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By: Lindsay Edgar
Competition. It is everywhere in modern society – siblings, friends, classrooms, social media. Competition even plays a fundamental role in biology, dictating the survival of the fittest. We know what competition does to us, but what is competition doing to our oceans?
In the traditional management system of the fishing industry, fishermen make their livings by harvesting as many fish as possible, in a short amount of time, until the season’s limit is reached.
In exchange for the large numbers of fish they are pulling from the ocean, they are rewarded with a generous amount of cash. At first glance, it may sound like a fair system. Hard work leads to more bounty, which holds a tangible monetary value. But under this system, only the short-term goals are visible.
As a result of the fishing industry’s loose restrictions in most countries, overfishing in those areas has damaged the marine ecosystems. The indigenous fish populations cannot regenerate as quickly as the fishermen remove them. The ramifications of overfishing are numerous, but there may just be hope for our oceans yet.
In 1990, the United States implemented a new strategy called a “catch-share” to solve the overfishing dilemma and to promote sustainability. Here’s how a catch-share works: Each season, scientists set a limit on the number of fish that can be taken from the water. The limit can fluctuate based on the fish population, but each fisherman is entitled to a percentage of the total. So far, the catch-share system appears to have both restored native species and also kept fish as a food source for us.
Now, scientists from the Environmental Defense Fund, University of Washington, and the University of California, Santa Barbara have estimated that most of the world’s fish populations could resurge in just ten years if catch-share programs continue to spread.
After doing some serious number crunching, the researchers say that after ten years the percentage of biologically healthy fishing zones will increase from 47% to 77%. That is seriously great news for the nearly 3 billion people who rely on seafood as a food source.
But what about the fishermen? How will they benefit? According to one of the researchers, Amanda Leland, their salaries would experience a 204 percent increase. It’s a win-win situation if more countries are willing to participate. The new “C” in the sea could be cooperation.
Learn more from our sources: here, here, here and here.