Wide Angle. Printable Pages

Economics : Something's Fishy in Scotland
Student Organizer #2 - Teacher Copy

Read two articles:

"The Decline of the Fishing Industry"

http://www.corporatewatch.org/?lid=1366

"Europe's New Fishing Policy"

http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/marine/what_we_do/
policy_events/common_fisheries_policy.cfm

Use the following questions to guide your reading:

Why are fishing quotas imposed? What is the rationale?
Answer: Fishing quotas are meant to limit damage to fish populations and the marine environment while allowing enough of a catch to sustain the fishing industry.
Why are whitefish catches limited while others are not?
Answer: Whitefish such as hake and cod are in short supply, to the point that many species are in danger of disappearing. In contrast, pelagic fish, such as mackerel and herring, are plentiful.
What is a main argument of those who dispute the low estimates of whitefish populations?
Answer: They say these species have not declined, but instead have migrated farther north in response to climate change.
Why has farming failed to be a viable way to elevate fish stocks?
Answer: Farming processes cause disease in fish. Farmed fish also are fed antibiotics and hormones that spread throughout the environment, affecting wild as well as farmed fish. Additionally, some farmed fish escape into the wild, and because they are weaker than their wild counterparts they weaken the species.
Over 50 percent of Scottish fishing vessels have been cut since 2000, and tight quotas are in place. How does this affect Scottish fishing families?
Answer: Many are unable to continue fishing. There also has been a rise in illegal fish landings -- taking and selling more than one's quota.
What is the rationale for decommissioning fishing vessels?
Answer: Government subsidies for building fishing boats led to an expansion of the fleet and, in turn, overfishing. Decommissioning vessels is a way to cut the size of the fleet and the numbers of fishers.
How did the United Kingdom's choice to join the European Union change the situation of Scottish fishermen?
Answer: In January 2003. Scotland came under the EU Fisheries Council's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which placed far more restrictions on fishing than existed before.
What is the point of view of each article?
Answer: Both articles appear to favor restrictions on fishing, though the article on the CFP is more outspoken in its support of restrictions. The article on The Decline of the Fishing Industry presents a somewhat more evenly balanced point of view.