by OLD1953 » Mon Oct 22, 2012 1:50 am
A huge problem with overfishing lies in the fact that ocean life is three dimensional, unlike the land areas where pressure from other species comes from side to side, in the ocean it comes from above and below as well, thus enormously increasing pressure on a given species. Overfishing any desirable species past a certain point will mean they cannot recover to former stock populations
even if all fishing of this species is totally halted for decades becaise this above and below pressure will greatly slow recovery rates below what's expected from experience based on land. For proof of this assertion, you have only to look at recovery rates of cod in the Grand Banks.
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/science/Public ... 06-eng.htm
I do not believe the cod will recover unless two things are done, millions of fingerlings hatched and released into the existing cod schools, and natural restocking areas
with no fishing whatsoever of any kind for anything allowed are set aside as buffer zones for the stocks, and such areas would have to be enforced rigidly for as long as fishing of cod takes place. Or, you can simply exterminate the cod and switch to fishing whatever takes their place. Certainly, the plan they've been following is amply demonstrated not to work at all, tens of thousands are on the dole and an entire way of life has been decimated for a generation now, due entirely to allowing the overfishing to take place and then taking actions that have been totally ineffective.
Saying nature will find a balance is of course perfectly true, but nothing says that balance must include a billion cod.
A huge problem with overfishing lies in the fact that ocean life is three dimensional, unlike the land areas where pressure from other species comes from side to side, in the ocean it comes from above and below as well, thus enormously increasing pressure on a given species. Overfishing any desirable species past a certain point will mean they cannot recover to former stock populations [i]even if all fishing of this species is totally halted for decades[/i] becaise this above and below pressure will greatly slow recovery rates below what's expected from experience based on land. For proof of this assertion, you have only to look at recovery rates of cod in the Grand Banks.
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/science/Publications/article/2006/01-11-2006-eng.htm
I do not believe the cod will recover unless two things are done, millions of fingerlings hatched and released into the existing cod schools, and natural restocking areas [i]with no fishing whatsoever of any kind for anything allowed[/i] are set aside as buffer zones for the stocks, and such areas would have to be enforced rigidly for as long as fishing of cod takes place. Or, you can simply exterminate the cod and switch to fishing whatever takes their place. Certainly, the plan they've been following is amply demonstrated not to work at all, tens of thousands are on the dole and an entire way of life has been decimated for a generation now, due entirely to allowing the overfishing to take place and then taking actions that have been totally ineffective.
Saying nature will find a balance is of course perfectly true, but nothing says that balance must include a billion cod.