Cod Fish Conservation - Research Paper Example

Pacific cod is more abundant than Atlantic cod and thus should be preferred as an alternative. When available, cod caught with long lines, as a preferable technique, should offer a better choice which in turn minimizes harm to the ecosystem. Certified organic farmed cod can also be used as a suitable option.

 A total of $150 million in relief has been set aside for the New England fishermen and two other fishing areas included in an early vision of the Hurricane Sandy relief bill that was passed to reduce cod fishing. (Kurlansky p,356)This was done to offer alternatives to farmers who plunged into the sea and made 100 trips so that they reduce the trips made in the sea to allow regeneration of the cod fish stocks.

 The introduction and proliferation of equipment and technology led to an increase in landed fish. These new technologies affected the cod fish populations as they increased the area and depth they were fished catching uneconomical species of fish thus depleting the stocks of important predator and prey species. The cod fishery had thrived for hundreds of years before overfishing set in as a result of poor management systems that depleted the stocks so greatly that led to the collapse of the industry. In 1992, more than 35,000 people lost their jobs due to the disappearance of the cod fish thus leaving them in a state of despair. ( Cod Jigging Report in 2006-2011) 

 Due to the great codfish populations, the fishery was sustainable as the cod fish was seasonal thus there could be the regeneration of the stocks. The fishing trends and demands in the market played a major role in its collapse due to the overfishing that ensued and poor management thus leading to its collapse.

 The farmed version content of the feed has changed as well. Forage fish provides two essential products: fish meal, for protein, and fish oil, for omega-3 fatty acids which is a suitable alternative to fish. The different environmental conditions, food requirements for the wild fish, and the nature of the environment hinder the domestication of the wild fish. (Rose p,146)Wild fish require specific temperatures and conditions that would favor their growth and reproduction and also specific food to sustain their development and this cannot be provided in a domestic environment limiting their production in a domestic setting.

 The presence or absence of the cod in the ecosystem impacts the pelagic fish, the herring to the zooplankton, and the phytoplankton through a “trophic cascade.” The presence of cod can therefore decrease the intensity of the local alga blooms. What other species are affected by its decline?

There is little hope as there is a slow recovery of the cod stocks due to inadequate food supplies, cooling of the North Atlantic, and poor genetic stock due to the overfishing of larger cod. Recent studies reveal that the recovery of cod stocks is showing promises of resurgence, despite earlier thoughts of complete collapse. The severity of the collapse of the cod fishery can only be equated to the large populations that lost their livelihoods: estimated 35,000 fishers, were left unemployed. Though there was a smooth intervention by the government to save the situation through a program known as Northern Cod Adjustment and Recovery Program and later through the Atlantic Groundfish Strategy. (DISCHNER) There is increased economic diversification, emphasis on education, and the emergence of a thriving invertebrates fishing industry as a replacement for the defunct cod fishery.

 Overfishing persists in many of the world’s fisheries even though scientists have identified overexploitation as a major problem. The solution seems straightforward – reducing fishing pressure – and the benefits are clear and often obtained rapidly if action is taken before stocks are driven to very low levels. The problem persists, however, because the politics of fishery management favor continued exploitation. How stocks will recover and who will be able to reap the benefits remains uncertain, so the political incentive is to maintain the status quo. Management immediately tries to capitalize on any apparent stock increase or marginal fishing opportunity, but only slowly responds to apparent decreases in the stock. This approach inevitably results in resource declines, and therefore cannot succeed in conserving public resources. There is a need to change this perspective and view the oceans as a system to be managed wisely rather than a resource to be exhausted. ( Cod Jigging Report in 2006-2011)

 There are a lot of preferential needs that have led to the depletion of various fish species due to overfishing. People's demands and market trends have greatly affected the populations of certain types of fish in the markets. The methods used in carrying out the fishing activities also play a major role in the types of fish that are harvested as the different methods lead to unsuspecting fishing of species that are not needed thus depleting their stores due to the massive fishing done.