Impacts of Overfishing

Vocabulary flashcards based on the lecture notes regarding the impacts of overfishing.

Overfishing

The taking of so many fish that too little breeding stock is left to maintain numbers.

Fishery

A commercially harvestable population of fish within a particular ecological region.

Commercial extinction

The temporary depletion of fish stocks that may not allow for recovery.

Tragedy of the Commons

A situation in which individual users acting independently according to their own self-interest deplete or spoil shared resources.

Bycatch

Organisms that are unintentionally caught in the commercial fishing process.

Sustainable yield

The size of the annual catch that can be harvested indefinitely without a decline in the population of a species.

Trawler fishing

Fishing method involving dragging a funnel-shaped net along the ocean floor to catch fish and shellfish.

Purse-seine fishing

A method of fishing that uses a large net to surround fish schools at the surface.

Long-lining

A fishing technique using lines hung with thousands of baited hooks, adjustable for different fish species.

Drift-net fishing

A method that uses huge drifting nets that can catch and kill both targeted and non-targeted marine species.

Maximum sustainable yield (MSY)

A mathematical projection of the maximum number of fish that can be harvested annually without population drop.

Individual transfer quotas (ITQs)

A fisheries management tool giving vessel owners a specified percentage of the total allowable catch in a fishery.

Aquaculture

The farming of fish and other aquatic organisms in controlled environments, contributing significantly to global fish production.

Shark finning

The practice of removing shark fins and discarding the still-living body, causing ecological imbalances.

Fish farming in cages

A method of aquaculture where fish are raised in large enclosures in water bodies.

Fishing down the food web

The phenomenon where fishermen move down the food web to capture smaller fish as larger predatory fish decline.

TEDs (Turtle Exclusion Devices)

Devices required for shrimp trawlers to prevent the accidental capture of sea turtles.

Commercial fishing fleets

Industrial-scale fishing operations equipped with advanced technology to maximize catch.

Enduring understanding of overfishing

When humans use natural resources, they alter natural systems and affect marine biodiversity.

Causes of fishery collapse

Factors leading to drastic declines in fish populations, often due to overfishing and habitat destruction.

Coastal development impacts

The adverse effects of urban and industrial development on marine biodiversity and habitats.