Study finds that fish catch in the Persian Gulf is way higher than the reported level

Nov 27, 2013 23:06 GMT  ·  By
Researchers use Google Earth to document fishing practices in the Persian Gulf
   Researchers use Google Earth to document fishing practices in the Persian Gulf

A new paper published in the ICES Journal of Marine Science documents present-day fishing practices in the Persian Gulf. According to the researchers who pieced together this report, fisheries operating in these waters more often than not fail to report their actual catch.

Thus, the scientists say that, while the annual reported fish catch in the region is one of 5,260 metric tons, the amount of fish that is pulled from local waters on a yearly basis is actually six times higher.

According to Mongabay, the specialists who carried out this investigation concluded that fishing practices in the Persian Gulf are neither sustainable, nor in complete accordance with the law, after using Google Earth to identify the fish traps active in the area.

All in all, the University of British Columbia researchers pinned down 1,900 fishing weirs, i.e. obstructions placed in tidal waters or across rivers that serve to trap fish.

The report in the ICES Journal of Marine Science argues that, given how widespread it is, the practice of installing fishing weirs has a not-at-all-negligible impact on our planet's marine resources.

In light of these findings, the University of British Columbia researchers urge that measures be taken to curb the number of fish traps that are installed in the Persian Gulf on a yearly basis.

They also recommend that, in the years to come, Google Earth be used to document fishing practices and their impact on the environment in other parts of the world.

“This ancient fishing technique has been around for thousands of years. But we haven’t been able to truly grasp their impact on our marine resources until now, with the help of modern technology,” explains study lead author Dalal Al-Abdulrazzak.

“Time and again we’ve seen that global fisheries catch data don’t add up. Because countries don’t provide reliable information on their fisheries’ catches, we need to expand our thinking and look at other sources of information and new technologies to tell us about what’s happening in our oceans,” adds study co-author Daniel Pauly.