DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Off the coast of Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, former bottom trawling fishermen now hoist their nets up to only find their target fish. Along the northern Gulf of Alaska, miles of coral beds gradually heal as purse seine nets never touch the seafloor. In Southeast Alaska, fishermen now emit significantly less aqueous carbon dioxide into the region’s pristine waters as they only need to travel a mile to fish. These effects can be common throughout all regions where commercial fishing occurs. This industry does not need to be wasteful. It can be sustainable, profitable, and environmentally supportive. This is the future the seafood industry needs, and more importantly, this is the future our precious oceans deserve.

1. What actions can be taken to prompt a global movement towards more sustainable fishing practices?

2. Do you agree that the solution for limiting bottom trawling should come from individual businesses and not from the government? Why or why not?

1 “Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources.” United Nations, sdgs.un.org/goals/goal14.

2 Sala, Enric, et al. “Protecting the Global Ocean for Biodiversity, Food and Climate.” Nature, vol. 592, no. 7854, 17 Mar. 2021, pp. 397-402. Nature, doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03371-z.

3 “Our Fleet.” Trident Seafoods, Trident Seafoods Corporation, www.tridentseafoods.com/our-story/our-fleet.

4 Bernton, Hal. “Trident Seafoods to acquire 300-foot Starbound to add to pollock fleet.” The Seattle Times, 12 Dec. 2021, www. seattletimes.com/business/trident-seafoods-to-acquire-300-footstarbound-to-add-to-pollock-fleet.

5 Chestney, Nina. “Trawling could harm oceans like ploughing land: scientists.” Reuters, 5 Sept. 2012, www.reuters.com/ article/us-trawling-oceans/trawling-could-harm-oceans-likeploughing-land-scientists-idUSBRE88416820120905.

6 Sala.

7 Berger, Annick. “Will 2022 mark a turning point in the regulation or banning of bottom trawling?” Equal Times, 25 Mar. 2022, www.equaltimes.org/will-2022-mark-a-turning-point-in#. YnbcA_PML0t.

8 Virdin, John, et al. “West Africa's Coastal Bottom Trawl Fishery: Initial Examination of a Trade in Fishing Services.” Marine Policy, vol. 100, Feb. 2019, pp. 288-97. ScienceDirect, doi. org/10.1016/j.marpol.2018.11.042.

9 Steadman, Daniel. “Bottom trawling: Report highlights urgent need to solve an age-old problem.” Fauna and Flora International, 9 Dec. 2021, www.fauna-flora.org/news/bottomtrawling-report-highlights-urgent-need-to-solve-an-age-oldproblem.

10 Tjosvold, R. “China's Policy Efforts to Limit Bottom Trawling Are Not Working.” Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, 22 Nov. 2020, oceans.ubc.ca/2020/11/22/chinas-policy-efforts-tolimit-bottom-trawling-are-not-working.

11 Alvarez, Helena, et. al. “Transparency and compliance weaknesses in GFCM Fisheries Restricted Areas: How continuous IUU fishing inside the Strait of Sicily FRAs undermines fisheries sustainability and the credibility of the GFCM.” Oceana. Madrid. europe.oceana.org/wp-content/ uploads/sites/26/oceana_transparency_and_compliance_

Eric Halhjem

weaknesses_in_gfcm_fisheries_restricted_areas.pdf.

12 Good Catch. “Purse seines.” Sustain, www.sustainweb.org/ goodcatch/purse_seines.

13 “Commercial Fishing Methods." Sustainable Fisheries, University of Washington, sustainablefisheries-uw.org/seafood-101/ commercial-fishing-methods.

14 “Demersal or Bottom Trawl.” Ocean Find Your Blue, Smithsonian, ocean.si.edu/human-connections/seafood/ demersal-or-bottom-trawl.

15 Parker, Robert W.r., et al. “Fuel Performance and Carbon Footprint of the Global Purse Seine Tuna Fleet.” Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 103, Sept. 2015, pp. 517-24. ScienceDirect, doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.05.017.

16 “Our Fleet.”

17 Sumaila, Ussif Rashid, et al. “Subsidies to High Seas Bottom Trawl Fleets and the Sustainability of Deep-sea Demersal Fish Stocks." Marine Policy, vol. 34, no. 3, May 2010, pp. 495-97. ScienceDirect, doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2009.10.004.

18 “Goal 14.”

Photo Credits: Eric Gevaert/Adobe Stock—page 42

Marine Stewardship Council—page 44

Stanislav Komogorov/Adobe Stock—page 45

Helivideo/Adobe Stock—page 46

“Working aboard commercial fishing vessels in Bristol Bay, Alaska, gave me the idea for my paper. Bristol Bay is one of the world's most sustainable and efficient fisheries and it continues to feed billions of people while benefiting salmon populations and the environment. Seeing that sustainable fishing was possible in Bristol Bay led me to question how this could be done in the least sustainable... fishing practice: bottom trawling.”