Waste minimisation in fishing operations
Sources of wastes in fishing operations mainlyinclude bycatch discards; processing wastes wherecatch is processed onboard; plastic wastes due toabandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear; bilgesand other wastes from the vessel operations. Fishingsystems in general have an associated catch of nontargetedorganisms known as bycatch. Non-selectivefishing gear that is not modified or equipped toexclude non-targeted organisms, may take a significantquantity of bycatch of non-targeted finfish,juvenile fish, benthic animals, marine mammals,marine birds and vulnerable or endangered speciesthat are often discarded. Average annual globaldiscards, has been estimated to be 7.3 million t,based on a weighted discard rate of 8%, during1992-2001 period. Trawl fisheries for shrimp anddemersal finfish account for over 50% of the totalestimated global discards. Plastic materials areextensively used in fisheries, owing to their durabilityand other desirable properties, contributing tothe efficiency and catchability of the fishing gear.However, plastics biodegrade at an extremely slowrate compared to other organic materials. Abandoned,lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear(ALDFG) and related marine debris have beenrecognized as a critical problem in the marineenvironment and for living marine resources.Prevention of excess fishing capacity by appropriatemanagement measures could lead to enormoussavings in terms of fuel consumption, emissions andbycatch discards from the excess fishing fleet, capitaland operational investments and labour deploymentin capture fisheries, with significant economic gains.In this paper, wastes originating from fishingoperations are reviewed, along with their environmentalimpacts and possible mitigation measures
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| Format: | article biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2012-07
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| Subjects: | Conservation, Fisheries, Capture fisheries, bycatch, discards, bycatch reduction technologies, plastic wastes, garbage, engine emissions, waste minimization, |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1834/26237 |
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