Tuesday 30 September 2014

World's fishing grounds

What are fishing grounds?
These are regions of the world known for fishing industry.
The map below show the world’s major fishing grounds.
 a.      North-West Europe
It is also known as North-East Atlantic. It constitutes Barents Sea, Iceland, the North Sea and the Biscay bay. Fishing nations in this region are Russia, United Kingdom, Germany, France and Iceland whose the following are important fishing ports include Bergen (Norway), Boulogne (France), Hull, Devon, Cornwall (the UK), Grimsby, Aberdeen.
Norway and Iceland are dependent on fishing industry for their economy because they have poor soils for agriculture.
The main catch are the cod, haddock and herring. Modern equipment is used in the region.
The map below shows North-East Atlantic fishing ground
 

 b.      Eastern Canada or North-West Atlantic
It extends from Cape Cod to Newfoundland, off the coast of Canada.
This fishing ground is influenced by the following factors:
i.        It has an indented coast with  good harbours
ii.      It has poor soils which have compelled people to turn to fishing to earn their living.
iii.    It is a meeting point of two contrast ocean currents, North Atlantic drift (warm) and Labrador (cold) which influence the rapid growth of plankton
Important ports in this region are Halifax, St John’s and Lunenburg. The catch include cod, haddock and sardines
The map below shows North-West Atlantic fishing ground
 
 c.       North-West America or North Eastern Pacific
It extends from California to Alaska  
The main catch are the halibut, cod, herring and salmon (the important catch).
d.      North-East Asia or North-Western Pacific 
Has similar conditions to East Canada fishing ground influenced by the meeting of warm Kuro Siwo and cold Oya Siwo currents.
Japan is the leading fishing nation in the region due to the following factors:
i.        Abundance of fish around Japanese waters
ii.      Fishing industry is receiving more attention than agricultural industry which is greatly pressured by high population
Other fishing nations are Russia and China The main catch include the following: cod, halibut, herring, salmon, sardine, tuna, mackerel, garoup, carp, mullet, prawn, lobster, crab and cuttlefish.
The map below shows North East Asia fishing ground
 
e.        Peru
It is located along the coast of Peru.
It is influenced by the cold Humboldt or Peruvian ocean current which operates in tropical region. The main catch is anchovy and the main fishing port is Chimbote.  
The map below shows Peru fishing ground
 Factors influencing the development of fishing industry
a.       Physical factors
i.        The availability of plankton – plankton is the food for fish. As such the fishing grounds rich in the plankton.
ii.      The fishing grounds have indented coasts which for natural harbours of which many become fishing ports such Chimbote, Boulogne, Hull and Aberdeen.
iii.    The lands are too mountainous or have poor soils for agriculture. As such fishing is significant alternative for livelihood.
b.      Human / economic factors
The regions have large populations which provide market for fish.
Types of fish
There are two main types of fish namely pelagic and demersal fish
a.       Pelagic fish
These fish breed near to the water surface such as herring, mackeral, menhaden, anchovies, pilchard and tuna. They are caught using drift and seine nets.
b.      Demersal fish
These fish breed and feed on the sea bed of continental seas which include sole, cod, haddock and halibut. They are caught trawl nets.
Fishing methods
There are many methods of catching fish which include the following:
a.       Drift net
These are nets which are vertically suspended in water by using floats along the top edge and heavy objects along the bottom edge. The fish are caught by their gills. The diagram below show diagram of the drift nets. It is used to catch pelagic fish
 

b.      Seine net
The nets are similar to drift nets. They are dragged near the shoal of fish by either fishing boat, fishers or two fishing boats. It is suitable for catching pelagic fish
c.       Trawl net
It is a conical shaped net with an opening at the base which is kept in status quo by a rigid structure. It is dragged near the shoal of fish by fishing boats called trawlers. It is suitable for catching demersal fish. The diagram below show the trawl nets.
 

 
d.      Fishing lines
This method entails lines as long as 1 to 2 kilometers to which hundreds of baited hooks are attached. The lines are either trailed by fishing vessels if long or individual fishers if they are much shorter. 
e.       Fishing traps
These include baskets (mono) for catching fish in shallow coastal waters. They contain baits and left for one or two days in water before they are pulled out.
They are convenient for catching lobster, crab and crayfish
Importance of fishing industry
a.       Provision of food. Populations in some countries such as Japan, China, Norway and others depend on fish for food. 
b.      Fishing contributes to the economy of some countries such as Iceland and Norway
c.       Fishing industry provides employment to populations
Problems facing fishing industry
The following are some of the problems facing fishing industry in the world
a.       Pollution: the fishing are continually becoming polluted by effluent that emanate from factories, oil spills which resulting into depletion of fish species
b.      Overfishing: fish species are dwindling because the catch is far greater than the fish replenishment. As such it is referred to as robber fishing industry.
c.       Destruction of the fishing grounds. 
Possible solutions to problems facing fishing industry
a.       Pollution control: the poisonous and harmful chemicals must be removed before they are disposed into the water bodies
b.      International laws and agreements aimed to prevent overfishing. These include setting limits of fish for nations to catch in a given period.
c.       Introduction of fish farming in order to replenish the fish caught.
d.      Enforcing the use of nets whose mesh prevents catching young fish
e.       Restocking overfished waters
f.       Awareness campaigns on the bad effects of misusing fish resources
Other resources from the sea
The resources from the sea include: food (prawns and shells), salt, fresh water, metals, sand and gravel, oil and natural gas.