Commercial Fisheries
Over fishing by commercial trawlers and netsmen as well as inappropriate methods can have a negative affect on not just the sea, but all the animals that benefit from the sea, including fish and birds. Over fishing, i.e. not leaving sufficient fish to repopulate, results in not only that fishes decline, but all the other fish linked to it. For example loss of sand eels (used for animal feed and in some parts of the world, fuel for Power Plants!) Results not only in decreased sand eels, but sea trout and puffins as sand eels are a major part of their diet. Over fishing of Cod, may mean that in the not to distant future we won’t have any Cod to eat, but juvenile cod make up a part of the Salmons diet.
Inappropriate methods include those which take in by catch, such as fish of other species that are to small or are ready to bread, but it may also include dolphins or birds. Only appropriate methods should be used to halt this from happening. Other inappropriate methods include Scallop dredging. The dredging of the sea floor to recover scallops is like ploughing the sea bed over and over again, until it is barren and nothing will live their. However, not all commercial fishing is bad, sunken long lining for certain fish species is an effective method that only catches the target fish. Hand picked scallops are a more sustainable and low impact way of gathering scallops.
What can you do?
Make sure that you only eat sustainably caught fish. To see a guide to fish to eat or avoid click here for a copy of the MCS Pocket good fish guide.