Fisheries Health

[hmhellen]

I would rate the health of global fish stocks as fairly poor at a 7. Many of my family members are commercial and recreational fishermen. Over the years I have both noticed reduced catches and heard my grandfather complain about ever increasing restriction placed on fishermen. My father worked on a commercial fishing boat throughout college and often talked to me about what fishing was like when he was younger and how it differs today. This has also become apparent in recreational fishing over the years. My family spends a lot of our summers in Kachemak and Resurrection bay halibut fishing. Over time it seems like the size of halibut that we catch has decreased. My pessimistic view of the state of fisheries comes not only from my own experience but also from things I have learned while at UAF. Last semester I took Fish 105 with Trent Sutton. In that class, we talked a lot about what fisheries used to look like versus what they look like now. In most parts of the world, it seems that many fisheries have been exploited and are only a fraction of what they were historically.

[AJ]

I also rated fish stocks at 7. My reasoning doesn’t come from personal experience in commercial or recreational fishing, so it’s interesting to read a firsthand account. I’ve read a lot about fish harvests being lower, yet the demand for fish still being high. Despite fishing management, it seems many fish are not given enough or any time to recover. I think it’s also important to think about the food web fishes are a part of and how much their depletion is effecting other marine life.

[mgpeels]

Speaking on this topic, I can’t say I personally have experienced this situation and down in the south you don’t hear much about fish production, at least where I’m from.. But looking into this topic a bit further I would have to say I agree with you. I chose a 6, but it’s definite that our demand in fish is rising, but the production is lacking.

[Ron Sheldon]

Although I rated fish stocks a little higher I can see your point about halibut. It can’t be coincidence that over time the age to length ratio has decreased significantly. Additionally, it is interesting that you look at it from a historical commercial viewpoint and a current recreational perspective. Do you think they are equal measures of the health of the rescource? Also, I am interested if you have an opinion on what impact charter fishing has had on both the commercial and recreational fishery. Thanks…

[bmarshall6]

Though I rated the stocks slightly above average I would agree with your rating as well, in fact I’d probably change my rating to around 6 after thinking on the situation a little longer. That being said I really don’t have a lot of hands on experiences in fisheries.

[Author]

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