There Are Two Big Problems with Trawling: Environmental Damage

Home , Bottom trawling, Midwater trawling, Trawling

The Problem With Shrimp Trawling Steven Wright

Abstract What is trawling? Why is trawling a problem? Is something being done? Despite the many well known negative environmental impacts of Trawling is well known for its detrimental qualities, so innovations trawling, it is still a very widely used fishing method. This is a study There are two big problems with trawling: that lessen the environmental impact are always being created. One on not only the environmental impact of trawls, but also the such innovation is the addition of escape windows onto the nets. This motivations to continue using them for commercial fishing, as well as environmental damage and bycatch. allows non-target species to escape the net while target species various improvements being made and possible solutions and remain trapped. There have been over 50 patents for trawl compromises between fisheries and environmentalists that will Environmental Damage improvements in the last decade (http://www.seaofinventions.se). eliminate the need for trawls entirely. Damage caused by trawling is usually due to bottom trawling. A Among these innovations are modified net designs, more specialized bottom trawl is made using metal supports as the frame of the net. net structure, and lighter frames that are less damaging on the sea Why is shrimp trawling so important? These supports are bulky and heavy. When these trawls are dragged floor. across the sea floor, the leave a trail of destruction in their wake. Trawling is the most effective way to catch shrimp, so most shrimp Any coral or animal dens are usually destroyed, and after several Is it enough? fisheries use it as a fishing method. However, trawling is also the waves of trawlers, there are no signs of life left. Also, nets can easily Sadly, despite these innovations and modifications, trawling remains cause of many problems with the environment and the death of many get snagged on random rocks or mounds, and sometimes a large one of the most detrimental methods of fishing on the environment. different types of organisms. This is especially true for shrimp section of the net will break off. The net portions are not retrieved, The only long term solution to this issue in this time period is to find trawling. Shrimp trawls have specialized frames that draw the shrimp and will sometimes drifts for several miles and “ghost fish”. Any an trawling alternative that will be less damaging for the into the nets, but also cause abundant damage to the sea floor. They animals unlucky enough to come across these ghost nets will usually environment. While alternate methods (such as shrimp farming) exist also have specially designed net, which make it difficult for other become trapped, and eventually die. for catching organisms that would normally be trawled, these organisms to escape if caught. Lastly, there is a very high demand for methods are much less effective, so companies are in no hurry to shrimp in the seafood market, so fisheries will fish as much as they abandon their tried-and-true method for maximum profit. can to try and meet that high demand. After numerous waves of shrimp trawlers coming through, entire ecosystems can be destroyed. Bottom Trawling (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trawling) Trawling is a method of fishing that involves dragging a specialized net, the “trawl”, behind a trawling vessel, the “trawler”, to catch numerous species of marine organisms. There are two main types of

trawling: pelagic (or midwater) trawling, dragging the trawl through open water, and bottom trawling, dragging the trawl across the sea floor. Trawling can be done with two trawlers, in which the spread of the net is provided by the distance between them, or one trawler, in which the spread of the net if provided by it’s specialized structure. Trawling is mainly used for commercial fishing and scientific

sampling. The effects of bottom trawling.

(http://www.duke.edu/web/nicholas/bio217/spring2010/danaher-

garcia/bottomtrawling.html)

A shrimp farm, one of the possible alternatives to shrimp trawling. Bycatch (http://blog.tonyrath.com) Bycatch refers to organisms caught unintentionally while fishing for

another species. Non-target species brought on board will usually die Bibliography

before they can be thrown back, and they are not used as an • Bottom Trawling. Commercial Fishing and Its Effects on additional catch, so any bycatch is usually completely wasted and Ecosystems. Retrieved May 4, 2012, from results in many pointless species deaths. This is heavily relevant to Shrimp Trawler (http://www.safmc.net) http://www.duke.edu/web/nicholas/bio217/spring2010/danaher- trawling, because due to trawling's unselective and indiscriminate garcia/bottomtrawling.html. nature, it is the number one cause of bycatch across the world • Bycatch Reduction. Sea of Inventions. Retrieved April 28, 2012, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trawling). from http://www.seaofinventions.se/Sea-of-Inventions- Database/Environmental-Problems/Biodiversity/Bycatch-

reduction.

• Ivor Clucas. (1997). A Study of the Options for Utilization of Bycatch and Discards from Marine Capture Fisheries. FAO Corporate Document Repository, 928, Section 9. Retrieved May 3, 2012, from http://www.fao.org/docrep/W6602E/w6602E09.htm. • Methods of Fishing. Eastern Sea Fisheries Joint Committee. Retrieved May 1, 2012 from http://www.esfjc.co.uk/methods.htm.

Trawling. Wikipedia. Retrieved May 1, 2012, from • A filled trawl (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trawling) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trawling.

• Will Ramos. (2011, August 2). Man and the Last Great Wilderness: Trawling is not to be confused with trolling, which involves dragging a Human Impact on the Deep Sea. Ocean Leadership. Retrieved April Shrimp trawler using twin trawls (http://www.esfjc.co.uk) baited line rather than a net, and is used for both recreational fishing Shrimp Bycatch (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bycatch) 30, 2012, from http://www.oceanleadership.org/2011/man-and- and commercial fishing. the-last-great-wilderness-human-impact-on-the-deep-sea.