All Flashcards
What are the effects of poor fishing regulations?
Leads to overfishing, depleted fish populations, and ecosystem damage.
How does high consumer demand contribute to overfishing?
Increased demand drives greater fishing effort, exceeding sustainable levels.
What are the ecological consequences of reduced fish populations?
Disruption of food webs, changes in species composition, and potential ecosystem collapse.
How does overfishing affect fishing communities?
Reduced catches lead to economic hardship and job losses.
What is the impact of bottom trawling on marine ecosystems?
Destroys habitats, stirs up sediment, and disrupts benthic communities.
What are the long-term effects of biodiversity loss due to overfishing?
Reduced ecosystem resilience, decreased stability, and potential loss of ecosystem services.
What is the 'Tragedy of the Commons'?
Shared resources are overused when individuals act in their own self-interest.
How does overfishing relate to the 'Tragedy of the Commons'?
Overfishing exemplifies the tragedy; a shared resource (ocean) is depleted by individual exploitation.
Explain the concept of 'sustainable fishing'.
Fishing practices that maintain fish populations and ecosystem health for the future.
Why is biodiversity loss a concern in the context of overfishing?
Overfishing can lead to the decline or extinction of certain marine species, reducing biodiversity.
How does overfishing impact marine food webs?
It disrupts the balance by removing key species, affecting predators and prey.
Explain the link between overfishing and habitat destruction.
Destructive fishing methods like bottom trawling damage seafloor habitats.
What is overfishing?
Catching fish faster than they can reproduce, leading to population decline.
Define 'bycatch'.
Accidental capture of non-target species during fishing.
What are Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)?
Areas where fishing is restricted or prohibited to allow fish populations to recover.
What is bottom trawling?
A fishing method that drags a large net along the seafloor, destroying habitats.
Define 'catch limits'.
Quotas on how many fish can be caught.
What are 'size limits' in fishing?
Regulations that only allow the capture of mature fish.
What is 'selective gear'?
Fishing gear that minimizes bycatch (accidental capture of non-target species).