Background Knowledge: Overfishing & Aquaculture Billions of people on earth depend on fish. For some, it is a popular source of healthy food due to its essential fatty acids and nutrients, while others rely on it for their primary protein source. Currently, China, Japan and the United States are the world s top consumers of seafood, which has led to an unsustainable assault on global fish stocks ( China Tops List, 2010). However, these countries are not alone in their demand for fish. According to a report by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), per capita fish consumption across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is estimated at 10 kilograms per year. Of these GCC states, the UAE leads regional per capita consumption rankings at 24 kilograms per year - 5 kilograms higher than the global average (Divecha, 2015). Because of consumption demands for fish, overfishing has become a significant concern. Although some say that overfishing began in the 1800s, many marine scientists believe that widespread overfishing started in the mid-20th century. Overfishing is a serious issue because it threatens many species and depletes fish stocks. To help reduce overfishing, a number of measures have been introduced. In the UAE for example, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) started enforcing Ministerial Decree No. 695, which regulates the use of nets in surface fishing to protect fish stocks. Another initiative which has been proposed is the industry of marine aquaculture. Marine aquaculture, sometimes called fish farming, is the breeding of fish in cages or tanks in the ocean. In the UAE, aquaculture has been very successful with firm farms in Jebel Ali Free Zone, Umm Al Quwain, and Fujairah. Dr. Jamal Al Shaafar, the managing director of Fish Farm LLC, says that aquaculture is highly beneficial as their UAE fish farm operation can supply 10,000 fish meals per person per day (Shahbandari, 2017). Despite the benefits of aquaculture, researchers still question its effectiveness. Studies demonstrate that it can damage ecosystems due to its use of chemicals and nutrients. Another negative impact is the waste and pollution from fish farms. Consequently, some researchers argue that aquaculture threatens natural fish species and causes diseases. References China Tops List of World Seafood Consumers: Study. (2010, September 22). The Independent. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk Divecha, D. (2015, August 11). Middle East fishing industry worth US $272 Million a year. Hotelier. Retrieved from http://www.hoteliermiddleeast.com Shahbandari, S. (2017, February 20). Farm in Jebel Ali breeds European species for UAE fish lovers. Gulf News. Retrieved from http://gulfnews.com Background knowledge, Overfishing & Aquaculture Page 1 of 6
Pre-video Tasks: 1. In your opinion, what are some of the problems of overfishing? Could overfishing be more harmful to some societies than others? Why or why not? 2. If you worked for the MOCCAE, what solutions would you recommend to stop overfishing and protect fish stocks? (provide three options) (a)...................................................................................... (b)...................................................................................... (c)...................................................................................... Background knowledge, Overfishing & Aquaculture Page 2 of 6
4. Subject-relevant vocabulary (Provide dictionary definitions and translations if required.) Overfishing Aquaculture Chemical Consumption Deplete Ecosystem Effectiveness Extinction Industry Marine Nutrient Sonar Stocks Tank Threaten Trawler Background knowledge, Overfishing & Aquaculture Page 3 of 6
Video Comprehension Questions Currently, many marine scientists believe that overfishing is the greatest threat to ocean ecosystems. This is because fishing technology has become so advanced that fish are now caught at a faster rate than they can reproduce. With a growing world population nearing almost 8 billion people, the demand for fish is greater than ever with several marine species at risk of extinction. Watch the European Union information video: http://aquascript.com/overfishing/ 00:00 02:37 1. Where is the largest source of food found? 2. How many people depend on fish as a source of protein? 3. In the last sixty years, by how much have fish stocks been reduced? 4. How many fish hooks are deployed each year by commercial fishing boats? 5. What percentage of seafood comes from marine aquaculture? 6. What is a problem with fish farming? 7. How many kilos of wild fish are needed to raise one kilo of salmon? 8. According to the video, does aquaculture create more fish? Background knowledge, Overfishing & Aquaculture Page 4 of 6
Summarise (in your own words) the key causes that lead to the overfishing problem as shown in the image: Summarise (in your own words) some potential solutions to the problem of overfishing as shown in the image: Background knowledge, Overfishing & Aquaculture Page 5 of 6
Summarise (in your own words) some of the problems related to aquaculture shown in the image: Background knowledge, Overfishing & Aquaculture Page 6 of 6