Atlantic Cod Fishing

Bycatch needs to be stopped during fishing everywhere. It has caused many fish and other creatures to be overfished. Bycatch means fish and other things unintentionally caught in massive drift nets used by fisherman. Fish that are not edible, harmful, or dangerous to the

Central Coast is comprised of 6 counties. Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Benito, Monterrey, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Cruz. Santa Barbara is mainly mountainous or hilly. The highest peak point is the Junipero Peak at 5862 feet and is in the Santa Lucia Mountain Range. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife banned fishing in the central coast back in 2014 due to the drought. The cause for the banning of fishing is because the local fish such as the steelhead and the Coho were deemed to be endangered and in risk of possible extinction. This ban has not been lifted. The rivers that are affected by this ban are: Pescadero Creek, the San Lorenzo River and all its tributaries, Aptos and Soquel creeks, the Pajaro River, the Carmel River, the

Commercial fisheries can do tremendous damage to the marine ecosystem if they are not managed properly. This became apparent in Newfoundland and Labrador during the 1990s, when decades of overfishing caused the northern cod stocks to collapse and resulted in a moratorium on the centuries-old industry. These were huge ecological and economic losses, which dictated an urgent need to change fisheries policy and practice in a way that would make the industry sustainable and protect marine biodiversity.

When the words spread about the large size of fishery, fleets from all over the world joined the hunt. Every year, the size of the fleets got bigger and every year, the size of the catch increased. In the late 50s the arrival of large factor ships from other countries hailed the first onslaught to the finely balanced renewable cod fishery. These factory trawlers came from England, the U.S., the Soviet Union, East and West Germany, Portugal, Poland, and some Asia nations such as Japan and Korea. Towards the end of the 20th century, over 3

Examples of forage fish include sardines, anchovies and herrings. Scientists have shown that catching forage fish instead of cod is a more sustainable approach. According to research from the University of British Columbia Fisheries Center, the forage fish population has more than doubled in the past century (Christensen, 2014). A main cause for the population growth is that human beings are overfishing forage fish’s predators like cod and tuna. When overfishing of cod occurs, herring population increases naturally due to the reduced effect of trophic cascade. Herrings are very abundant in the Gulf of Maine and they are not overfished. Furthermore, fishing herring and cod both use mid-water trawling (NOAA, 2015), so fishermen can easily adapt to fishing herring instead of cod, and the bycatch of other species can be significantly reduced with modified fishing gears (Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, 2015). However, even though herrings are very abundant, we should only fish them sustainably. Strict regulations based on scientific research need to be implemented in order to avoid overfishing herring, which can be harmful to the recovery of the cod

Fisheries Conservation and Management Act (1976): This act manages, protects, restore and controls the fish

The definition of an endangered species is a vulnerable species that is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as likely to become endangered unless the circumstances threatening its survival and reproduction are improved. Fishing, directed and bycatch, has always been one of the major threats to Atlantic cod and remains one of the major threats to the northern Laurentian population. High natural mortality caused by predation and adverse environmental conditions is considered a significant threat. The Atlantic cod population north of Laurentian has decreased between 76% and 89% over the last three

Approximately 1.3 million U.S. households are home to salt water fish (Pet Statistics). These fish are not swimming about in oceans or other salty bodies of water; instead they are confined to small tanks where their lifespans can be shortened by over ten years. But how did these fish end up here? Illegal activity has brought “up to 90 percent of the 11 million tropic fish” (Bruckner 17) to the United States each year, causing detrimental effects to both the fish and surrounding marine life. The marine aquarium industry is in desperate need of reform and is one of the most pressing enviornmental issues today, despite its easy solution. The aquarium fish trade needs to be regulated in order

Undoubtedly, the nation is falling into an inordinate fish crisis. Many systems are in practice to contribute to feedings the world’s population, and roughly one-third of this responsibility falls in the hands aquatic fish farming. Aquaculture holds the potential to be a highly sustainable way to solve this problem, yet, there is much hesitance in making his decision facing the future of our nation (White). In the Struggle to Govern of The Commons, the protection of fisheries, and problems associated with pollution crossing national borders is specifically discussed (Dietz). With these corresponding ideas, I found my way into researching fishing restrictions and how they impact the American fishing industry. The United States holds a six-percent share in global trade, and also persists as the sixth largest supplier of fish and seafood products in the world market. ("U.S. Fish and Seafood Exports Reach Record Levels.") This industry is growing at a significant rate; therefore, it is vital to monitor what is occurring in this business and how it affects other aspects of American life and culture.

The Chinook salmon is vastly sought after in Cook Inlet and Southeast Alaska by fishers because of its great value as a sport fish. The annual value of sports industry in Alaska is about $500 million and the annual harvest looms around 170,000 fish. (“CSU”, n.d.). However, to make the fisheries

Cod Part Two: Limits tells the story of the beginnings of mass, industrialized fishing and how it affected the cod market and availability of the cod itself. Kurlansky studies the similarities and differences between the industrialized cod fishing economies on both sides of the Atlantic, showcasing connections characteristic of World History. The development of new, improved ways to fully harness the power of the ocean meant that we could begin to truly test its limits. Line fishing, trawling, gillnetting; these methods made fishing dramatically more efficient just as they depleted the environmental stocks of fish at an unprecedented rate. Dr. Michael N Pearson writes that “Local, traditional fishers had to compete with foreign trawlers, which vacuumed up marine life in a totally random way.”1 This was a war,

Ocean fishes have been consumed by humans beyond their maximum sustainable yields for years and the Atlantic cod and squid are two examples. Cods were primarily overfished to commercial extinction. Other variables were also examined to see if they contribute to the declining population. Water temperature was the natural phenomenon that may be responsible for poor egg hatching. Human causes such as increased UV radiation from depleted ozone and bottom trawling disturbance were considered. Trawling disturbance had the worst effect while the other factors were questionable. As the cod vanished, the commercial fisher turned to squid to continue their way of life. Government policy and

The downfall of fish in the Atlantic Ocean is a result of numerous factors such as certain fishing techniques, climate change, and pollution. One type of fishing technique that is causing serious damage to marine life is bottom-trawling. Bottom-trawling is a form of fishing that involves a large net, about 60 meters wide, and dragging it along the bottom of the sea with heavy weights from a trawler. Bottom-trawling causes irreversible damage to coral life and slow-growing fish species, for example the “Orange Roughy 's (Slime Head) species has decreased more than 90%. Halibut disappeared from the North Atlantic in the 19th century. In the North Ocean, Blue Fin Tuna disappeared in the 1930 's-1940 's, and today have disappeared across the seas of Northern Europe.

Alaska is the northernmost state in the country and is home to Halibut fishing. Halibut and King Salmon fishes are predominantly found in parts of Alaska. Fishing is one of the cornerstones of the Alaskan economy. It is no wonder that Homer, a small town situated in Alaska, has emerged as the Halibut fishing capital of the world. People from different parts of the world visit Alaska in order to fish and explore the serene beauty of the state. So, what are you waiting for? Go for Alaska Halibut fishing packages today.

The Oceaneos Research Foundation stated that in the mid-1990 the Atlantic cod was caught to near extinction. “Newfoundland’s fishing industry collapsed due to overfishing and 40,000 jobs were lost and the ecosystem destroyed. Fifteen years after the loss of the cod industry they are still waiting for a recovery.” (“The Oceaneos Marine Research Foundation”, 2017)