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    Should We Farm Fish Year 9 Geography Biomes

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    Mercedes
    Overfishing is simply catching fish at a rate higher than the fish species can replace themselves. It is an unsustainable use of our oceans and freshwater biomes. Massive improvements in technology have enabled fish to be located and caught in larger numbers and from deeper, more inaccessible waters, leading to a 'boom and bust' cycle where larger fish species are targeted until their populations are decimated. The current issue is that a lack of conservation and management of fisheries, combined with rising demand for fish products, has caused the collapse of many important marine ecosystems and threatens the main source of protein for over 1 billion people.

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    Should We Farm Fish Year 9 Geography Biomes

    Uploaded by

    Mercedes
    33 views3 pages
    Overfishing is simply catching fish at a rate higher than the fish species can replace themselves. It is an unsustainable use of our oceans and freshwater biomes. Massive improvements in technology have enabled fish to be located and caught in larger numbers and from deeper, more inaccessible waters, leading to a 'boom and bust' cycle where larger fish species are targeted until their populations are decimated. The current issue is that a lack of conservation and management of fisheries, combined with rising demand for fish products, has caused the collapse of many important marine ecosystems and threatens the main source of protein for over 1 billion people.

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    Should we farm fish Year 9 Geography Biomes

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    Overfishing is simply catching fish at a rate higher than the fish species can replace themselves. It is an unsustainable use of our oceans and freshwater biomes. Massive improvements in technology have enabled fish to be located and caught in larger numbers and from deeper, more inaccessible waters, leading to a 'boom and bust' cycle where larger fish species are targeted until their populations are decimated. The current issue is that a lack of conservation and management of fisheries, combined with rising demand for fish products, has caused the collapse of many important marine ecosystems and threatens the main source of protein for over 1 billion people.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    33 views3 pages

    Should We Farm Fish Year 9 Geography Biomes

    Uploaded by

    Mercedes
    Overfishing is simply catching fish at a rate higher than the fish species can replace themselves. It is an unsustainable use of our oceans and freshwater biomes. Massive improvements in technology have enabled fish to be located and caught in larger numbers and from deeper, more inaccessible waters, leading to a 'boom and bust' cycle where larger fish species are targeted until their populations are decimated. The current issue is that a lack of conservation and management of fisheries, combined with rising demand for fish products, has caused the collapse of many important marine ecosystems and threatens the main source of protein for over 1 billion people.

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    Should we farm fish?

    Why are we overfishing?


    The ocean biome has always been seen as an unlimited resource of food for humans. In fact, overfishing is
    causing the collapse of many of our most important marine ecosystems and threatens the main source of
    protein for over one billion people worldwide. Aquaculture is a possible solution but, at the same time, it
    contributes to the decline in fish stocks. Overfishing is simply catching fish at a rate higher than the fish
    species can replace themselves. It is an unsustainable use of our oceans and freshwater biomes.

    Q1. Provide a definition for overfishing.

    Massive improvements in technology have enabled fish to be located and caught in larger numbers and
    from deeper, more inaccessible waters. The use of spotter planes, radar and factory ships ensure that fish
    can be caught, processed and frozen while still at sea. Globally, fish is the most important animal protein
    consumed. A lack of conservation and management of fisheries, combined with rising demand for fish
    products, has seen a ‘boom and bust’ mentality. The larger fish species are targeted and exploited and,
    after their populations are decimated, the next species are fished. Examples of this include blue whales,
    Atlantic cod and bluefin tuna.

    Q2. What is the current issue occurring in our oceans?

    What happens when we overfish?

    With overfishing there are often large quantities of by-catch. This means that juvenile fish and other
    animals, such as dolphins and sea birds, are swept up in nets or baited on hooks before being killed and
    discarded. For every kilogram of shrimp caught in the wild, five kilograms of by-catch is wasted. Destructive
    fishing practices such as cyanide poisoning, dynamiting of coral reefs and bottom trawling (which literally
    scrapes the ocean floor) cause continual destruction to local ecosystems.

    Additionally, a large quantity of fish, which could have been consumed by people, is converted to fishmeal
    to feed the aquaculture industry, as well as to fatten up pigs, chickens and to feed pet cats. Coastal
    habitats are also under pressure. Coral reefs, mangrove wetlands and seagrass meadows, all critical
    habitats for fish breeding, are being reduced through coastal development, overfishing and pollution.
    Q3. Examine Figure 2 and explain what this source is trying to say.

    Watch: The World’s most overfished ocean https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaW2rqJjXvs&t=2s

    Is fish farming the solution?

    Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing food industries, providing fish for domestic and export markets. It
    brings economic benefits and increased food security. Over 47 per cent of fish consumed by people comes
    from aquaculture. While aquaculture is often seen as a sustainable and eco-friendly solution to overfishing,
    its rapid growth and poor management in many places has created large-scale environmental change.
    Some of these changes are described below:

     Pollution. Many fish species are fed a diet of artificial food in dry pellets. Chemicals in the feed, and the
    massive waste generated by fish farms, can pollute the surrounding waters.
     Loss of fish stock. Food pellets are usually made of fish meal and oils. Much of this comes from by-
    catch, but the issue is still that we are catching fish to feed fish. It can take two to five kilograms of wild
    fish to produce one kilogram of farmed salmon. Other ingredients in the food pellets include soybeans
    and peanut meal — products that are suitable for human consumption and grown on valuable farmland.
     Loss of biodiversity. Many of the fish species farmed are selectively bred to improve growth rates. If
    accidentally released into the wild, they can breed with native species and so change their genetic
    makeup. This can lead to a loss of biodiversity.

    Q4. What 3 environmental changes have occurred from aquaculture?


    Watch: Inside the World’s Biggest Fish Farm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RowBXEmJjP0

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