the east cost cod problem
1. Look at figure 5-19. What kinds of questions does this graph help us answer? What questions does it raise?
2. The graph can be divided logically into three time periods. Identify these time periods and explain why you chose them.
3. a) How much cod was caught in the peak year? What year was that?
b) What evidence is there that this catch was at an unsustainable level?
c) Why didn’t Canada reduce this catch, either by foreign or Canadian boats?
4. a) What happened to the cod catch in the years after the 200 nautical mile limit came into effect? Look at the foreign and Canadian catches separately.
b) What evidence is there that the catch limit in these years was too high?
c) In your opinion, did the Canadian government use the power given to it with the 200 nautical mile limit in the manner intended?
d) Scientists originally thought that the cod population would recover in 7 to 10 years. How have cod stocks responded since the closure of the cod fishery in 1992?
e) Is the East Coast cod fishery a renewable resource? Explain your reasoning.
5. What impact did the halt to cod fishing in 1992 have on the lives of East Coast fishers?
6. Several groups were involved in the
destruction of the East Coast cod fishery. In no particular order, these were
The foreign offshore fishing fleet
The Canadian offshore fleet
The Canadian inshore fishing fleet
Marine scientists who monitored fish stocks and made recommendations based on the principles of sustainable yield management.
The Canadian government
Environmental activists and conservationists
7. In your opinion, which of these groups bears the most responsibility for the collapse of the East Coast cod fishery? Justify your answer.
8. What lessons can be learned from the collapse of the East Coast cod fishery in terms of sustainable resource management and the need for effective government regulation?
9. What measures can be implemented to prevent similar collapses in other fisheries around the world?
10. How can the East Coast cod fishery be recovered, if at all? What steps would need to be taken to ensure its sustainability in the future?
11. What role can local communities, fishers, and other stakeholders play in the recovery and sustainable management of the East Coast cod fishery?
12. In your opinion, what is the future outlook for the East Coast cod fishery? What factors need to be considered in order to make accurate predictions about its recovery or continued decline?