21
Solutions
for Governments- Consumers-Fishing Industry
With our ocean’s biodiversity decreasing faster than a rocket strapped to a roller skate on ice, we need to find a way to slow the rates of decreasing aquatic species and eventually stop it once and for all. The are only three groups of people who have control over our ocean’s biodiversity and sustainability: the fishers who catch the large quantities of fish, the consumers who consume large quantities of fish, and the government that allows fish to be caught, murdered, and eaten in large quantities. So here is how each of those three groups can make a difference:
The Government whether local, state, or national, plays a big role in the fishing industry. They pass bills, subsidies, laws, and regulations that both hurt and help the industry. Some of these include restricting the time of year that certain fish can be caught, the amount of fish that can be caught, and how the fish can be caught. But these laws have proven to be insufficient because the ocean's biodiversity is still decreasing, and fish are becoming more and more scarce in what used to be, prime fishing spots.
In the state of louisiana, shrimping is a big part of the culture, community, and industry. Millions of dollars are brought in by shrimping. Shrimp have become so popular, that fishers are having trouble keeping up with demands. This has caused some fishers to get desperate and this caused the government to take notice. The Louisiana department of wildlife and fisheries has placed many regulations on the shrimping industry in hopes of protecting the species from extinction. They have placed two seasons that fishers are allowed to fish in, the spring season which is from May to July and the fall season from August to December8. During the off season is is strictly prohibited to fish and the department has gone as far as to outlaw any movement of fishing trawlers outside of the season. The trawlers are not allowed at all through the water in the off season, even if its just to get fuel.