Geography

Key unit competence:

By the end of this unit, I should be able to explain the impact of fishing in the sustainable development of the different countries in the world.

1. Identify the fishing areas presented in the maps.

2. Suppose you are living near a lake or ocean, describe the methods one would use to harvest fish in a sustainable way.

3. In case you are walking, and the minister of natural resources stops his/her car to give you a lift to your destination, and on the way he/she asks you to explain why fishing industry in North Atlantic fishing grounds is more flourishing than that of East Africa. What would you tell him?

4. Research on the fishing industry practiced in Japan and discuss the lessons one can draw from there to improve fishing in his/her country.

5. Analyze the implications of fishing industry on the physical environment of the area in which it ispracticed; and design a program that can ensure sustainable fishing operations.

1. With reference to the illustration, describe what is taking place in the Amahoro Village.

2. Identify and explain the factors that have supported the major activity taking place in the village represented by the illustrated above.

3. At least name the four regions of the world (outside Rwanda) that could be represented by the illustration above.

4. Show how the activity named in (a) above has affected the physical environment represented in the illustration

The term fishing includes all the activities related to the harvest of aquatic animals, especially fish, from the seas and fresh water bodies. Aquatic animals are those that live in water. Fishing has become one of the most significant economic activities in the world because it provides people with food from aquatic animals. The places where fishing is carried out are called fishing grounds. It should be noted that not all water bodies have enough fish, and even some have no fish at all because of unfavourable conditions that do not allow fish to survive there.

There are 7 world’s major fishing grounds. These vary in terms of fish production. Some produce huge tons of fish and fish products while others their production is moderately lower. These include:

(i) South East Pacific fishing ground:

The South-East Pacific region spans the entire length of the Pacific coast of South America from Panama to Cape Horn. This region is located along the Western coastal areas of South America.

In spite of its astounding diversity, the region’s five countries (Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Panama) find themselves united by two overwhelming natural phenomena known as Large Marine Ecosystems. The factors that have favoured its development are: the presence of a wide continental shelf and the cold Peruvian current which encourages the flouring of planktons. The chief types of fish caught include Sardines, Mackerel, Anchovy, Pilchards, Tuna and Mahi-Mahi.

However, the region is under threat from the coastal and marine degradation by land-based and marine-based sources of pollution and other forms of environmental degradation. In addition, theregion is regularly disrupted by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon, which originates in the equatorial Pacific, producing dramatic upheavals in local, and ultimately global, climatic conditions.

(ii) North West Pacific: This region extending from the Aleutian Islands in the north to south eastern Asia contribute nearly one third of the world’s fish catch. The seas are fished in varying degree of intensity by all the bordering countries, i.e., Russia, Korea, China, Japan, Philippines, and Indonesia.

This fishing ground is favourable due to the convergence of cold Oyashio and the warm Kuroshio currents, extensive continental shelf, indented coastline, use of advanced technology and availability of market.

The major types of fish caught here include Herrings, Salma, Sardines, Mackerel, Yellow tail, Tuna, cuttlefish, Shell fish and Whales.

(iii) North East Pacific fishing ground: The region extends from Alaska to California and owes its importance to the large quantities of salmon and tuna, as well as significant amounts of halibut and sardine. The following factors influence the development of this fishing ground: The Convergence of warm Labrador Current and cold California current, indented coastline, presence of land derived minerals, use of advanced technology.

(iv) North West Atlantic fishing ground: The region extends from Greenland in the north to cape Hatteras in the south. The fisheries of this region are based on a rich combination of rivers, bays and shallow offshore banks, convergence of cold Labrador Current and warm Gulf Stream current, presence of rugged coast areas mostly in Canada, availability of market, and use of advanced technology.

The fishing banks extend along the coasts of New England and Eastern Canada from Nantucket Island to New Found land and into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The types of fish harvested from this region include Cod, Herring, Crab, Turbot, Halibut, Salmon, Flounder and Shrimp.

(v) North East Atlantic fishing ground: The region includes the fishing grounds of north Western Europe extending from north of the Arctic circle to the Mediterranean Sea. This ground is fished by: Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Russia, Germany, the Netherlands, France, and Britain.

This fishing ground benefit from the presence of warm North Atlantic drift current throughout the year, the presence of fiords and inlets, the availability of markets, the use of advanced technology, the presence of rugged and hilly coastal areas. The major types of fish caught here include Mackerel, Halibut, Sprat, Sardines, Cod, Capelin, Dogfish and Haddock.
 

(vi) The South West African coast ground: This covers the Namibian coast on the western coast and Cape Province in South Africa. The countries found here include South Africa, Angola, Namibia and the islands that belong to Argentina. The types of fish caught here include Anchovy, Mackerel, Pilchard and Tuna. This ground is favoured by the availability of cold Banguela current water which brings planktons close to the surface of water which are fed by fishes.

