In the recent past, fishing operations in some of the globes most prosperous fishing grounds in the North Atlantic Ocean have been shut down. However, this did not really astonish adherents of the fishing industry. As time elapsed, numbers of several species of diverse fish has dwindled progressively. This has majorly been due to the fact that there has been overfishing in the area. Simply put, the fish have been brought in faster than they can replicate. Consequences of the shutting down include loss of thousands of jobs.
However, from the time of closure, the number of fish in the area has gone up. On the other hand, it is hard to predict how long it will take to recover fish stocks due to the weight of the impact of past fishing activities thus enabling commencement of large scale fishing activities.
This problem is not exclusive to the North Atlantic Ocean but is actually widespread in majority of the large scale, commercial significant fish stocks in the US, which have been fully subjugated or basically “overfished”. A large percentage (over 20%) of fish varieties has been depleted globally.
Depletion of this resource is due to the demand of fish in the world, which has seen significant growth (Crisp, 2003).This demand has seen an influx of enormous boats in huge intercontinental convoys with high-tech fishing gear. They devastate the recovering fish population in an effort to collect larger amounts of fish.
Sealing off of these areas educates man on how technological advancements in the fishing industry have a negative impact on the environment. These impacts need to be checked to safe guard endangered fish species as a result of our actions. This should be addressed within the first three months.
The elimination of nodules of manganese from the floors of the ocean will result in a big difference regarding the condition of the oceans resources. This is widely considered as the responsibility of the United Nations Convention on the law. This act will be aimed at fortification of the ocean resources. The safeguarding of the ocean waters will create a favorable environment for the survival of the endangered species. This can be effective within a period of four years (Stowe, 2006).
The regulation of oceanic fishing helps to curb the increased acts of overfishing. With overfishing being a major predicament, stern actions must be put into effect for the issue to plummet. The reduction of the numbers of the vessels of fishing will be efficient in regulation of overfishing. However, the capacity of the fishing vessels should be put into greater consideration. Their sizes should be capped in order for the initial large stocks of fish to be attained.
The regulation of fishing by fortification of most of the endangered species will create awareness and consideration amongst individuals on the harm and gap they have caused to marine life. This will entail the restoration of the most fished species. Managing of the ocean resources by closing of fishing sites during the times of reproduction should be effected to limit these aggravating acts of excessive fishing.
This being a global issue, there is need for the increase in the number of government subsidized researches on the oceanic ecosystems. The provision of education to the citizens on the importance of protection of marine life will bring great improvements to the condition of the oceans. There is need for the maintenance at large of the surroundings of the ocean to evade the issue of jeopardizing the lives of marine life.
Different notions concerning the issue of marine life being in danger from diverse fishermen and environmentalists have been welcomed. Most of them tried to attest that overfishing is behind fish being in danger of near extinction. This article tries to assess the perceptions Pete Dupuis, a commercial fisherman and Jeremy Jackson of the Scripps Institute of Oceanography regarding the possibility of overfishing being behind the decline in the stocks of fish. Resolutions from these two individuals have also been outlined.
Pete is a commercial fisherman who works in shifts at the Pacific Ocean. According to him, he has a boat that holds an enormous amount of the targeted fish which is swordfish, tuna and big eye. He has attested the presence of large fleets of big fish in the seas which he claims have risen to 90 percent.
He however sounds cynical as he asserts that the ocean is vast and he still attains the largest catch ever. Pete prefers research and a policy that will cater for the balance of both economic and environmental concerns to closure of fishing grounds (Berg & Hager, 2008).
This is contrasted to Jeremy Jackson who asserts the availability of plenty of fish in the sea with the depletion of the biggest fish to 10 percent which are sternly under competition by fishermen. He recommends the setting of parameters to regulate fishing. Jeremy prefers overfishing to water pollution as the main destruction to marine.
He urges people to develop a different attitude towards marine life. Other than regulating the levels of fishing, he recommends the protection of the endangered species of fish (Berg & Hager, 2008). The need for the limit in fishing of certain species is necessary for the recovering of the lost species.
The diverse techniques employed during fishing are not completely perfect. However, they have some negative side impacts attached to them. To begin with, overharvesting has led to severe depletion of certain species of fish.
During fishing, there is usually occurrence of accidental catch of other oceanic mammals which are later regarded unnecessary. Aquaculture is widely known for causing pollution to the adjacent waters from the wastes that are released. Aquaculture is behind the reduction in the numbers of wild fish as the technique targets only carnivorous fishes.
The issue of marine life has an impact contributing to the community. The marine conveyer belt brings in motions of different kinds of water. The waters comprise of chilly, salty as well as deep-sea water. These waters are moved from higher to lower latitudes. This brings an impact to the climate of not only the region but also the entire globe (Thorpe, 1995). The ocean therefore is greatly responsible for the climate experienced by the members of the community.
People have different jobs that they depend on to sustain a living. Majority of the individuals living along the ocean depend on fishing to earn living. In spite of the closure of the fishing sites and fisheries being a lesson to people, it also renders most of the people jobless. The offshore reserves in oceans have been ascertained to be the chief sources of energy.
On the other hand, there has been a call to detest the mining of minerals as it facades a peril to fishing. Consequently, this affects the mining activity of the individuals within the region. The caution of commercial fishermen to avoid harvesting on Krill has a greater impact on their lifestyle. The fishermen have to find another species for aquaculture. The policy is to prevent endangering the animals that depend on krill for food.
References
Berg L. R. & Hager C.M. (2008). Visualizing Environmental Science. Indigo, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Crisp, T (2003). Trout & Salmon: Ecology, Conservation and Rehabilitation. John Street, London: Wiley-Blackwell.
Stowe, K. (2006) Ocean Science. University of Wisconsin, Madison: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Thorpe, J. E. (1995). Conservation of Fish and Shellfish Resources: Managing
Diversity. San Diego, CA: Academics Press Inc.