Aquaculture, quotas and overfishing

What are the advantages of aquaculture (HE)

High efficiency

high yield in small water volume

low fuel use

high profits

profits are not tied to the price of oil

boosts economic growth in coastal and rural areas,

can reduce overharvesting of conventional fisheries

What are the disadvantages of aquaculture (N)

Needs large inputs of land, feed, and water

large waste output

destroys mangrove forests and estuaries

use grain to feed some species

Dense populations vulnerable to disease

what is aquaculture

also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation of aquatic organisms

breeding, raising, and harvesting fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants.

U.S. aquaculture is an environmentally responsible source of food and commercial products, helps to create healthier habitats, and is used to rebuild stocks of threatened or endangered species.1

what is a fishing quota

provides a share of the fish catch or fishing effort allowed in a fishery to an individual fisher. Fishing quota is usually specific to a fish species as part of a fish stock

benefits of fishing quota

• prevents overfishing

• reduces competition

• more sustainable

• fishes can recover

disadvantages of quotas

• can incentivise discarding behaviour of other species

• reduce profits

• may go out of business or move elsewhere

• instability in the trophic levels

overfishing in Grand Banks, Canada

• was once the world's richest fishery

• overfishing and mismanagement led to population decline of cod

• Canadian government banned fishing on the Banks in 1992, when scientists discovered there were nearly no adult cod left

• cod catch fell from 810,000 tonnes in 1968 to 150000 tonnes by 1977. Canada blamed foreign disregard for quota extended its jurisdiction 200 nautical miles offshore, and evicted the foreigners

• very limited recovery in 2010