Throughout history, the ocean has played an integral role in shaping the identity of Atlantic Canadians. It was the mainstay of the first people on this land, the natives; it brought the first Viking explorers, as well as later adventurers, to our shores; it lured the first Western European settlers here with its rich bounty of fish. Even today, the people of this region use the ocean as a source of transportation, recreation, employment, and food; not to mention as a source of inspiration for our songs, stories, poems, paintings and carvings. If you go to any fishing village along our coastline you will see, hear and taste the impact this rich resource has on our lives. No other force has shaped this region's culture and people as much as the ocean.Fisheries Management
When John Cabot first sailed to Atlantic Canada’s coastline over 500 years ago, he saw waters teeming with life. He is credited with proclaiming that there were so many fish that they could “not only be taken with the net but in baskets let down with a stone, so that it sinks in the water!” Over the next few hundred years, fishermen from Britain, France, Ireland, Portugal, Spain and other nations sailed to our waters to catch fish. Thus began our commercial fishing industry.
In those early years, fish were being caught in a sustainable manner. This means that enough fish were left in the sea to reproduce to replace those that were taken; the size of the population remains stable. This changed during the 1900’s when many species of fish were caught more quickly than the population could restore itself. Technological advances, like sonar, allowed fishing boats to locate and catch large schools of fish more quickly and more easily than ever before. New, more efficient harvesting methods, like modern trawling nets, were used to catch more fish than previously. For many species, especially groundfish, this proved to be unsustainable. For example, it is estimated for the first 300 years of commercial fishing activity off what is now Atlantic Canada, less than 200,000 tonnes of cod were harvested each year. In 1968, almost 1,500,000 tonnes were caught! By the early 1990s the commercial cod fisheries off Atlantic Canada’s coast were closed, as the number of fish had plummeted. Other species, however, especially lobster, shrimp and crab have shown tremendous resource strength in recent years. These shellfish species are supporting fisheries that have reached record levels.
Overfishing is not the only reason why the numbers of some species of fish are declining. Changes in water temperature and currents, as well as global warming and pollutants are also being blamed for the decrease in fish stocks. Also, natural variations in population size may play a role in the low numbers of some species.
Governments around the world have recognized the need to create a sustainable fishery for some time. The Canadian government acknowledges that the fisheries resource must be carefully managed to:
- Ensure commercial and recreational fishing is sustainable in the long-term;
- Maximize our economic gain; and
- Provide access to the resource for all Canadians.
To create a sustainable fishery, policies must be enacted that balance the long-term economic interests of players in the industry with the conservation efforts needed to protect the population. Oceanographers conduct various studies to create models and recommendations to policy makers. As there are many variables to consider when predicting how the size of a population will change over time, many different studies are performed.
Variations in temperature and ocean currents can affect both the survival and the location of the early stages of an organism’s life cycle. It can also change the numbers of predators and prey for this species. Oceanographers, in trying to understand the effects these variations have on the size of a population, strive to understand many different organism life cycles, its interactions in the food web (especially in regards to its predators and prey), and the impact of a changing ocean habitat.
Using the data gathered, models are created to predict the effect of different conditions on the population. Policy makers can then use these models to make informed decisions for managing the fisheries. Quotas more in line with sustainable harvesting can be set based on the research, as will the types and amount of fishing gear can be used to catch various fish species.
In order to be effective, fisheries management activities must be backed by sound research and good management decisions, and involve the co-operation of the fishing industry. While this is not an easy task, it is definitely necessary to minimize the ecological damage caused by the industry and maximize the economic benefit.
Play the Fish Habitat Activity. (requires Macromedia Shockwave)