Table 24.1 - Overview of significant impacts on the environment arising from fishing
Environmental media | |||
---|---|---|---|
Fishing activity | Resources | Water | Nature and Wildlife |
Marine fishing | overexploitation -> depletion of certain fish stocks, reductions in genetic diversity, impacts on natural ecological dynamics | processing plants and factory ships -> water pollution | beam and otter trawls and dredges -> impacts on benthic organisms |
flushing of holds -> water pollution (including oil) | gill, drift nets and longlines -> impacts on vertebrates | ||
anti-fouling preparations, such as tributyl tin from hulls of boats (now banned in EU countries) -> water pollution | discarded fishing gear at sea -> impacts on birds and marine mammals | ||
damage to oil/gas pipelines from trawling -> risk of rupture and threat to ecology | |||
discards of unwanted fish and offal -> water pollution and odour | |||
Freshwater fishing | overexploitation -> depletion of certain fish stocks, reductions in genetic diversity, impacts on natural ecological dynamics (removal of top predators from freshwater bodies) |   | lead from recreational fishing -> toxic effects on waterfowl |
discarded commercial fishing gear and anglers' tackle -> threat to waterfowl and aquatic mammals | |||
Aquaculture |   | discharge of surplus food and animal wastes from fish farms -> eutrophication | escape of farmed fish, exotic and transgenic fish -> impacts on gene pool of wild populations, increasing competition for same ecological niches |
use of anti-fouling paint on aquaculture facilities -> water pollution | increased demand for fishmeal (used for food in aquaculture) | ||
physical barriers established for making fish farms -> potential to hinder movement of migratory fish species |