117
7 Ecosystem Health in the Context of Fisheries and Aquaculture…
among different coastal activities. Such is already the case when tourism development
enter an area previously linked to fi shing activities. The same human and economic
capital, as well as political resources, is diverted from one to the other.
Population Growth and Displacement
More than half of the human population lives within 100 km from coasts, and a
large percentage also inhabit regions that are less than 3 m above sea level (Ojeda
Zújar et al. 2001 ) . Economic forces and industrial development patterns have shaped
these processes. For example, sea trade is still a cheap and ef fi cient mode of transportation for industrial production. Industries tend to establish their factories in
coastal areas for this reason. In some cases they also need the vicinity of the sea or
large masses of water for refrigeration or waste disposal. Many of the largest cities
in the world, including several ‘megacities’ with more than ten million inhabitants,
are also located in coastal areas. The number of coastal megacities is expected to
grow more than fourfold from 1975 to 2015 (Ojeda Zújar et al. 2001 ) . One activity
that perhaps has grown the most in the twentieth and twenty- fi rst centuries, transforming what was a privilege of upper classes at the beginning of twentieth century
into a mass activity, is tourism. The tourism industry has shaped coastal landscapes,
transforming mostly uncultivated or unpopulated lands into densely inhabited
resorts in only a few decades. This is certainly the case in many areas of the
Mediterranean or Caribbean coasts, as well as Southeast Asia (Boissevain and
Selwyn 2004 ) . In many cases, coastal tourism has clearly contributed to the displacement of populations to the shore, increasing the complexity in the system
because of the new mix of stakeholders and the power that some of these new
entrants may exercise in policy-making.
Capture Fisheries and Aquaculture: Dynamics and Scale Issues
One of the most important activities directly impacting ecosystem health is fi shing.
Around the world, there is a long history of modernization of capture fi sheries.
Traditional small, wooden, non-mechanized boats are being replaced by motorized
boats, equipped with mechanized and powerful gear and modern technology (such
as radar and sonar for fi sh fi nding). Such modernization, along with the improvement in storage and onboard processing facilities, has enabled fi shing to take place
further offshore, in deeper areas and with longer duration. Post-harvesting technology has also been developed to accommodate the increasing amount of fi sh removed
from the sea, changes in consumers’ taste and preferences for seafood products, and
globalization. These transformations affect the dynamics of the system, reinforcing
user con fl icts because not all the stakeholder groups have the same opportunities to
access the new technology or means of production. This may even lead to expelling
7 Ecosystem Health in the Context of Fisheries and Aquaculture…
among different coastal activities. Such is already the case when tourism development
enter an area previously linked to fi shing activities. The same human and economic
capital, as well as political resources, is diverted from one to the other.
Population Growth and Displacement
More than half of the human population lives within 100 km from coasts, and a
large percentage also inhabit regions that are less than 3 m above sea level (Ojeda
Zújar et al. 2001 ) . Economic forces and industrial development patterns have shaped
these processes. For example, sea trade is still a cheap and ef fi cient mode of transportation for industrial production. Industries tend to establish their factories in
coastal areas for this reason. In some cases they also need the vicinity of the sea or
large masses of water for refrigeration or waste disposal. Many of the largest cities
in the world, including several ‘megacities’ with more than ten million inhabitants,
are also located in coastal areas. The number of coastal megacities is expected to
grow more than fourfold from 1975 to 2015 (Ojeda Zújar et al. 2001 ) . One activity
that perhaps has grown the most in the twentieth and twenty- fi rst centuries, transforming what was a privilege of upper classes at the beginning of twentieth century
into a mass activity, is tourism. The tourism industry has shaped coastal landscapes,
transforming mostly uncultivated or unpopulated lands into densely inhabited
resorts in only a few decades. This is certainly the case in many areas of the
Mediterranean or Caribbean coasts, as well as Southeast Asia (Boissevain and
Selwyn 2004 ) . In many cases, coastal tourism has clearly contributed to the displacement of populations to the shore, increasing the complexity in the system
because of the new mix of stakeholders and the power that some of these new
entrants may exercise in policy-making.
Capture Fisheries and Aquaculture: Dynamics and Scale Issues
One of the most important activities directly impacting ecosystem health is fi shing.
Around the world, there is a long history of modernization of capture fi sheries.
Traditional small, wooden, non-mechanized boats are being replaced by motorized
boats, equipped with mechanized and powerful gear and modern technology (such
as radar and sonar for fi sh fi nding). Such modernization, along with the improvement in storage and onboard processing facilities, has enabled fi shing to take place
further offshore, in deeper areas and with longer duration. Post-harvesting technology has also been developed to accommodate the increasing amount of fi sh removed
from the sea, changes in consumers’ taste and preferences for seafood products, and
globalization. These transformations affect the dynamics of the system, reinforcing
user con fl icts because not all the stakeholder groups have the same opportunities to
access the new technology or means of production. This may even lead to expelling