Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 08 June 2011
WWF South Africa (The World Wide Fund for Nature) called for “all hands on deck” to address the key threats facing South Africa’s fisheries, this World Oceans Day.
Fishing techniques, such as trawling, directly impact marine habitats
“World Oceans Day is a good time to take stock of the state of South Africa’s fishing industry,” said Dr Samantha Petersen, WWF South Africa’s Senior Programme Manager: Marine. “Considering that South Africa’s coastal
communities are dependent upon the resources provided by the oceans for food security and livelihoods, it is vital that we address these issues.”
“Presently we are facing several key threats, but most significant is that of over-fishing. The demand for seafood is at an all-time high with 2009’s global per capita consumption at 17.2kg. The proportion of over-exploited or depleted fish stocks increased to 32% in 2008, bringing the proportion of global stocks fished to their limit or beyond to 85%.”
“Coupled with this is the fact that many fishing practises are wasteful and frequently unselective with an estimated 38.5 million tonnes globally, or 40.4% of the estimated total marine catch comprising of non-target species such as seabirds, turtles, sharks and other finfish. As many bycatch species are marine top predators, the unmonitored and uncontrolled discarding of these animals can have knock-on impacts on the functioning of marine ecosystems. Furthermore, many fishing techniques such as trawling, directly impact marine habitats.” Continue reading Time to take stock of South Africa’s fishing industry