(vii) North West Africa fishing ground: This fishing ground covers the coast of Mauritanian up to Morocco in northwest Africa where it is washed by canary current.

14.1.2: The inland freshwater fishing grounds

The inland fishery is getting more important. This is carried out on the fresh water bodies. They include Nile River, Congo River, Amazon River, Yangtze River (in China), Lakes Victoria, Lake Malawi, Lake Tanganyika and Lake Chad.

Even though these fishing grounds are limited to areas that experience arid conditions, there are regions that make a difference. These are Caprivi and Okavango areas found in North East Namibia. Also, the rivers originating from the Atlas Mountains in Morocco are known for inland freshwater fisheries.

It should be noted that inland freshwater fishing grounds are found in areas associated with Swamps, rivers, Rice fields like those found in China, lakes, streams and wetlands in general. Currently fish farming has gained a reasonable level in the production of fish and fish products.

The inland freshwater fishing grounds are known for the following types of fish: Dagaa, Nile perch, Cat fish, black bass, Tilapia, Trout and mud fish among many others. There are also well-developed inland fresh water fisheries in Japan in Lake Biwa and Kasumiga-Ura where fish species such as eel, carp and several others are caught.

Application Activity 14.1 

Use the sketch map provided below to answer the questions that follow:

1. Indicate on the sketch map above the major fishing grounds of the world.

2. Name the countries that are associated with any of the two fishing grounds indicated in question 1.

3. Suppose you are living in one of the fishing zones indicated on the map above, explain how you would ensure that there are sustainable fishing practices which do not affect the physical environment.

14.2. Methods used in Fishing and Types of fish and fishing in the world

Learning activity 14.2

Study the illustrations shown below and use them to answer the questions that follow:

1. Name and describe the fishing methods shown by figure A and B above.

2. Describe other fishing methods which are not shown by the figures above.

Fishing methods stand for the ways humans use to catch fish from water bodies. These fishing methods are classified into two types: traditional and modern fishing methods. The traditional fishing methods are usually used for subsistence purposes and they target the pelagic fish. These are the fish that live near or at the surface of the sea, Ocean or any water body.

On the other hand, commercial fishing operations use modern fishing methods that can ensure large catch of fish and at the same time enabling the fishermen to harvest mature fishes.

14.2.1: Traditional fishing methods

These are simple fishing methods. They are used to harvest or catch fish that live in shallow water bodies. As earlier said, also these methods can be used to catch fish that live near the surface of the water body. The traditional fishing methods include the following:

(i) The baited hook method: This is a method that has been used for centuries in various fishing villages. A single line or fishing rod (Made of wood, bamboo, graphite or fiberglass) is used.

A strong string of a reasonable size and length is affixed onto the rod. At the end of the string a V-shaped hook is fixed. The hook is made in a way that can enable it to pierce the mouth of the fish.

The hook or hooks have reversed the point. It was primarily designed to enable the hook to hold the fish. On the hook bait food for fish is affixed to attract and trap the fish. Therefore, when the fish tries to eat the bait on the hook, it is caught by the hook.

The simplicity of this method only enables one fish to be caught at time. This method is used to catch fishes like Tuna, mudfish, Bagras, Squid and Tilapia.

(ii) Basket method:

This is a fishing method also used in shallow water bodies such as lakes, swamps, rivers and streams. A basket made using dried papyrus of crimping plans is used. These baskets are cone shaped. The entrance of the basket is made in a way that it allows the fish to enter and sharpen pieces of reeds are used to design the entrance. These act as a barrier as the fish tries to escape from the basket.  A bait is put inside the basket especially termites, or any other food/bait that can attract fish to enter the basket.

At the end of the basket there is an outlet that is usually blocked by the fisherman with a buddle of grass. This is purposely done not to let the fish caught to get out of the basket. At the same time, it enables the fisherman to remove the caught fish from the basket.This method is appropriately used in both fast flowing rivers and water-logged areas such as along the shores of the lake or swamps.

(iii) The barrier trap method:

In the areas where slow flowing water bodies are in existence, barrier trap fishing method is used.

The method involves narrowing the width of the channel passage using strong poles that are stuck or placed firmly into the water and in aligned form.

The stuck poles are put on both sides leaving a small opening. This increases the speed of the flowing water. Just at the opening, a cone shaped basket is placed. This basket is positioned to allow it to be in contact with the bed of the channel. The velocity of water pushes the fish into the basket. The fish that enters the basket finds it hard to get out because of the strong strength or pressure of the flowing of water. Therefore, fish are trapped. The fisherman after seeing that enough fish have been caught lifts the Basket and scoops the fish out of the basket.

