Fish Production

FISH PRODUCTION Aim: This task considers commercial fishing in a particular country in two different environments- the sea and fish farms (aquaculture). The data is taken from the UN Statistics Division Common Database. *The following table gives the total mass of fish caught in the sea, in thousands of tonnes (1 tonne = 1000 kilograms) Define suitable variables and discuss any parameters/ constraints. Using technology, plot the data points form the table on a graph. Comment on any apparent trends in your graph and suggest suitable models. Aquaculture pros and cons Pros Feeds the world’s demand for seafood Has a tremendous economic impact on world GDP Cons Major impact it has on the ecology of the oceans Utilizes nets or traps may inadvertently capture and kill other marine animals, including turtles, dolphins or sharks. 70 percent of the world’s fish species are depleted” or “fully exploited. ” ” Wild fish are usually healthier (higher in Omega-3s) and less contaminated than farmed fish. Employs more than 200 million people around Overfishing he globe Many people prefer the taste of wild fish. The shipping of fish all over the world uses Farmed fish do not have as much room to fossil fuels and pollutes the environment. move which results in partial growth. http://www. sparkpeople. com/resource/nutrition_articles. asp? id=1282 Using technology, plot the data points from the table on a graph. Overall it seems as though the trend of the mass of fish caught in the sea follows an unpredictable pattern. The mass of fish increases at its highest from 1980-1988.

From then onwards it takes it biggest plummet from 1988-1991, then increases rapidly from 1991-1995. After that there are at sharp increases which then follow sharp decreases which can be seen from 1995-2006. The mass of the fish between those time periods follow an up and down then up and down form of pattern. Fish caught at sea can have variables such as weather, temperature, and season that affect it. These variables cannot be controlled no can they be changed, this in return directly affects the mass of the fish caught each year. The following table gives the total mass of fish, in thousands of tonnes, from fish farms. (1 tonne = 1000 kilograms) *Aquaculture pros and cons Pros Can reduce seafood trade deficit Can help feed a growing world population Cons Can conflict with other users of water bodies such as fishermen or migrating fish Can put excess pressure on wild stocks that are used to create high protein feed pellets Can amplify and transfer disease and parasites to wild fish populations Can pollute water systems with excess utrients (fish feed & wastes), chemicals and antibiotics Can threaten livelihood of fishermen Can increase scientific knowledge and technology Can place more emphasis on protecting coastal waters from pollution, especially in the case of mollusk and seaweed culture. May reduce fishing pressure on certain wild stocks if that species can be produced through aquaculture rather than fished. http://www. pbs. org/emptyoceans/educators/activities/docs/Aquaculture-Pros-and-Cons. pdf Using technology, plot the data points from the table on a graph.

Overall the mass of the fish from fish farms seems to be increasing exponentially. This increase could be seen from 1980-2000, then from 2002-2006. The only decrease seen in this graph is from 2000-2002. This form of fishing, unlike fish caught in the sea, is unnatural. Almost every variable that could affect the mass and growth of the fish can be changed and interrupted primarily by humans. This gives it more of an advantage than fishing from the sea because as seen in the two different graphs, the fish farm’s graph is increases more rapidly and can also be predicted.