Sodium Cyanide Fishing

Words: 3273
Pages: 14
Open Document
Rapid expansion of the worlds’ fisheries over the last 60 years have led to immense over-exploitation of our oceans, causing many once abundant fish stocks to be on the verge of commercial collapse or extinction. As the world’s population grew through the 20th century, increased pressures were placed on the fishing industry to produce enough fish to fill the growing demand. The development of more efficient technologies such as fish tracking sonar and enormous purse-seine nets or bottom trawls, so that quotas could be reached more quickly. New technologies have allowed humans to venture further off continental shelves and exploit populations previously untouched by man. Figure X demonstrates the amazing expansion of Japanese long- line fleets and subsequent exploitation of top predators is seen in Myers and Worm’s paper published in 2003. In four subsequent maps from 1952 to 1980, data points in units of “fish per 100 long-line hooks …show more content…
The introduction of rock-hopper trawls in the 1980’s has allowed massive nets, once restricted to regions void of reefs and rocky regions, to pass unobstructed over any surface. Coral covered seamounts off Southern Australia are extremely susceptible to overfishing due to their amazing biodiversity, but up to 90% of the surfaces are now barren dead zones. Sodium cyanide fishing is a technique that temporarily paralyzes fish making them easy to catch and is predominantly used to supply restaurants with up to 20,000 tonnes of live fish annually. Cyanide however is extremely harmful to coral reef ecosystems; an estimated square meter of coral reef habitat is killed for every fish extracted. Lastly, dynamite fishing involves setting off explosives underwater to kill fish with the generated shockwave; however, this destroys the corals and leaves the ecosystems in
Show More

Related Documents: Sodium Cyanide Fishing

Coral Reef Research Paper

and in many situations the stresses accumulated from human activities overwhelm the resilience of coral reefs. The major threats to coral reefs are: Cyanide fishing is a popular capture method in Southeast Asia using sodium cyanide solution to stun groups of fish in the water, causing severe coral reef degradation. When exposed to different cyanide concentrations for various time periods, corals such as Pocillopora damicornis and Porites…

Words 932 - Pages 4

Research paper

DYNAMITE – A HISTORY Nhi Tran Anthropology 350: Environment, Culture, and Technology Professor Lord November 1, 2014 Dynamite – A History Abstract: Dynamite, one of the brilliant inventions of human kind, was an explosive material originally based on nitroglycerin, using diatomaceous earth, or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. In 1867, the original dynamite was invented by Alfred Nobel after many failed experiments. At the beginning, dynamite…

Words 3438 - Pages 14

Shellfish Poisoning Research Paper

Fish and shellfish are a staple food source for many Americans. Seafood contains quality protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and other essential nutrients for a healthy diet. The average American consumes approximately 13 grams of fish or shellfish per day, which is the equivalent of 3 ounces per week (Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], 2008). Tribal and ethnic populations who fish for subsistence within the United States consume considerably more fish and shellfish than the average American. Americans…

Words 2864 - Pages 12

Sexually Transmitted Diseases Essay

Science For Living Notes (Compiled) Table of Contents Unit 1 Measurement 5-10 Unit 2 Matter 11-48 Unit 3 Basic materials for maintaining life Air 49-54 Water 55-68 Food 69-71 Other biomolecules of life 72-76 Unit 4 Energy in the Community Electricity 77-78 Heat 78-81 Light 82-91 Sound 92 Simple Machines 93-99 Unit 5 The Physical Environment Weather and Climate 100-113 Soils 114-128…

Words 35677 - Pages 143