When we think of fishing, it occurs to relaxation and amusement. Fishermen may participate in this sport in search of food or just for fun. But this hobby also plays an important role in helping protect the environment.
You can still keep this as ahobby, but you should know that good fishing is tied to a thriving global aquatic ecosystem. Most of the fishermen are highly respectful of nature and struggle to keep the ecosystem protected and healthy.
Fishermen is performing an important function in ecosystem protection. They are the guardian of the waters. they are the first ones who discovers what problem is occurring and can pass this information to the controller so that the problem can be solved immediately. For example, it happened in the UK when some fly-fishermen saw many killer shrimp in the waters, which are very aggressive and ecologically harmful species. They notified and reported the existence of the species to the relevant management authority, which the things could be dealt with and inspected before the species got out of hand and caused real damage.
What is sustainable fishing? Fishing must meet a few prerequisites to consider to be sustainable.
- It is administered with an ecosystem in consideration and takes into account the influence of fishing on populations and ecosystems.
- It enables populations of all species to be maintained at healthy levels, engages in controlled activities, and prevents species loss.
- It is focused on helping to protect sensitive species and their habitats, making sure that activities do not negatively affect fish, and closely monitoring all ecosystem populations to preserve breeding and reproductive habitats.
- It uses selective fishing approaches that are adjusted to the marine environment, therefore, accidental catches can be avoided.
- It seeks to minimize the production of energy, chemicals, and waste in all operations, which maintains biodiversity.
Sustainable fishing is a more handcrafted and small-scale method that have social, economic, and environmental advantages, some of which are grounded in the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. Some of the principles are summarized as follows.
Conservation of marine animals: sustainable fishing values the marine ecosystem and accommodates the reproduction rate of fish to maintain balance and ensure the survival of all species.
Use of selective approach: sustainable fishing refuses to catch indiscriminate fish fry and species that are endangered or that have no commercial value.
Waste avoidance:bycatch is used to make lures in sustainable fishing to reduce food waste.
Contribution to food security: sustainable small-scale fisheries represent 66% of all fish caught that is directly available for human consumption.
Offer more jobs and more responsibilities: sustainable handcrafted fishing provides opportunities for 90% of the world’s fisheries and is the basis of the development of small-scale fishing communities.
Most fishermen are enthusiastic about their work and are very motivated to protect and conserve the aquatic environment. Fishing changes the way you view the environment. Fishermen have great respect for the natural world and learn and understand the significance of sustainability and the necessity for natural balance.
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