Ecological Impact of Fisheries

per capita consumption: divide total consumption by total population size. Represents average individual consumption.

How many factors can you think of the ecological impacts of fisheries? Why is it important to consider various ecologically important fisheries when we’re here to discuss marine wildlife conservation?

• boat strikes, overharvesting, invasive species, ecotourism, non game birds affected by depletion of fish resources, composition of ecosystem,

Methods to catch targeted fish species:

• recreational/sport

• artisanal

  • commercial

  • subsistence

• traditional

• industrial

Common Fishing Gear

• prawn trap

• dive

• groundfish bottom longline

• shrimp beam trawl

• groundfish otter trawl

• purse seine

• button trawling

• deep sea dredging

Fish

• bluefin tuna

• largest tuna: Atlantic bluefin, 1974, 1496 lbs

Sharks and Finning

• scalloped hammerhead shark

• oceanic whitetip shark

Non-targeted species mortality

• catch of ocean wildlife and non-target fish

  • sea turtles

  • pelagic birds

  • sharks

  • marine mammals

  • coral

Pelagic birds

• albatross

  • mates for life, largest wingspan, sensitive to bycatch