[I'm wary of this idea being called advocacy, I'm wary of this idea being a WIBNI, but I'll post anyway and be ready with the delete key)
I've just returned from a week on the Isle of Mull in the Western Isles of Scotland which up until recently named fishing as it's number one industry.
Even though tourism is now the island's biggest earner, fishing is still important, however, it's fishermen, like those in many countries, are not treating the resource properly. Trawlers are catching scallop and destroying the habitation behind them. Stocks of other species are overfished.
Fishermen do not look after the resource because once they've destroyed it, they simply move on to another location. If they had to regularly fish the same area, as a farmer would till his fields, they would have a greater respect for the natural resource.
Idea : Fishermen are allocated an area of sea to fish. They cannot roam. They therefore must look to fish in an environmentally friendly manner.-- jonthegeologist, Sep 10 2005 Fish to Avoid http://www.fishonline.org/advice/avoid/Elsewhere reported that 70% of reef fishes are overfished. Key factors are age/size to fertility, and fecundity. [reensure, Sep 11 2005] it certainly has been discussed. http://www.guardian...369,1375604,00.html [po, Sep 11 2005] dogger, fisher, german bight etc http://www.metoffic...ed/uk_shipping.html [po, Sep 11 2005] Where You Can't Fish http://www.flmnh.uf...ws/preserve2004.htmContrary to [jonthegeologist]'s statement regarding maritime laws about what, how, and presumably when you can fish certain species, many nations do in fact also specify where you can fish within their national waters. This particular article summarizes the ban on commercial and sport fishing in the area off Southern California's coast around the Channel Islands. Similar restrictions are common surrounding many other nations' maritime parks. In fact, many maritime parks become named national parks and marine preserves solely so that their fisheries can be protected and native fish populations allowed to recover from excessive pressure. [jurist, Sep 11 2005] joined up thinking http://news.bbc.co....ci/tech/4282866.stm [po, Sep 27 2005] Nice.
Don't maritime rules or whatever - legislate where and what and how much you fish already??
Mmmmm - fishy, little fishy - I'm going to eat you little fishy ( sorry )-- The Kat, Sep 10 2005 Maritime laws state what you can fish and how you can fish it, but certainly here in the EU, not where. That's the final piece of the puzzle for me.-- jonthegeologist, Sep 10 2005 There's politics over land... so why not over sea?
Oversea?
Oversee?
Over sea!-- chocolateraindrops, Sep 10 2005 I'm hoping so [Ian]-- jonthegeologist, Sep 10 2005 Problem: Unlike corn, fish move around. So, if you and I have "fields" next to each other, and I'm overfishing, and you're not, you're screwed.
Maybe "fields" would have to be described in terms of schools of fish, not in terms of geographical location?-- jutta, Sep 10 2005 //The objection to closing the areas where 40% of all cod are caught included fears that displaced boats would overfish other areas, damaging the sea bottom in places that have so far escaped. One of the largest areas the commission wants to cordon off is near the Shetland Islands.// linky.
the trouble seems to be (in our part of the world anyway) that we are too unadventurous to try other fish, preferring to stick with our beloved cod and chips (and pickled onion).-- po, Sep 11 2005 Eat Hoki. It's lovely.
If we could divide up the sea into large fields, we could implement a crop rotation system whereby a field is left fallow one year out of three for stocks to recover.-- wagster, Sep 11 2005 what's all that dogger, fisher, german bight stuff all about then? (yeah, I know its the weather)-- po, Sep 11 2005 [jutta] clearly identifies one problem with this idea, not unlike the problems associated with open ranges in the American West prior to the introduction of barbed wire. It makes you wonder what the proper name for fish rustlers might be, and if we can expect to see food fish emblazoned with laser-brands in the future.
A second and perhaps more complex hurdle, though, is the very concept of private ownership of national waters. Excepting islands, registered floating watercraft, certain permitted artificial structures (e.g., leasehold oil rigs), and surrounded bays and inlets, most nations do not recognize private property rights and boundaries within their national waters below the mean high-tide line of their respective shores.
This means that it could literally take an act of Congress or Parliament or [fill in your local governing body] to establish the geophysical boundaries if you desired to locate an aqua-farm or sea-ranch within national waters. And until you are able to establish ownership rights and liability tied to a specific piece of ocean, then it is unlikely that this idea's stated goals for ecological stewardship will be served.-- jurist, Sep 11 2005 [po] I like "Silly Automatic" best.-- squeak, Sep 12 2005 //It makes you wonder what the proper name for fish rustlers might be// "Spaniards", according to the Cornish.-- coprocephalous, Sep 12 2005 There's flaws to this, but it is a valiant effort to impove things, so I'm going to give it a bun anyway.-- hidden truths, Sep 27 2005 Aye [hidden truths], aye! [+]-- DocBrown, Sep 27 2005 eat beef-- schmendrick, Sep 28 2005 As someone who has repeatedly applied to the International Whaling Commision for a license to hunt Norwegians, Japanese and Icelanders, I thoroughly approve of any effort designed to control the greed of the fishing community.
//They therefore must look to fish in an environmentally friendly manner// I suspect they will fish what they are allocated until it is devoid of life, then apply for a grant to retrain as consultants for a government focus group, with special interest in raising money for a certain political party by selling life peerages and other honours.
"I will make you fishers of men" (and money) [+ for sentiments]-- xenzag, Dec 26 2006 random, halfbakery