Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
Unsustainable Harvesting Practices & Overexploitation (DP IB Environmental Systems & Societies (ESS))
Revision Note
Written by: Alistair Marjot
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Unsustainable Harvesting Practices
The rising global demand for seafood has led to the use of unsustainable harvesting practices
These methods often damage marine ecosystems and lead to overexploitation of fish stocks
Bottom trawling:
This method involves dragging heavy nets along the seabed
Impacts:
Destroys habitats such as coral reefs
Results in significant bycatch (catching non-target species)
Disturbs sediment, causing sediment pollution and releasing other trapped pollutants
Ghost fishing:
This occurs when abandoned or lost fishing gear continues to catch marine life
E.g. ghost nets
Impacts:
Continues to catch fish and other marine animals, leading to unnecessary deaths
Causes entanglement of marine organisms, including endangered species
Contributes to marine debris and pollution
Use of poisons:
Some fishermen use poisons and toxic substances, such as cyanide, to stun or kill fish, making them easier to catch
Impacts:
Poisons kill or damage a wide range of marine life
Cyanide kills coral polyps and other organisms that form the coral reef structure, leading to reef degradation and overall loss of biodiversity
This method is highly unsustainable and illegal in many places
Use of explosives:
Some fishermen use explosives, such as dynamite, to stun or kill fish, making them easier to catch
Impacts:
Explosives destroy marine habitats and kill indiscriminately (kill non-target species)
Causes extensive damage to coral reefs and other important marine habitats
This method is also highly unsustainable and illegal in many places
Overexploitation
Developments in fishing equipment and increased use of unsustainable fishing methods have led to declining fish stocks and damage to habitats
Fish stocks in the oceans are rapidly decreasing in size
This is mainly due to overfishing
Overexploitation happens when fish are harvested at a rate faster than they can reproduce
This can eventually lead to the collapse of fisheries, where the fish population drops so low that it cannot recover
Case Study
Cod Fishery on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland
Background
Location:
Grand Banks, southeast of Newfoundland, Canada
Historical context:
These were rich fishing grounds for centuries, with cod fishing dating back to the 15th century
Timeline of the collapse
1960s:
Advances in fishing technologies led to increased cod catches
1970s-1980s:
Peak catches despite declining cod population
Early 1980s:
Warnings from scientists about overfishing were ignored
Late 1980s:
Significant depletion of cod stocks
1992:
Canadian government imposed a moratorium on cod fishing to allow recovery
Causes of the collapse
Overfishing:
Excessive harvesting due to high demand and advanced technology
Inadequate management:
Quotas were set too high and were not based on scientific advice
Poor enforcement of regulations allowed overfishing to continue unchecked
Impacts of the collapse
Economic consequences:
Loss of about 40 000 jobs in the fishing industry
Severe economic decline in communities dependent on fishing in Newfoundland and Labrador
Ecological consequences:
Rapid decrease in cod population, with slow recovery
Current status
Partial recovery:
Some improvement in cod populations, but even after decades, they are still below historical levels
Ongoing challenges:
The ecosystem has changed significantly, and full recovery of cod stocks may take many more years or may never return to pre-collapse levels
Adaptive management:
Ongoing adaptive management practices aim to balance ecological sustainability with the economic needs of fishing communities.
Maximum Sustainable Yield
The annual yield for a natural resource (such as a forest) is the annual gain in biomass or energy, through growth
The maximum sustainable yield (MSY) is the maximum amount of a renewable natural resource that can be harvested annually without compromising the long-term productivity of the resource
It is the level of harvest that can be maintained indefinitely
The concept of maximum sustainable yield applies to various resources, such as crops, fish, timber, and game animals
For example, in fisheries, the concept of maximum sustainable yield is used to determine the maximum amount of fish that can be harvested sustainably from a given population
This is calculated based on the population size, growth rate and reproduction rate
If the fishing rate exceeds the maximum sustainable yield, the population may decline, and the long-term productivity of the fishery may be affected
In summary, the maximum sustainable yield is the highest possible annual catch that can be sustained over time without depleting the fish stock
Calculating the maximum sustainable yield is important as it helps in setting appropriate limits on fishing quotas to ensure sustainable fishing practices
Many fisheries still operate above the maximum sustainable yield, leading to continued overexploitation—this is because the fishing is still profitable in the short-term, even if in the long-term the stock will be depleted to the point where fishing is no longer commercially viable
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