Responsibility at Every Level Can Bring Sustainability to Fishing Everywhere

Responsible marine stewardship enlists the help of experts to determine the standards that fisheries should be held to. Fisheries must meet a range of criteria in order to be considered sustainable. One thing that marine stewardship looks at is the sustainability of the fish stocks. A fishery must be operating at a level that ensures the future of a fish population indefinitely. Fisheries must show that their activities do not over exploit the fish stocks that they are pursuing. Another standard that fisheries must satisfy is that their methods of fishing and their equipment inflict minimal environmental damage.

They must show that the methods and tools that they use for fishing do not negatively affect the productivity, structure, diversity, or function of the ecosystem of the marine life that they are seeking. The goal of responsible marine stewardship is to reduce the collateral damage that fishing inflicts as much as possible while still allowing the industry to continue with business. Another thing that fisheries must demonstrate is that they have an effective and efficient management system in place. Having proper management is important in order for the fishery to be able to change and adapt to any environment changes that might occur. Maintaining sustainability in the face of situational changes can be difficult but effective management can handle it.

These are just a few of the standards that responsible marine stewardship imposes on fisheries in order to make sure they are operating in a sustainable fashion. While these qualifications might appear rather stringent, they are necessary for the continued well being and survival of both the fish populations and the jobs of the fishermen. The idea of sustainability applies to all members of this relationship, from the fish to the people, all the way down to consumers. Exercising awareness and responsibility are the most important things to do when trying to achieve sustainability because people must notice the vulnerabilities of nature and how their equipment and actions hurt them. A little extra thought and creativity can easily transform a fishery into an eco-friendly, sustainable operation.

Interested in learning more about fishing in Alaska? You'll find great bios of some of the state's most famous fishermen at the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.