The environmental effects of deep sea fishing
Jack Zapp
Asuncion
Block 1
September 13, 2016
The Environmental Effects of Deep Sea Fishing
All over the world, people depend on deep sea fishing for food and income, but it can be extremely harmful to the environments that it disturbs. Ocean wildlife is disappearing quickly, and deep sea fishing definitely a factor.
There are many forms of deep sea fishing. One of these includes what is known as “bottom trawling,” in which nets, cables, and large steel plates, are run across the sea floor in an attempt to find any fish or other animals that may live there. Unfortunately, during this process, many sea creatures including coral and sponges, are killed (DSCC “The Problem”). Trawling today also gives access to underwater canyons called, “seamounts,” which have a rich biodiversity and according to Dr. Frederick Grassle of Rutgers University, “"We know that seamounts support large pools of undiscovered species, but we cannot yet predict what is on the unstudied ones. The tragedy is that we may never know how many species become extinct before they are even identified” (DSCC “The Problem”). According to a study conducted in Alaska, wildlife has a very hard time recovering from bottom trawling. In this study, scientists found that over half of affected life hadn’t fully recovered by the following year. Additionally, certain seamounts in Australia have been completely wiped out bottom trawling. In fact, many places where coral had once been abundant, are now completely or mostly devoid of any coral (WWF “Deep Sea: Threats”). Although the scale of the impact of trawling on these seamounts is unknown, many scientists believe that undiscovered species are near extinction before they are even discovered, due to this method of fishing.
As a result of catching hundreds, if not thousands, of fish at a time, there is bycatch, or the fish that are caught along with the ones that can be sold. When bycatch is caught, it is simply thrown back into the water. (STDS “The Ecosystem Impacts of Deep Sea Fishing”). According to some studies, around 50% of fish that fishermen catch are bycatch ( fish that aren’t the intended fish) , and thus, are discarded. This is especially bad for the deep sea fish as opposed to the shallow-water fish, because the pressure change will almost always kill the deep-sea fish and usually spare the shallow-water fish (STDS “The Ecosystem Impacts of Deep Sea Fishing”).
Another negative effect of deep sea fishing is how it impacts the entire food chain. When a large portion of smaller fish are being caught by humans, then the larger fish have fewer options for food, so they start to die, then the even larger sea creatures have less food, so then their population begins to decrease as well. This is true also for decomposers, they, in turn, have fewer organisms to decompose, which throws off the entire biosphere of the ocean.
Another concern is that with the vast amounts of fossil fuels available in the deep sea, the destruction of our environment will only continue and may even speed up (WWF “Deep Sea: Threats”). Soon, offshore drilling will no longer produce enough of these resources, and companies will look to the deep sea for untapped reserves. Experts believe that in time, the search for fossil fuels will extend to 3000 meters deep, where lots of seamounts lie (WWF “Deep Sea: Threats”.
Overall, I believe that deep sea fishing is unsustainable and is harming our oceans at an alarming speed, while nearly wiping out countless species of fish and other wildlife. With the vast amounts of fossil fuels available in the deep sea, the destruction of our environment will only continue and may even speed up (WWF “Deep Sea: Threats”). If this doesn’t stop or slow, then our oceans may begin to die as a whole.
Citations
By Contrast, the Catch of Orange Roughy — the Target Species in This Fishery — in . the First Year of the Fishery Was Reported to Be Less than 4,000 Tons. "The . . Problem." The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Sept.. . 2016.
Deep sea: Threats. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2016, from . ………….http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/blue_planet/deep_sea/deepsea_threats/
Dscc. "The Ecosystem Impacts of Deep-sea Fishing." Save the Deep Sea:. N.p., 2016. ………….Web. 12 Sept. 2016.
Asuncion
Block 1
September 13, 2016
The Environmental Effects of Deep Sea Fishing
All over the world, people depend on deep sea fishing for food and income, but it can be extremely harmful to the environments that it disturbs. Ocean wildlife is disappearing quickly, and deep sea fishing definitely a factor.
There are many forms of deep sea fishing. One of these includes what is known as “bottom trawling,” in which nets, cables, and large steel plates, are run across the sea floor in an attempt to find any fish or other animals that may live there. Unfortunately, during this process, many sea creatures including coral and sponges, are killed (DSCC “The Problem”). Trawling today also gives access to underwater canyons called, “seamounts,” which have a rich biodiversity and according to Dr. Frederick Grassle of Rutgers University, “"We know that seamounts support large pools of undiscovered species, but we cannot yet predict what is on the unstudied ones. The tragedy is that we may never know how many species become extinct before they are even identified” (DSCC “The Problem”). According to a study conducted in Alaska, wildlife has a very hard time recovering from bottom trawling. In this study, scientists found that over half of affected life hadn’t fully recovered by the following year. Additionally, certain seamounts in Australia have been completely wiped out bottom trawling. In fact, many places where coral had once been abundant, are now completely or mostly devoid of any coral (WWF “Deep Sea: Threats”). Although the scale of the impact of trawling on these seamounts is unknown, many scientists believe that undiscovered species are near extinction before they are even discovered, due to this method of fishing.
As a result of catching hundreds, if not thousands, of fish at a time, there is bycatch, or the fish that are caught along with the ones that can be sold. When bycatch is caught, it is simply thrown back into the water. (STDS “The Ecosystem Impacts of Deep Sea Fishing”). According to some studies, around 50% of fish that fishermen catch are bycatch ( fish that aren’t the intended fish) , and thus, are discarded. This is especially bad for the deep sea fish as opposed to the shallow-water fish, because the pressure change will almost always kill the deep-sea fish and usually spare the shallow-water fish (STDS “The Ecosystem Impacts of Deep Sea Fishing”).
Another negative effect of deep sea fishing is how it impacts the entire food chain. When a large portion of smaller fish are being caught by humans, then the larger fish have fewer options for food, so they start to die, then the even larger sea creatures have less food, so then their population begins to decrease as well. This is true also for decomposers, they, in turn, have fewer organisms to decompose, which throws off the entire biosphere of the ocean.
Another concern is that with the vast amounts of fossil fuels available in the deep sea, the destruction of our environment will only continue and may even speed up (WWF “Deep Sea: Threats”). Soon, offshore drilling will no longer produce enough of these resources, and companies will look to the deep sea for untapped reserves. Experts believe that in time, the search for fossil fuels will extend to 3000 meters deep, where lots of seamounts lie (WWF “Deep Sea: Threats”.
Overall, I believe that deep sea fishing is unsustainable and is harming our oceans at an alarming speed, while nearly wiping out countless species of fish and other wildlife. With the vast amounts of fossil fuels available in the deep sea, the destruction of our environment will only continue and may even speed up (WWF “Deep Sea: Threats”). If this doesn’t stop or slow, then our oceans may begin to die as a whole.
Citations
By Contrast, the Catch of Orange Roughy — the Target Species in This Fishery — in . the First Year of the Fishery Was Reported to Be Less than 4,000 Tons. "The . . Problem." The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Sept.. . 2016.
Deep sea: Threats. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2016, from . ………….http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/blue_planet/deep_sea/deepsea_threats/
Dscc. "The Ecosystem Impacts of Deep-sea Fishing." Save the Deep Sea:. N.p., 2016. ………….Web. 12 Sept. 2016.
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