What is a Fishery? A Deep Dive into Aquatic Resource Management – Abubakar
Updated: 14 Nov 2024
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A fishery is an area where fish are caught for commercial or recreational purposes. It can be a defined body of water or a collection of fishing activity that have been agreed upon by countries and fishers. You often have different fisheries for each target species of fish or shellfish.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO) defines a fishery as a unit determined by an authority or other entity that is engaged in raising and/or harvesting fish. Typically, the unit is defined in terms of some or all of the following:
A bad day of fishing is better than a good day at workUnknown
| Fishery Units |
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Typically, the unit is defined in terms of some or all of the following:people involved
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The MSC uses this definition to refer to a Unit of Assessment (UoA) or a group of such UoAs that is under assessment or certified against the MSC Fisheries Standard.
What is a Sustainable Fishery?
A sustainable fishery has healthy and productive populations of fish where the integrity of the ecosystem is maintained. The fishing activity within the sustainable fishery is well managed and ensures their environmental impact is reduced including minimising bycatch and collecting data to determine their total allowable catch.
| Three Principles of the Fishery |
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An MSC certified sustainable fishery must be scored highly against three principles:
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The UN FAO estimates that 65.8% of fish stocks are within biologically sustainable levels (2017).
There are 446 fisheries certified sustainable to the MSC Fisheries Standard, making up just 17.4% of all fish caught by volume and over 180 species of fish (31 March 2021). View all fisheries in the MSC program.
92% of MSC certified fisheries have made at least one improvement. An improvement is the result of an action taken by a fishery to ensure it maintains its MSC certification. Sometimes, one action produces multiple improvements. For example, closing an area to fishing could impact several species.
When you buy seafood make sure it comes from a sustainable fishery by looking for the MSC blue fish tick.
Sustainable Fisheries in Australia
In Australia, 46% of fish catch by volume is MSC certified sustainable.
- There are 20 MSC certified sustainable fisheries in Australia
- 32 different species of fish are caught by MSC certified fisheries in Australia
- MSC certified fisheries in Australia have an estimated value of AUD$870m per year
What are the main types of fishery?
There are several types of fishery depending on the purpose.
- Commercial fishery – fishing for profit typically selling their catch via auction or through direct trade
- Industrial fishery – typically large commercial vessels that catch a lot of fish
- Recreational fishery – people fishing for leisure and personal use who do not sell their catch
- Customary fishery – applies to indigenous communities who have a traditional connection with the area being fished and is fishing for personal, domestic, ceremonial, educational or non‐commercial needs.
- Small-scale fishery – typically small vessels that operate with many fishers
- Artisanal fishery – typically fishing close to shore for local consumption
Often the type of fishery determines the type of fishing including the type of fishing vessel, fishing method and gear
What is effective fisheries management?
Effective fisheries management include rules around:
- how much fish you can catch
- what fishing method and gear type you can use
- where you can catch the fish
These rules and the way they are enforced are the foundation of a sustainable fishery.
When a fishery is assessed to the MSC Fisheries Standard, the certification body checks that:
- An effective legal or customary framework is in place that recognises the rights of people dependent on fishing for food and livelihoods
- Management objectives are consistent with the Fisheries Standard
- There are effective consultation and decision-making processes in place
- There is a system in place to effectively enforce management rules
- The performance of the management system is evaluated
Conclusion:
A fishery is a specialized area or industry focused on the cultivation, harvesting, and management of fish and other aquatic organisms for various purposes, including human consumption, recreational activities, and scientific research. These areas can be natural bodies of water like oceans, seas, rivers, and lakes, or artificially created environments such as fish farms and aquaculture facilities.
In conclusion, fisheries play a vital role in meeting the global demand for seafood and supporting the livelihoods of millions of people worldwide.
However, the sustainability of fisheries has become a pressing concern due to overfishing, habitat degradation, and the impact of climate change.
Efforts are being made to improve the management of fisheries through regulations, conservation practices, and advancements in technology to ensure the long-term health of aquatic ecosystems and the availability of fishery resources for future generations.
Balancing the economic and ecological aspects of fisheries is crucial in achieving a sustainable and prosperous future for both human communities and the aquatic environments they rely on.
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