Habitats and Biota of the Gulf of Mexico: Before the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
Habitats and Biota of the Gulf of Mexico: Before the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Author: C. Herb Ward

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2017-06-26

Total Pages: 948

ISBN-13: 1493934562

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book is open access under a CC BY-NC 2.5 license. The Gulf of Mexico is an open and dynamic marine ecosystem rich in natural resources but heavily impacted by human activities, including agricultural, industrial, commercial and coastal development. The Gulf of Mexico has been continuously exposed to petroleum hydrocarbons for millions of years from natural oil and gas seeps on the sea floor, and more recently from oil drilling and production activities located in the water near and far from shore. Major accidental oil spills in the Gulf are infrequent; two of the most significant include the Ixtoc I blowout in the Bay of Campeche in 1979 and the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in 2010. Unfortunately, baseline assessments of the status of habitats and biota in the Gulf of Mexico before these spills either were not available, or the data had not been systematically compiled in a way that would help scientists assess the potential short-term and long-term effects of such events. This 2-volume series compiles and summarizes thousands of data sets showing the status of habitats and biota in the Gulf of Mexico before the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Volume 2 covers historical data on commercial and recreational fisheries, with an analysis of marketing trends and drivers; ecology, populations and risks to birds, sea turtles and marine mammals in the Gulf; and diseases and mortalities of fish and other animals that inhabit the Gulf of Mexico.

Overview of mitigation measures to reduce the incidental catch of vulnerable species in fisheries
Overview of mitigation measures to reduce the incidental catch of vulnerable species in fisheries

Author: Sacchi, J.

Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.

Published: 2021-06-23

Total Pages: 136

ISBN-13: 9251345392

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Potentially harmful contact between fisheries and marine vulnerable species represents a global conservation issue and efforts to mitigate the negative repercussions of these interactions belong in strategies for ensuring the sustainability of fisheries. This literature review offers a survey of mitigation measures and techniques that have been developed and tested around the world, aiming to address both the incidental catch of highly mobile species – specifically, cetaceans, seabirds, sharks and rays, and sea turtles – and depredation caused by dolphins. Based on research detailed in over 300 documents, including peer-reviewed publications, reports from international organizations and papers available on the internet, most of the mitigation techniques illustrated are still under development, with only a few already adopted through legislation. The selected mitigation measures are grouped by main types of fishing gear – gillnets and trammel nets, longlines and lines, trawls, purse seines, traps and pots – and further subdivided according to which of the four main groups of vulnerable species – cetaceans, seabirds, sharks and rays, or sea turtles – they are designed to protect. Preventive and curative approaches covering both technical measures (gear modifications, strategies, as well as acoustic, visual, magnetic and chemosensory deterrents) and management measures are described.

Discards in the World's Marine Fisheries
Discards in the World's Marine Fisheries

Author: Kieran Kelleher

Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 156

ISBN-13: 9789251052891

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This publication gives an updated review of the quantity of discards in the world's marine fisheries, using information from a broad range of fisheries in all continents. A number of policy issues are discussed including a 'no discards' approach to fisheries management, the need for balance between bycatch reduction and bycatch utilisation initiatives, and concerns arising from incidental catches of marine mammals, birds and reptiles. The report also highlights the need for more robust methods of estimating discards, and the development of bycatch management plans.

Ethical Issues in Fisheries
Ethical Issues in Fisheries

Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 44

ISBN-13: 9789251053225

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This study addresses the main ethical issues in fisheries and the moral imperatives to which they give rise and considers the role and scope of ethics in the management of the sector. Particular reference is made to the institutional foundations of fisheries policies as reflected in the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. Concrete examples and case studies support or illustrate the themes presented. This introduction to a holistic, ethical approach to fisheries pays special attention to the effects of fisheries management and social policy upon people's living conditions.

Elasmobranch Biodiversity, Conservation and Management
Elasmobranch Biodiversity, Conservation and Management

Author: Sarah L. Fowler

Publisher: IUCN

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 282

ISBN-13: 9782831706504

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The Darwin Elasmobranch Biodiversity Conservation and Management project in Sabah held a three-day international seminar that included a one-day workshop in order to highlight freshwater and coastal elasmobranch conservation issues in the region and worldwide, to disseminate the result of the project to other Malaysian states and countries, and to raise awareness of the importance of considering aspects of elasmobranch biodiversity in the context of nature conservation, commercial fisheries management, and for subsistence fishing communities. These proceedings contain numerous peer-reviewed papers originally presented at the seminar, which cover a wide range of topics, with particular reference to species from freshwater and estuarine habitats. The workshop served to develop recommendations concerning the future prospects of elasmobranch fisheries, biodiversity, conservation and management. This paper records those conclusions, which highlight the importance of elasmobranchs as top marine predators and keystone species, noting that permanent damage to shark and ray populations are likely to have serious and unexpected negative consequences for commercial and subsistence yields of other important fish stocks.

Submarine Cables and the Oceans
Submarine Cables and the Oceans

Author: L. Carter

Publisher: UNEP/Earthprint

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 68

ISBN-13: 9780956338723

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

There are many things and services in our everyday life that we take for granted, and telecommunications is one of them. We surf the internet, send emails to friends and colleagues abroad, talk to family members in foreign countries over the phone, book airline seats and make banking transactions without actually realizing and appreciating the sophisticated technology that enables us to do so. This report covers the history and nature of cables, their special status in international law, their interaction with the environment and other ocean users and, finally, the challenges of the future. It is an evidence-based synopsis that aims to improve the quality and availability of information to enhance understanding and cooperation between all stakeholders. UNEP-WCMC in collaboration with the International Cable Protection Committee and UNEP has prepared this new report to provide an objective, factual description of the sub-marine cable industry and the interaction of submarine telecommunications (which route 95% of all international communications traffic) with the marine environment. This important report seeks to focus and guide deliberations and decision making on the wise conservation and protection of the oceans in concert with their sustainable management and use.