The Evolution of the World: Industrial-Based, Less Natural, Societies

They only used this time frame to try and see how impactful the new endangered species act was in regards to the manatee population in South Florida. Fifty-seven manatee carcasses were reported and of these seven of them were found in the Broward County area (Odell et al 1979). The main causes of death in these areas were from boating accidents or flood and lock gates. The flood and lock gates being the main focus in this article hypothesizing that manatees tend to swim upstream and because of this are more likely to get stuck in the gates. In these cases only external examinations were held and witness reports due to lack of evidence when decomposition began to occur from the animals. No other causes were found in these animals within the Broward County area and showed that despite the newly implemented act, they would still have some challenges on finding a way to better protect the

Economic activity and our environment have been closely linked since man first discovered the concept of trade. In the language of economics, the environment has itself, become an increasingly “scarce resource1”. Since economics is about managing these scarce resources, it will be a useful tool when considering some of the environmental issues facing our planet. One of the major concerns confronting the environment today is the overfishing of the world’s oceans, depleting some species to near extinction. With continued advances in technological and industrial proficiency, fishing vessels are able to fish across the globe, further exacerbating the effects of overfishing. Because the oceans are considered a shared or common

Overfishing is a death sentence to the world’s oceans. As technology continues to improve a great deal of fish can be caught quicker; but at what cost? The effects of overfishing can lead to the extinction of not just the animals being fished, but also the predators that rely on fish to eat. Ninety percent of the ocean’s largest animals have been wiped out due to overfishing (“Overfishing- A Global Disaster”, 2011). National Geographic cites the academic journal Science (2006) that predicts by 2048, all fisheries will collapse due to lack of ocean wildlife. Fish are not the only animal caught in the nets used by fishing vessels. Often animals such as dolphins, sharks, turtles, and seabirds are

In order to combat inconsistent claims to the sea, spreading pollution, competing demands for living marine organisms, tension between nations for resources, and the increasing push for seabed mineral extraction, UNCLOS was created (United Nations 2013). The primary purpose of UNCLOS is to support the efficient use of marine resources, the conservation of living resources, and the protection/preservation of the marine environment (Wang 2004). One of the main benefits of UNCLOS is that it increases the ability for coastal nations to be able to create their own marine protected areas (MPAs) (Craig 2005). In general, MPAs are considered to be the most effective way to preserve and increase marine biodiversity and create sustainable fisheries (Craig 2005; Metcalfe et al. 2013). Even though it has been proven that they are extremely beneficial, only 1.17% of the ocean’s surface is considered to belong to a MPA. In comparison, about 12.7% of the terrestrial environment is considered to belong to a protected region, even though we impact the terrestrial environment less detrimentally than the marine environment (Metcalfe et al. 2013).

The oceans need to be protected because it is where life began and if not taken care of, life as we know it will end. The well-being of the ocean is constantly being threatened and needs to stop. When dangerous substances go into the ocean, ecosystems suffer and become endangered along with the lives of people and marine life. The importance of protecting and preserving the quality and biodiversity of the world 's coasts must be recognized because they are truly irreplaceable. If humans are not educated , and become careless about what is thrown on the ground or sprayed on lawns, disastrous effects follow when it comes to the condition of the ocean’s ecosystems, which can endanger life itself, leading to a problem only we can correct. There is historical evidence of ocean pollution, although the problem still shadows us today.

Cetacean bycatch in fishing industries has been a highly debated topic for decades and is still considered an ongoing problem(NOAA 8). However, when it is looked at in comparison, the problem of bycatch has already been solved as much as is possible while still allowing fishing industries to fish at all. Cetaceans are defined as marine mammals. Bycatch is defined as any marine life that is caught and returned to the sea, whether it is dead or alive(Brooke 2). Therefore, many marine animals that are considered bycatch are not harmed in any way. Including these animals, the national bycatch ratio is still low(Brooke 3). Many actions have already been taken since this has become an issue that has reduced bycatch

“California Establishes the Ocean Protection Act.” (2010) Planning & Environmental Law, 62(2), 32. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/233298409?accountid=8289.

