Role in fishery management
The foregoing discussions have indicated the rationale for the
increasing emphasis given to aquaculture in fishery development and management
programmes. While the current emphasis would appear to be in enhancing the
production of high-valued species for export, its benefits in overall fishery
management are also being slowly recognized. Export-oriented farming has
clearly been responsible for attracting investment from the private sector and
for starting several supporting industries like feed and equipment manufacture.
Because of its possible role in improving foreign trade, governments in many
countries are now offering incentives, including financial support, for the
aquaculture sector. Industry and scientific institutions are devoting attention
to research and development for the handling, preservation and presentation of
aquaculture products. Even though the number of export products has increased,
and the benefits of progress have trickled down to the production of other
species, the need for diversification has come to be recognized by most
enterprises. As already shown in several instances, especially in developing
countries, the newly established supporting industries have already brought in
overall economic and social gains to the communities concerned. Even now the
newly established supporting industries can be of benefit to other types of
aquaculture as well.
A major element in fishery management in many countries is to prevent
any increase in, and possibly even reduce, fishing pressure in the intensively
fished foreshore areas. Aquaculture would probably be the only means of maintaining
the overall supplies, if fishing restrictions affect the landings. Sizeable
increases in production through aquaculture under favourable conditions have
already been achieved in several countries over the past decade, and the gap
between capture fisheries production and requirement is expected to be bridged
effectively.
Reduction in fishing pressure in developing countries often involves the
displacement of large numbers of small-scale fishermen, who are unable to
obtain a reasonable income, even when unrestricted fishing is allowed. Many of
these fishermen and their families are reluctant to leave their traditional
homes and change to professions unrelated to fisheries. Efforts are therefore
made in some areas to assist these surplus fishermen to become aquafarmers.
According to some social scientists, the fisher-man, who is essentially a
hunter, looks down with some contempt on those who adopt land-or coast-based
production methods, devoid of the excitements of open-water hunting and the
prestige that is believed to go with it. However, in many areas of the world
there are large numbers of part-time fishermen farmers.
Further, the origins of some of the present-day aquaculture systems,
such as cage culture, are to be found in the fishermen’s practice of hold-ing
live fish for marketing. That, in course of time, led to fattening before sale
and then to techniques of rearing from fingerlings or fry stages. Numerous
oyster farmers and some of the present-day cage-farmers of yellowtail, groupers
and sea-basses are former fishermen.
Conflicts can arise between capture and culture fishery sectors, but with appropriate planning these two activities can be harmonized to provide an integrated development policy and programme. For many years, extraction and reforestation have formed the basic elements in the management of forest resources which in many ways is the terrestrial analogue of fisheries, and there is no strong reason why such a development cannot be achieved in fishery management.
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