EduNinja
Figure 2: Global capture fisheries and aquaculture production from 1991 and projected to 2025
Using Figure 2, identify one reason for the trend shown in the curve for:
aquaculture.
capture fisheries.
Outline two negative environmental impacts of aquaculture.
Describe two strategies for the management of sustainable capture fisheries.
Figure 3: Examples of entanglement of marine species
Figure 4: Sea turtle species and their status from the IUCN Red List
Identify two strategies for fisheries management that could improve the conservation status of sea turtles.
The St Lawrence River estuary and Gulf of St Lawrence are recognized as a Large Ocean Management Area by the Canadian government.
The area is an important shipping route, highly productive, provides habitat for birds, whales and crabs, and provides nursery grounds for commercial fish species.
Management is challenging because stakeholder interests may conflict or be environmentally damaging.
Figure 2(b): Large Ocean Management Area map and management features
Figure 2(b) key: marine parks, drilling sites, LOMA and shipping lane
| Economic activity | Annual income (millions of Canadian dollars) |
|---|---|
| Oil and gas (estimated) | 45000 |
| Commercial fishing | 533 |
| Aquaculture | 39 |
| Whale watching | 20 |
Figure 3(b): Typical annual income from economic activities in the LOMA
Beluga whales are opportunistic feeders; 40-50% of body weight is fat and they can live up to 70 years.
The St Lawrence River estuary population is about 900 individuals, isolated from other beluga whales, listed as endangered and protected by law since 1983.
Shipping noise disturbs feeding behaviour and ships may separate young whales from mothers.
Until the 1980s beluga whales were hunted because they competed with commercial fishing.
Pollution sources include heavy metals from industrial effluent, POPs from agriculture and industry, sewage, microplastic beads, and pollutants accumulating in river mud.
Figure 10: Montreal discharged 5-8 billion litres of untreated sewage into the St Lawrence River in November 2015; river pollution returned to normal within 4-10 days.
Quebec discharged 110 million litres in November 2016; nationally, 205 billion litres of untreated sewage are released into Canadian rivers and oceans each year.
Figure 12: News headlines about the St Lawrence River and Gulf of St Lawrence
With reference to information in the resource booklet, evaluate the sustainability of Canada's management of the Large Ocean Management Area of the St Lawrence River estuary and Gulf of St Lawrence.
When harvesting is limited to the sustainable yield, associated processes involved in a food production system may still make the production unsustainable.
In this context, to what extent can aquatic food production systems be truly sustainable?
With reference to named examples, compare and contrast wild fisheries and aquaculture systems in terms of their efficiency and environmental impacts.
A wild population of fish may provide a sustainable resource for human consumption. Describe practical procedures for estimating the maximum sustainable yield from such a resource.
Identify four strategies that can be used in the sustainable management of wild fisheries.