242
also exhibit shifting diets as a function of prey
availability.
15.5.8 World Fisheries
A number of signifi cant questions are to be
addressed in the exercise of examining the world
fi shing industry. Some of these queries are given
below:
(a) The technological state of the fi shing industry
(b) Names of the leading fi shing nations and to
what factors do they owe their pre-eminence.
(c) What areas of the world and which species
are the most important?
(d) Can and should the industry be made more
effi cient?
Let us discuss each of the above queries
briefl y.
15.5.8.1 Technological State: Hunting
The single common feature of all fi sheries is that
they are basically ‘hunting’ operations. This is true
whether it is simple FW pond harvesting or technologically advanced open-water trawling. The fi shermen deal with a mobile resource, the ‘fi sh’. This
may or may not be always available to them mainly
due to ecological or oceanographic vagaries. This
is true even though sophisticated refi ned equipments like modern high-speed vessels and gears,
satellite navigation, advanced side-scanning sonar,
synthetic nets and spotter aircraft are used in locating these mobile aquatic resources. In fact, aquatic
harvesting, to a certain extent, remains at a level,
which terrestrial harvesting had surpassed several
thousands of years ago. Controlled aquaculture is,
however, an exception. Nevertheless, the yields of
many fi sheries tend to fl uctuate over short periods
of time mainly because of environmental and biological uncertainties. As an example, the Peruvian
anchoveta ( Engraulis ringens ) fi shery had reached
an annual catch of >13 million metric tonnes (mt)
by the early 1970s. However, this had suddenly
plummeted to <3 million mt by the mid-1970s.
This collapse was supposed to be precipitated by
meteorological and oceanographic changes coupled with aggravation by overfi shing. Some of the
other probable factors responsible for year-to-year
fl uctuation in catches of many other fi sheries are as
follows: (a) changes in water temperature, (b)
changes in rate of larval mortality and survival, (c)
alterations of migration pathways, (d) pollution
events, (e) over- harvesting by man, (f) adverse
weather conditions for the fi shermen and so on.
15.5.8.2 The Major Fishing Countries
During 1976, 114 countries had landed
10,000 mt or more of aquatic organisms.
However, the aggregated landings of six nations
accounted for more than one-half of the world’s
total harvest of 73.4 million mt. Interestingly,
the leading three aquaculturally advanced
nations had accounted for c 38 % of the total
harvest. In fi ne, world fi sheries are dominated
by a few nations, leaving the majority with a
small slice of the world fi sheries pie.
A brief account of some of the matters related
to fi sh yield of six major countries in the world is
given below. The factors responsible for their
elevated positions are as varied as the countries
themselves.
Russia and Japan mainly accounted for much
of the impetus for the rapid increases in the world
catch during the 1950s and 1960s principally
because of the remarkable expansion of their
fi shing fl eets. In response to projections of
increasing demand for fi sh protein, both the
countries adopted national policies of government subsidisation and strong encouragement of
their respective fi shing industries.
Contrary to above, the reason behind mainland China’s high position as a fi shing nation is
totally different from the other leading countries.
China relies on the combined catch of a huge
fl eet of fi shing junks and similar small vessels.
This fl eet fi shes intensively in the country’s
extensive and productive territorial waters. The
catch is augmented by the yield from millions of
fresh and brackish water aquaculture ponds and
fl ooded rice paddies. These ponds are usually
farmed for mainly various species of carps. They
are also fertilised with human and animal
manures along with unutilised portions of plant
crops. Concomitant to above, the fi shing industry
of Peru is based exclusively on a single fi sh, the
anchoveta. The country’s success as a fi shing
15 Wetland Flora, Plankton, Productivity, Fauna and Fishes
also exhibit shifting diets as a function of prey
availability.
15.5.8 World Fisheries
A number of signifi cant questions are to be
addressed in the exercise of examining the world
fi shing industry. Some of these queries are given
below:
(a) The technological state of the fi shing industry
(b) Names of the leading fi shing nations and to
what factors do they owe their pre-eminence.
(c) What areas of the world and which species
are the most important?
(d) Can and should the industry be made more
effi cient?
Let us discuss each of the above queries
briefl y.
15.5.8.1 Technological State: Hunting
The single common feature of all fi sheries is that
they are basically ‘hunting’ operations. This is true
whether it is simple FW pond harvesting or technologically advanced open-water trawling. The fi shermen deal with a mobile resource, the ‘fi sh’. This
may or may not be always available to them mainly
due to ecological or oceanographic vagaries. This
is true even though sophisticated refi ned equipments like modern high-speed vessels and gears,
satellite navigation, advanced side-scanning sonar,
synthetic nets and spotter aircraft are used in locating these mobile aquatic resources. In fact, aquatic
harvesting, to a certain extent, remains at a level,
which terrestrial harvesting had surpassed several
thousands of years ago. Controlled aquaculture is,
however, an exception. Nevertheless, the yields of
many fi sheries tend to fl uctuate over short periods
of time mainly because of environmental and biological uncertainties. As an example, the Peruvian
anchoveta ( Engraulis ringens ) fi shery had reached
an annual catch of >13 million metric tonnes (mt)
by the early 1970s. However, this had suddenly
plummeted to <3 million mt by the mid-1970s.
This collapse was supposed to be precipitated by
meteorological and oceanographic changes coupled with aggravation by overfi shing. Some of the
other probable factors responsible for year-to-year
fl uctuation in catches of many other fi sheries are as
follows: (a) changes in water temperature, (b)
changes in rate of larval mortality and survival, (c)
alterations of migration pathways, (d) pollution
events, (e) over- harvesting by man, (f) adverse
weather conditions for the fi shermen and so on.
15.5.8.2 The Major Fishing Countries
During 1976, 114 countries had landed
10,000 mt or more of aquatic organisms.
However, the aggregated landings of six nations
accounted for more than one-half of the world’s
total harvest of 73.4 million mt. Interestingly,
the leading three aquaculturally advanced
nations had accounted for c 38 % of the total
harvest. In fi ne, world fi sheries are dominated
by a few nations, leaving the majority with a
small slice of the world fi sheries pie.
A brief account of some of the matters related
to fi sh yield of six major countries in the world is
given below. The factors responsible for their
elevated positions are as varied as the countries
themselves.
Russia and Japan mainly accounted for much
of the impetus for the rapid increases in the world
catch during the 1950s and 1960s principally
because of the remarkable expansion of their
fi shing fl eets. In response to projections of
increasing demand for fi sh protein, both the
countries adopted national policies of government subsidisation and strong encouragement of
their respective fi shing industries.
Contrary to above, the reason behind mainland China’s high position as a fi shing nation is
totally different from the other leading countries.
China relies on the combined catch of a huge
fl eet of fi shing junks and similar small vessels.
This fl eet fi shes intensively in the country’s
extensive and productive territorial waters. The
catch is augmented by the yield from millions of
fresh and brackish water aquaculture ponds and
fl ooded rice paddies. These ponds are usually
farmed for mainly various species of carps. They
are also fertilised with human and animal
manures along with unutilised portions of plant
crops. Concomitant to above, the fi shing industry
of Peru is based exclusively on a single fi sh, the
anchoveta. The country’s success as a fi shing
15 Wetland Flora, Plankton, Productivity, Fauna and Fishes