abiotic effects of overfishing:
• geological factors: sediment
• chemical: pH, water quality, water temperature, weather/climate
biotic effects of overfishing:
• damage to sea floor - may take years to repopulate
• population shift for food chain
georges bank -
• three areas totaling 17000 km^2 closed to groundfishing
• fishing mortality of groundfsh & scallops reduced
• haddock, yellowtail, witch flounder populations increasing
• many species still well below historic levels of biomass
• reserves can be effective for industrial fisheries in temperate continental shelf settings
effects of closed areas:
• short term: unemployment, reduced income, overwhelming debt, increase in fish prices
• long term: minimum of twenty years before fish reach fishable level; fleets will have to be rebuilt at higher cost; debts from rebuilding fleets encourage overfishing; lost tradition effects cultural identity
• large-scale effects on commercial/recreational fishermen
o benefits: increase in catch (outside area), reduction in variation catch, better catch mix (more older fish)
o costs: decrease in catch (within area), congestion of fishing grounds, user conflicts, high costs w/ fishing location, increase in safety risks
• effects on divers, eco-tourists, etc.
o benefits: maintain species diversity, greater habitat complexity and diversity, higher density levels
o costs: damage to marine ecosystem, loss of traditional fishing community
government response?
• Subsidize fishermen -> most fishermen still below poverty line
• Fishermen go through job training (paid by taxes)
o Additional labor drives down wages
Conclusion:
• Closed areas have variable, and generally poor effects on humans in the short term
• Both fish and humans benefit in the long term
• Need more measures than just closed areas to maximize benefits