Improving management
For fishing to become more sustainable, management must be improved. Fishing must be reduced to a sustainable level, meaning that the fishing capacity must be reduced. This would be done using stricter quotas and reducing generous subsidies in the fishing industry.
By reducing the fishing capacity, stressed fish stocks would be able to recover. Stressed fish stocks would need to be tightly controlled using specific quotas and in some areas no fishing zones introduced. The stocks must also be monitored scientifically and long term schemes are needed.
The improvement of management would also include the reduction of illegal fishing. This would require regular monitoring and increased patrols. In developing nations, special programs would have to be implemented to help introduce fisherman to more sustainable fishing practices.
Overall to improve fisheries management, stricter fisheries policies are needed. These policies in Australia would come from both state and national levels as well as regional authorities. In terms of international policies, the UN is largely responsible for international fisheries.
Reducing the impacts
Commercial fishing has an immense impact on the environment and it is essential for such destructive impacts to be reduced. The increased use of selective fishing gear is one method to achieve more sustainable fishing. Selective fishing gear involves using very specific innovations, for example the use of circle hooks to reduce turtles being killed on long line fishing. With further research and development of selective fishing gear, by catch can be reduced and fishing can become more sustainable.
Fish farming has been a growing industry over the past couple of decades. This is one example of sustainable fishing which could reduce the dangers of unsustainable fishing. In Australia and New Zealand, fish farms are used extensively for tuna and salmon, two of the most highly demanded fish stocks, tuna being a severely stressed aspect. Fish farming is a great solution as it is both sustainable and extremely effective, increasing the number of fish needed and the number of unharmed species.
Many fishing practices have to be completely stopped. Destructive methods including dynamite or poisons must be stopped immediately. In some circumstances, modern methods should also be lessened. For example bottom trawling is a method that can be sustainable, however in some deep sea areas with fragile cold water reef ecosystems, bottom trawling has been found to be extremely fatal.
Integrating conservation into fisheries would be another solution for a sustainable resource in the future. Fisheries in Australia currently have a conservation aspect however if the two were combined in management, for example the Department of Conservation was merged with the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, it would be far more effective in making these industries more sustainable.
For fishing to become more sustainable, management must be improved. Fishing must be reduced to a sustainable level, meaning that the fishing capacity must be reduced. This would be done using stricter quotas and reducing generous subsidies in the fishing industry.
By reducing the fishing capacity, stressed fish stocks would be able to recover. Stressed fish stocks would need to be tightly controlled using specific quotas and in some areas no fishing zones introduced. The stocks must also be monitored scientifically and long term schemes are needed.
The improvement of management would also include the reduction of illegal fishing. This would require regular monitoring and increased patrols. In developing nations, special programs would have to be implemented to help introduce fisherman to more sustainable fishing practices.
Overall to improve fisheries management, stricter fisheries policies are needed. These policies in Australia would come from both state and national levels as well as regional authorities. In terms of international policies, the UN is largely responsible for international fisheries.
Reducing the impacts
Commercial fishing has an immense impact on the environment and it is essential for such destructive impacts to be reduced. The increased use of selective fishing gear is one method to achieve more sustainable fishing. Selective fishing gear involves using very specific innovations, for example the use of circle hooks to reduce turtles being killed on long line fishing. With further research and development of selective fishing gear, by catch can be reduced and fishing can become more sustainable.
Fish farming has been a growing industry over the past couple of decades. This is one example of sustainable fishing which could reduce the dangers of unsustainable fishing. In Australia and New Zealand, fish farms are used extensively for tuna and salmon, two of the most highly demanded fish stocks, tuna being a severely stressed aspect. Fish farming is a great solution as it is both sustainable and extremely effective, increasing the number of fish needed and the number of unharmed species.
Many fishing practices have to be completely stopped. Destructive methods including dynamite or poisons must be stopped immediately. In some circumstances, modern methods should also be lessened. For example bottom trawling is a method that can be sustainable, however in some deep sea areas with fragile cold water reef ecosystems, bottom trawling has been found to be extremely fatal.
Integrating conservation into fisheries would be another solution for a sustainable resource in the future. Fisheries in Australia currently have a conservation aspect however if the two were combined in management, for example the Department of Conservation was merged with the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, it would be far more effective in making these industries more sustainable.
Sustainable seafood
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To make commercial fishing truly sustainable, consumer habits much be changed as well as fishing. The promotion of sustainable fishing in recent years has held great success. Organisations such as the Marine Stewardship Council are able to certify products as sustainable if the process which they have been caught has met set guidelines and the fishing vessel has been certified. Many consumers, now aware of the issue of unsustainable fishing, choose to buy these certified products.
The next step is for governments to increase their role in the promotion of sustainable seafood. This could be done through the introduction of base guidelines which all commercial fishing vessels must adhere to.
The next step is for governments to increase their role in the promotion of sustainable seafood. This could be done through the introduction of base guidelines which all commercial fishing vessels must adhere to.