1 Fish, Fishing, and Why They Matter
Learning Objectives
- Explain the multiple benefits of fish conservation.
- Define fish and describe multiple approaches used for classifying fish.
- Describe changes in history of fishing over time.
- Classify and compare major types of fishing practices.
- Compare and contrast the importance of commercial, recreational, and subsistence fishing.
- Describe why fish matter to humans.
- Describe the types of ecosystem services provided by fish.
- Construct a list of threats and trends in the uses of fish.
1.1 Introduction
Fish live on every continent and in all types of aquatic environments. Think about a fish that you are most familiar with. The essence of this fish depends on your perspectives. Your familiar fish may be valued as a living room pet, favorite food, trophy, or the source of your livelihood.
Imagine you are sitting in a meeting of the Alaska Board of Fisheries, which conserves and develops the state’s fishery resources. Before the formal meeting you would hear commercial gillnetters speak of their concerns about season lengths and quotas. Outfitters and local tourism officials are concerned about crowding during sportfishing seasons and what locals call combat fishing because of anglers competing to find and protect fishing spots. Native American tribal fishers, like many others, would complain about declining quotas and gradual loss of culture and identities tied to salmon fishing. You thought you knew all about salmon, but the conversations are filled with unfamiliar terms, such as over-escapement, subsistence, hatchery strays, purse seiners, humpies, ocean warming, the salmon enhancement tax, drought, heat stress, damn seals, and Pebble Mine. More than once you hear someone say, “Fishing is in my blood.” Fish and fishing may be central to everyone present, but everyone has different preferences.
It is a challenge to ensure that the benefits provided by fish and fishing continue long into the future. Fish of the world are becoming increasingly imperiled, and the search for simple, generally applicable solutions for fish conservation often elude us. Humans and ecosystems alike benefit from the very presence of fish in all aquatic habitats on earth, but it is this ubiquitous presence that also results in conflicts with other human activities.
Fish and fishing are complicated subjects. Conservation of fish is not easy. Fish represent over half the vertebrate animals on our planet, but receive little attention in major conservation initiatives compared to birds and mammals. Think of the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), Gray Wolf (Canis lupus), Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), Tiger (Panthera tigris), and African Elephant (Loxodonta africana). These are flagship species, or ‘‘popular, charismatic species that serve as symbols and rallying points to stimulate conservation awareness and action.’’ (Caro 2010). Most of the fish lack such high levels of public awareness.
Ultimately, because f