The Rural Voice, 1998-09, Page 15Robert Mercer
problems of the fisheries I realize that
a little information can be a
dangerous thing, but what has really
amazed me is a new phenomenon that
suggests a complete "regime shift"
within the waters of the world.
It is now confirmed that there has
been a gigantic change in the Bering
Sea of the growth in area of
photoplankton, first visible from
space in 1997. On the other hand El
Nino has reduced the plankton along
the California coast by some 70 per
cent so fish species have moved north
to cooler waters along the coasts of
BC and Alaska. Water temperatures
along the BC coast this year are the
highest in 65 years and ocean sunfish
and albacore have been caught,
species that normally swim and feed
much further south.
Research also shows that salmon
have disappeared from about half
their former range south of the 49th
parallel.
If you believe in global warming,
(and I am now 90 per cent convinced
it is happening and in part by human
activity) and warming trends
continue, sockeye salmon will
disappear from the Pacific Ocean
within 50 years as they move to
cooler waters. Climate change now
has the ability to impact fisheries
more than over -fishing. Fish are
especially vulnerable to temperature
change as they cannot regulate
internal temperatures.
Change on a world scale is nearly
impossible because of the centraliza-
tion and overlapping of authorities.
There is too little enforcement power
as one-seventh of the world's fish
catch straddles international
boundaries. The annual race to fish
must change to become a balanced
year-long management of co-
ordinated efforts to manage
conservation as well as economics
with accountability for decisions and
enforcement of policies.
In fact all who fish, process or
manage the oceans must ask not what
is done to the fish, but rather what
must be done for the fish, or else the
oceans, as a source of food, will not
be sustainable at current harvest rates.°
Robert Mercer was editor of the
Broadwater Market Letter and a farm
commentator in Ontario for 25 years.
R.A.E. INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY
Draw Pin
SAFETY
Won 1st Witco'
Canad,an Safety
Competition
G --
•
NOW AVAILABLE!
Award Winning Safety Clip
R.R. 1, Shakespeare, ON NOB 2P0
Tel: (519) 625-8658 or 1-888-625-8658
Fax (519) 625-8766
e-mail. rae@golden.net
Web site: http://www.golden.net/-rae/welcome.htm
11. NllCHOLSON
SON
CONTRACTING
FARM AUTOMATION SPECIALISTS
• PIPELINES • COOLERS
• PARLORS • AUTOMATION
• SERVICE ALL MAKES •
Complete professional sales and service of:
feeding, milking, manure handling equipment,
livestock stabling, farm and industrial supplies
J'4O"AgrlMetal VAL METAL I
VENT
/?Q VIBEC
(WMAliCiffD PROCESSING
HOULE
(519) 934-2343 Fax: 934-3179 Ben & Sheri Rier - Owners
Toll Free 1-877-FIXFARM (349-3276) Bob Nicholson - Sales
RR #2, Tara, Ont. NOH 2N0 Ernie Schopf - Sales
'SEPTEMBER 1998 11