Transcript Fishing: An Industry in Crisis

Fishing: An Industry in Crisis
By: Jacob Mason, Breanna Mark, Nolan Russell, and Mairen Hamilton
1
Fishing is a way for people to set out, have a fun
day getting together with their friends or family, or
even just fish to sell the fish for money. Fishing is
Canada’s oldest industry. There are many types
of fishing they include: commercial fishing,
overfishing, uncontrolled foreign fishing,
destructive fishing, and sport fishing.
Commercial Fishing refers to the harvesting of
fish, either in whole or in part, for sale, barter
or trade. Four biggest methods of fishing are
Long-lines, Gill Nets, Purse Seines, Bottom
Trawlers.
3
Long-lining is one of the most widespread fishing methods.
Ships unreel as many as 75 miles of line bristling with
hundreds of thousands of baited hooks. The hooks are
dragged behind the boat at varying depths or are kept afloat by
buoys and left overnight, luring any animal in the area to grab
a free meal. Once hooked, some animals drown or bleed to
death in the water, and many others struggle for hours until the
boat returns to reel them in. Billions of fish, sharks, sea turtles,
dolphins, birds, and other marine animals are injured and killed
by long-lines each year.
4
5
Ranging from 200 feet to more than a mile in length, gill nets are weighted
at the bottom and held upright by floats at the top, creating what some have
deemed “walls of death.” Fish are unable to see the netting, and unless the
mesh size is larger than the fish, they get stuck. When they try to back out,
the netting catches them by their gills or fins, and many suffocate. Others
struggle so desperately in the sharp mesh that they bleed to death.
Gill nets are set and then left unmonitored, trapped fish may suffer for days.
Many bleed to death before the ship returns to take them out of the ocean.
Those who make it to the deck alive are ripped out of the net by hand and
suffocate or are cut open while still alive. Fish who were caught deep in the
ocean suffer from decompression, and the extreme change in pressure can
cause their stomachs to be forced out of their mouths.
6
7
Another fishing method involves the use of a purse
seines, which is the primary net used for catching tuna
but which is also used for a variety of other fish species.
This methods had aroused public outrage because
dolphins are sometimes caught in nets. To catch tuna,
fishers track pods of dolphins, who commonly swim with
large tuna, and drop a net into the water surround the
school of tuna. The edges of the net are slowly cinched
together, trapping hundreds of tuna in the net, which is
then drawn up and closed like a laundry bag.
8
9
Bottom Trawlers target species such as orange roughy, cod,
and haddock. Enormous bag-shaped nets are pulled along the
ocean floor, catching every rock, piece of coral, and fish in
their paths. Large metal plates at each end of the net drag
along the ground, keeping the net close to the ocean floor
while stirring up the sediment and forcing all the animals in the
nets path into the closed end. Bottom Trawlers literally scrapes
the ocean floor clean of life and is considered by some to be
the underwater equivalent of clear-cutting forest.
10
11
This industry is a renewable source
because fish can reproduce
themselves and multiply. However,
if their habitat is destroyed or they
are fished beyond their rate of
reproduction, they will not be
successful in renewing themselves
fast enough to supply the fishing
industry. If the fishing industry
continues to overfish and destroy
breeding grounds with their fishing
practices, the industry will fail.
12
There is a wide variety of hotspots in Canada, but three are French River, ON, Eddie
North Attawapiskat, ON, and Waterfall Lodge, Algoma, ON
French River, ON is considered one of the industry's hotspots because of its well known
crystal-clear lake that includes such large weighing fish within. As well , people tend to
call it a full service region with all the modern amenities you would find in an urban centre.
Eddie North Attawapiskat, ON is also considered one of the industry's hotspots because it
has a long history that goes way back. Not only that but, its waterway highway serves the
Canadian shield area and flows non-stop for 748 km east through the Hudson's Bay
Lowlands into James Bay. Not to mention the area features a great number of historical
treasures. It even includes hunting areas for all the hunters out there.
Waterfall Lodge, Algoma, ON is considered another one of the industry's hotspots
because it includes cottages, fishing and hunting areas all in one place.
13
Brings money in for the economy
Supplies many jobs for Canadians
Supplies food for Canadians
14
One difficulty is that sharks, sea turtles, birds, seals, whales, and other non-target fish who get tangled
in nets and hooked by long-lines are termed “by catch” and are thrown overboard. They fall victim to
swarming birds or slowly bleed to death in the water.
Secondly, overfishing occurs when more fish are caught than the population can replace through
natural reproduction. Gathering as many fish as possible may seem like a profitable practice, but
overfishing has serious consequences. The results not only affect the balance of life in the oceans, but
also the social and economic well-being of the coastal communities who depend on fish for their way
of life.
Billions of people rely on fish for protein, and fishing is the principal livelihood for millions of people
around the world. For centuries, our seas and oceans have been considered a limitless bounty of
food. However, increasing fishing efforts over the last 50 years as well as unsustainable fishing
practices are pushing many fish stocks to the point of collapse.
Lastly, the fishing techniques they use can ruin the animals habitats because bottom trawlers are
considered “ocean floor cleaners” and it can push them to stay in different areas from where they
usually settle down in and since overfishing is a problem the animals that usually eat the smaller fish
and big fish are now going to starve because they are not there any more.
15
In 2010, $7.4 billion was the value of the products and exports of the commercial
fishing industries with 85 000 people employed in these industries across Canada. The
fisheries of Canada plan on doing 4 things to protect the fishing industry of Canada:
1.
The sustainability and ongoing productivity of Canada's commercial, recreational
and Aboriginal fisheries.
2.
3.
4.
Provide enhanced protection tools.
Provide clarity of regulatory requirements through the use of standards and
regulations.
Enable enhanced partnerships to ensure organizations that are best placed to
provide fisheries protection services to Canadians are enabled to do so.
The Canadian government hopes that within the next 5 years the safety, protection
and growth of the fishing industry will increase helping the protection of fish and supply
of jobs for many Canadians.
16
This act states that the government would:
Try to manage any dangers, or threats to the sustainability and productivity of Canada's fisheries
Provide the fisheries with the tools they need to do their job safely
Set rules, requirements and regulations for the fisheries to follow
Many environmental groups praised the Fisheries Act saying it is “one of the strongest laws in Canada that can be used to protect
our environment”
Criticism
These groups were very upset when the government made changes to the Act. Which now allowed for the fisheries to seriously
harm their fish. Before the 1980`s Canada`s fishing Industry was booming, and this made fisheries need to continue to fish. Which
has now resulted in the lack of fish in two main fishing industries The East Coast cod fishery was once one of the most profitable
fisheries in Canada, but due to the lack of cod fish remaining it was forced to shut down in 1992.
These are the four main reasons Canada`s cod fish became nearly extinct
1.Overfishing
2.Improved Fishing Technology – help locate school of fish faster, new netting to catch more fish
3.Uncontrolled Foreign Fishing
4.Changes in Natural Conditions – water temp has dropped and salinity has fluctuated, more predators (seals)
17
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/stats/cfs-spc/tab/cfs-spc-tab1-eng.htm
http://fishncanada.com/hotspot-of-the-month/
http://www.frenchriver.ca/
http://www.eddienorth.com/
http://www.waterfallslodge.com/references/index.htm
http://coral.geog.uvic.ca/node/83
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/story.html?id=e2a38098-2d364070-9b80-ffc4799d319b
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/pnw-ppe/changes-changements/index-eng.html
18
Thanks!
19