When gill nets are used there is no escape for manatees or sea turtles until someone comes to cut them out of the floating walls of the mesh entrap them until they are taken by death or released. But when North Carolinians see a manatee which may be rare to see why would they wish to see one entangled in a net. These poor animals are already endangered why does it have to be made worse by commercial fishermen. Manatees are aquatic mammals kind of like whales they are the gentle giants of the Intracoastal waterway. Manatees are like the whales of inshore but unlike whales manatees are more inept to being harmed by humans and the fishing. Sea turtles use both inshore and offshore waters so they are always in danger from the fisheries from being run over by a boat or being entrapped in a net. Sea turtles are endangered already but when they come into inshore waters they endanger their lives unknowingly they risk death. But thankfully they resist coming into these waters unless they must lay eggs. In order to protect sea turtles many people must take a stand for these beautiful

The MMPA is managed by primarily by both the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) external and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) external. The Marine Mammal Commission (MMC) external was bought in also to review and amend existing policies. This group of three members, chosen by the U.S. President, is appointed for three year terms. The FWS and NOAA have different roles in protecting marine mammals; the first taking responsibility for sea otters, walruses, polar bears, manatees; the latter taking responsibility for pinnipeds, including seals and sea lions, and cetaceans such as whales and dolphins. Also, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service external, part of the Department of Agriculture, is accountable for the regulations managing marine mammals in captivity.

With many of the unregulated fishing practices and other actions, such an illegal trade on wildlife, are composing great amount of peril to economic, social, and natural values the gulf coasts of south California. Because of such actions, it is creating a menace to the vaquita population, and thus forwarding them to extinction. If society and fishermen do fail to take a required action and response to help protect the defenseless population of vaquitas, the world may never get to witness another glimpse of these beautiful creatures. Vaquitas were only introduced to the ocean and society for a couple of

The ocean has long been faced with neglect and disregard, with horrifyingly 90% of ‘big fish’ species diminishing greatly in number due to human interference. Publicising the issue of ocean preservation could help to incentivize individuals and so be beneficial to the legacy left for future generations.

Callum Roberts set himself the difficult task of cataloguing evidence that today’s oceans are depleted and struggling against overfishing and human influence, while still remaining optimistic about the future of the world’s oceans in his book The Unnatural History of the Sea. Roberts begins by painting a picture of the oceans as they may have been before human influence had drastically depleted species and changed ecosystems through fishing. From this point, he maps out centuries of development in fishing and shows how drastically changed and depleted the world’s oceans are today because of human exploitation. With the explanation of modern day fishery policy and a strong case against the practice of trawling, Roberts shows how humanity continues to exploit the ocean as if it were an endless resource. In spite of all this, the author, in the end, attempts to develop a positive outlook by explaining what can be done to stop the rapid decimation of fisheries, including reevaluation of fishery regulations and development of marine reserves.

Marine conservation was traditionally focusing on resolving the common issue where commercial activities exploiting shared resources yielded private benefits of employment, economic benefits as well as increased harvests. In this process, resources were over-used (Bulte, et al, p.20). Therefore, a need rose to conserve the common marine resources to yield public goods of biodiversity and ecosystem services that are not taken into consideration by the marine policies. Unless the public goods nature of marine resources is addressed by the marine policies, provision, as well as conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services will be a dream to achieve, even if other policies like catch shares and top-down command measures are put in place (Arriagada and Charles, p.804). This discussion will focus on the various incentives for marine biodiversity conservation within the typical public good structure.

Historically, oceans had enough marine life to feed a growing population, which at first, could handle human consumption until an increase in overfishing led to many species not being replenished. In fact, the demands of an ever-increasing population, particularly in poorer U.S. and Vietnam areas, has now over stripped the sustainable yield of the seas along with technological innovation.

How often do we stop and think about the people that fish to provide the rest of the world with the supply of fish that is in demand. With many fisheries closing down due to poor managing and depletion, anglers are turning to the deep sea to fill their “fish orders”. Large fishing vessels also known as Super Trawlers are dragging fishing nets up to a mile deep. Doing this allows them to catch as many fish as possible, but it is also destroying natural habitat such as coral reefs that have been part of the sea for thousands of years. The effect of this is devastating to sea life.