NextGen

Sustainability in Hunting and Fishing

By Destiny Nolan

(Editor’s Note: Welcome to NextGen, a regular column in Sustainability Today dedicated to sustainability as seen through the eyes of the under-25 crowd. They carry the future of our society — and a critical voice as we set practices and policy.)

Every year hunting seasons roll around all over the world. Some may ask how hunting can be sustainable and some already know why. Even though there are ways that it could not be sustainable. I’m going to speak from my generation’s point of view on why I think hunting can be sustainable. And how it can be beneficial to our environment.

There are many ways hunting is sustainable, for example, being only allowed to hunt at specific times a year helps control and manage the population. The ecosystem needs to be balanced to help it be sustainable, or it can lead to several different problems. The environment would suffer if there is an uncontrolled growth of species and affecting the environment affects all of us. For many people hunting is a way of life, from the people who depend on it for food, the taxidermist, and game processors. There are many advantages to hunting your own meat and it is far more sustainable than buying it from the grocery store. It is cheaper, healthier, and more humane. Hunters know exactly what their eating and where it came from unlike what you buy in the stores. Hunting close to home and not having to travel helps with the decrease in fossil fuels. Also, there is no extra energy needed to raise wild animals. You don’t have to spend money or grow anything for them. They have everything they need in the wild and they help out our environment.

Also, I want to bring in how fishing can be sustainable. For thousands of years, people have relied on what they kill to feed their families or even communities. If you’ve ever been fishing you know we mainly use rods and reels here in the states. This is actually a sustainable way to fish because you only catch one fish at a time, preventing overfishing and you can release what you catch immediately. Using a spear is more efficient in some states such as Florida and Hawaii. Spears are used more in other countries. This method of fishing is also sustainable. You’re only targeting one fish at a time, choosing species and size. While purse seining and longlining are efficient fishing methods this can cause issues with overfishing. Overfishing can have a negative effect on the water-based ecosystem which is difficult to recover. It will also affect the species. Right now more and more people are getting into the groove of sustainable fishing. As sustainable fishing assures there will be populations of ocean and freshwater wildlife for the future.

Whether fishing or hunting is sustainable really relies on us and how we do it. Hunting and fishing have become professionally managed. Wildlife biologists will monitor populations and set quotas for the amount of animals allowed to be harvested in a season. The money you spend on tags, stamps and hunting/fishing licenses go back into the conservation system. The taxes on guns and ammo proved millions for the wildlands every year. ■