(iv) Use of the scoop nets method: The scoop nets get their name from the name to scoop out, which means raising instantly and at speed lift. The net is placed in the water body. When fish is seen above the laid net, it is then lifted at once from both sides. This is also done at intervals in cases where the fishermen are not able to see the fish swimming above the net. This method can also be used at night but this time, the sharp lights are used to entice fish to come up above the net.

(v) Spearing (Harpooning):  This involves the use of a sharp pointed metal, which is used to pierce fish in water.The types of spears used are usually sharp with small sized and elongated blade. This allows the spear to penetrate through the fish and keep it onto the spear. The fisherman waits for fish to swim near the surface of the water or near the bank of the river or shores of the lake and spears it. This is the simplest and most traditional method of fishing.

(vi) Use of Bow and arrows: Under this method, the fisherman uses the bow and arrow to catch fish. Sharp arrows are shot at the fish, killing it and thereafter taking hold of it. Like under the spearing method, the fisherman waits for fish to swim near the banks or shores then he shots it at once. This method catches one fish at time.

(vii) Poisoning: The fisherman collects the barks of specific trees and crushes them. These plants have a chemical ability to kill the fish but less harmful to human beings.  The crushed bark is mixed in the blocked part of the water body. After few minutes, fish start dying and therefore, floating on top of the water. However, this method is discouraged because it kills (i) both young and mature fishes, (ii) other aquatic animals or organisms are also affected by the poisons, (iii) eating continuously poisoned fish may damage the lives of people, (iv) this method pollutes and therefore contributes to general lack of good drinking water.

14.2.2: The modern fishing methods

These methods are used for commercial purposes. Some facilitate the catching of either pelagic or demersal types of fish. The modern fishing methods include:

(i) Drifting or use of drift nets: A drift net is placed into the water body where fish are expected to be. This net is hanged vertically in the sea or Ocean in a comparable way the volley ball net is suspended. They are called drift nets because they keep on drifting. This means that they are mobile in response to the prevailing currents to some extent.

The floats are fixed on the upper edge of the drift net while weights are fixed along the bottom edge. In this way, the drift net is enabled to suspend or hung vertically. When the fish swims into the net, it is caught by their gills in the mesh of the net. It is then unable to either move forward or backwards.

The shape of the fish enables part of the head to penetrate through the mesh of the net and its oval shape makes it hard for the whole body to move forward.

(ii) Trawling fishing method: This is one  of the modern fishing methods used to catch demersal fishes. A sizeable cone-shaped net known as a trawl is used. The entrance of the net is kept open using the floats that are fixed around the upper part  (Entrance). While the bottom edge of the entrance has aligned weights that pull it downwards, therefore, leaving the entrance open to allow fish get a way of entering the trawl net.

The trawl net is then attached to the boat or ship and towed. As the boat or ship tows the trawl net, the fish enter and are trapped into the net. The net is made in a way that its cod end strong ropes are used to allow the net to have the capacity of holding the weight of the caught fish.  When the fishermen realize that the net has caught enough fish, then, it is lifted at a uniform speed not to allow the fish to escape. The fish are kept inside the trawl by the currents that keep pushing the fish back into the code-end part.

(iii) Seining: seine nets such as the haul seine and purse seine have intermediate features between drift and trawl nets. The haul seine is like a drift net, kept floating vertically in the sea like a wall by corks on top and weights below.

(iv) The gill net method: This is a fishing method used to catch large tons of fish. It involves the use of net like the one used in the drifting method. The upper end edge is fixed with floats and the bottom with weights. The several meshing parts of the net trap fish as they try to pass through the net. The strings of the mesh of the net get stuck into the gills of the fish as they try either to move forward or backwards. 

(v) Long lining: This method involves the use of several hooks spread out on long lines. The hooks are attached a few meters apart and buoyed at each end. They are baited and cast into water from a moving vessel. The fish are caught on the baited hook as they try to feed.

14.2.3: Types of fish and fishing

Types of fishes

The following are the major types of fishes:

(i) Pelagic fish: This involves the fish that live near or at the upper part of the Sea or Ocean. Pelagic fish are generally small and swim near the surface. Moreover, they are found in large shoals. They may be caught close to the shore or far out at sea. Examples of such fish species include; Anchovies, Brisling, Pilenards, mackerel, Herrings, Sardines, and Tilapia among many others.

(ii) Demersal fish: Demersal fish (often known as white fish) live at the bottom of shallow seas. They prefer the cooler waters and they are found most frequently at depths of about 40 meters where sunlight is just able to penetrate. These include Cod, haddock, Plaice and many others.

