Sustainable Fisheries

• What should students be able to describe by the end of the video?

  Importance of maintaining sustainable fish stocks
• Why is it important to maintain fish stocks at sustainable levels?

  To ensure enough mature fish can breed
• What are the roles of fishing quotas in maintaining fish stocks?

  They limit the number of fish caught
• What is the role of net sizes in maintaining fish stocks?

  To prevent catching immature fish
• How was fishing conducted in the past compared to now?

  It was relatively small-scale
• What has changed in modern fishing practices?

  Use of huge trawler ships and technology
• What problem arises when fish stocks fall below a certain level?

  Insufficient mature fish left to breed
• What happens if fish stocks collapse?

  Commercial fishing for those species stops
• What has happened to fish stocks over the past 20 years?

  They have become dangerously low
• What are the two main strategies governments are using to reverse low fish stocks?

  Quotas and minimum net sizes
• How do quotas help fish populations?

  By reducing the number of fish caught
• Why must net sizes be large enough?

  To allow smaller fish to escape and grow
• What was the situation of North Sea Cod in the 1970s and 80s?

  Levels fell sharply
• What has happened to the North Sea Cod population since the introduction of quotas?

  It is increasing again to sustainable levels
• What are the key strategies for sustainable fishing?

  • Set strict fishing quotas
  • Use minimum net sizes
  • Allow immature fish to grow and reproduce
• What are the consequences of overfishing on fish stocks?

  • Fish stocks fall below sustainable levels
  • Insufficient mature fish to breed
  • Potential collapse of commercial fishing