A
- an organisation called COST (community of Arran seabed trust) sucessfully campaigned for this several years ago
- no take zones have helped regeneration fish stocks in other parts of the world by offering species a protected spawning ground
- COAST’s specific aims were to: improve the marine environment and reverse fish decline, help sustain the livelihood of all dependent on tourism as well as fishing, and increase the popularity of the area as both a diving site and tourist destinations
15
Q
overexploitation of ocean fishing
A
- overexploitation or overfishing is the removal of marine living resources to levels that cannot sustain viable populations
- humans exploit over 400 species of food resources from the marine environment, whereas on land, only tens of species are harvested for commercial use
- exploitation of marine biodiversity is far less managed than on land
- insufficient consideration has been given to the unexpected and unpredictable long term effects
- the exponential growth in human population experienced in last decades has led to an overexploitation of marine living resources to meet growing resources to meet growing demand for food
