Chapter 8. Oceans and Fisheries 4/20/2009. Chapter 8: Outline. Canada s Arctic Ocean. Physical. Socioeconomics. Towards Sustainable Ocean Environments

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1 Chapter 8 Chapter 8: Outline Ocean Environments: Human Activities Towards Sustainable Ocean Environments Oceans and Fisheries hydrologic cycle Canada s marine environments human activities threats to marine sustainability EEZ Canada - Spain turbot dispute fisheries demise challenges solutions Canada s Arctic Ocean Physical coastline: 173,000 km temperature, ice currents Polynyas: open water areas (maintained by local currents) Socioeconomics Subsistence hunting

2 Canada s Arctic Ocean Ecology bioaccumulate (PCBs DDT) biomagnification - cumulative increase in the concentration of a chemical in successively higher levels of a feed web Canada s Arctic Ocean Canada s Pacific Ocean Threats to ecological integrity hydro development LRTAP climate change over-hunting non-renewable resource extraction Physical coastline: 27,000 km currents Socioeconomics commercial fisheries recreational fisheries aquaculture production Ecology biological productivity native species

3 Canada s Pacific Ocean Threats to ecological integrity commercial fishery aquaculture climate change marine pollution coastal development Canada s Atlantic Ocean Physical coastline: 40,000 km continental shelf banks currents temperature/salinity Socioeconomics commercial fishery collapse Ecology bioproductivity native species Canada s Atlantic Ocean Common Concerns Threats to ecological integrity commercial fishery aquaculture coastal development marine pollution sea level rise off-shore drilling lack of knowledge

4 The Turbot Wars EEZ Transboundary stock protection Fishing down the food chain Canada s confrontation with Spain s Estai North Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO); TAC National, international implications Atlantic Fishery and the Northern Cod Moratorium Killer spike: over-harvesting fish stocks Northern Cod Moratorium: causes and consequences Initiatives to improve cod populations Current conditions

5 Demise of the West Coast Fishery? Pacific Herring economic importance role in food web reproductive capabilities threats solutions Coastal Salmon economic importance life cycle causes of decline political considerations solutions Aquaculture The farming of aquatic organisms (fish, shellfish, plants) in controlled environments British Columbia and New Brunswick dominate the aquaculture industry Atlantic salmon is the leading export Effects on coastal ecosystems - introduction and transmission of fish disease - genetically modified fish / impacts on wild species Pollution Contamination of Canada s oceans and coastlines is principally the result of human activities Municipal sewage, ocean dumping, and wastes

6 Runoff Coastal recreation and activities Towards Sustainable Oceans... Towards Sustainable Oceans Characteristics of sustainable oceans and fisheries ecosystem-based management ethical principles ipl appropriate technology improved knowledge base other? Local National International Streamkeepers Canada Oceans Act Agenda 21 Provincial Coastal National Marine UNCLOS Zone management Conservation Areas programs Act Swim Watch CCREM Shoreline EEZ Management principles Islands trust Parks Canada: Guiding Principles Baja to Bering

7 Canada and the World: Overfishing Canada ranked 2nd in the 2006 EPI, scoring 3 on a scale of