Sustainable fisheries
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SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES A nation's livelihood and economic growth solemnly depend on how it uses its resources and sustainably delivers services because, without a sustainable culture or habit displayed in a nation, it will be bound to fail. In contrast, its resources crash along with its economy. As Pope Francis reminds us, the natural environment is not just a resource but a shared heritage of humanity, a responsibility we all bear (Kurien, 2019, p. 17). Human interaction with fisheries has evolved over millennia, underscoring the significant role of fish and fisheries in human well-being. The sheer scale of this impact is staggering. Millions of people's livelihoods, income, and food security directly or indirectly rely on fisheries. This global dependence on fisheries underscores their universal importance, serving as a source of job opportunities for developing countries. Gebremedhin (2021) notes that total employment in fisheries increased from twenty-eight million in 1995 to 39 million in 2010. By 2016, over forty million people were engaged in fisheries, with 79% and 13% residing in Asia and Africa, respectively. This data reveals a trend of increasing fishing activities in developing countries, juxtaposed with a decline in developed nations. Fisheries play a significant role in the economic growth of nations worldwide because they involve trading commodities such as food and creating job opportunities. Gebremedhin, 2021, in 2016, approximately sixty million tonnes of fish products (35% of global fish production) entered international trade in various forms. “This represents a total increase of 245% compared to 1976, but we consider the trade in fish for human consumption alone. (“Water | Free Full-Text | Scientific Methods to Understand Fish ... - MDPI”) The increase is more than 500%. It Is seen that the value of fisheries has grown 1976 from USD 8 billion to USD 152 billion in 2017.” (Gebremedhin, 2021). While fishing is pivotal in a nation's economic growth and food security, it poses significant challenges to ecosystems, impacting biodiversity and the environment. This underscores the critical importance of fisheries and their global impact. Therefore, adopting sustainable fishing practices is not just a choice but a necessity for the marine environment. For instance, “Bottom fishing using towed nets and dredges is one of the most widespread sources of physical disturbance to the continental shelf seas throughout the world. Previous studies suggest that degradation and ecosystem changes have occurred in intensively fished areas. (“Chronic fishing disturbance has changed shelf sea benthic ... - best journals”) The chronic fishing disturbance has altered the structure of shelf sea benthic communities, highlighting the urgency of sustainable fishing practices.” (Kaiser et al., 2000 Download 114.03 Kb. Share with your friends:
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