Types of fishing

There are two types of fishing which are:

(i) Marine fishing: This is a type of fishing carried out on Seas or oceans of the world. It forms the most important commercial fishing operation. This type of fishing is practiced especially for commercial purposes. 

(ii) Inland fresh water fisheries: It is a type of fishing carried out from the water bodies located on the main land. These include rivers, swamps or marshy areas, lakes and streams. It is less commercial oriented. Usually it is utilized for subsistence purposes. This is mostly engaged in by the remote fishing villages astride the water bodies.

Application Activity 14.2

Read the short passage provided below and use it to answer the

questions that follow:

There is increasing great concern in the Area X. The water resources are not utilized in a sustainable way by some people. Various government agencies especially the department in charge of fishing activities and environmental management have tried to educate the masses about restoring the over fished water bodies. The fishing methods being used are not recommendable. However, there are some water bodies, especially the coastal areas, where the Ocean has large schools of fish. Still, if the trend of illegal fishing methods continues to be used, the fishing ground will be depleted of fish. The existing fishing companies produce poor quantity of fish yet the demand for fish is high.

1. With reference to the passage presented above, discuss the concerns of Area X. 

2. Identify and describe the fishing methods which should be discouraged in order to ensure sustainable ways of fish harvesting. 

3. State and describe the fishing methods which should be recommended to ensure sustainable fishing operations in the world.

14.3: Factors influencing the development of fishing

Learning activity 14.3

1. Using internet and text books, research on the factors that influence the development of fishing in the world.

2. Account for variation in the development of fishing industry in different parts of the world.

3. To what extent are physical factors influencing the growth and development of fishing industry in the world.

There are several factors that influence the development of fishing industry. These factors account for the existence of variations in the level of development of fishing industry in various regions of the world. In some places, there are flourishing fishing activities while in others fishing is less developed. These features are divided into Physical and Human factors

Physical factors influencing the development of fishing 

The following are the key physical factors affecting fishing in the world:

– Availability of enough plankton: The basic food supply for fish is plankton, which consists of many kinds of small microscopic plants and animals. In places where there is abundance of plankton, large schools of fish get attracted to such places. On the other hand, places with limited plankton attract less fish as they cannot have enough food to sustain them.

– The presence of extensive and shallow continental shelf:These are areas that allow plenty of light to penetrate the sea bed hence promoting the growth of plankton. These areas attract large schools of fish. This explains why deep-water bodies do not support a flourishing fishing industry.

– The nature of the coast line:The indented coastline supports the development of fishing industry. The indented parts of the coast create lagoons or parts of the sea or ocean that are less associated with strong sea waves. These become excellent breeding places for fish. Such parts provide nursery points for the young fish. In other parts where the coastline is non-indented, the strong sea waves wash away the young fish and destroy their eggs. In the latter parts, there will be less fishing activities than in the former regions. 

– Off-shore islands: The areas naturally gifted with a handful of off-shore islands flourish with fishing activities. This because islands usually provide breeding places for fish, as they are surrounded by calm waters and, at the same time, they create conditions that support the growth of plankton. Japan has excellent fishing industry because of having thousands of islands. 

– The cool climatic conditions: The cool climatic conditions support the fish metabolism. Fish requires cool habitant places for it to survive. The areas where the water temperatures are cool tend to have large schools of fish. On the other hand, those in which the sea or ocean waters are warm, there is limited fishing because such a situation does not favour the life of fish. The cool climate at the same time supports the preservation of fish and fish products for a reasonable time.

– The presence of various rivers:Rivers bring food from up-country to the sea, oceans or lakes. This provides enough plankton to fishand attracts large schools of fish to migrate to such areas. Rivers again support the breeding of fish since some salt water fish such as salmon breed from fresh water bodies and when the eggs hatch, the young fish migrate to the sea.

– Poor soils:This factor has influenced man to depend on fishing as the only source of survival. Poor soils cannot enable agricultural activities to take place. Therefore, for man to fill the gap, he is forced to develop fishing to meet the food requirements for an ever-increasing population. This is a clear experience happening in Norway and Japan.

– The presence of vast forested areas: This supports the building of fishing vessels/ships and boats which are at the centre of fishing operations. Therefore, an area with large stretches of forests will have access to affordable tools that are used in the construction of sailing ships and fishing vessels and packaging facilities. Such an opportunity will enable the investors to maximize the profits and register prosperity. This has played a significant role in the development of fishing in North West Atlantic fishing ground.

– The nature of ocean currents:The cold ocean currents create cool conditions that support the existence of fish in an area. This explains why there is a developed fishing industry in the North West Atlantic fishing ground because of the cold Labrador Current and warm Gulf Stream. The two mix up to create ideal conditions for both growths of plankton and fishes. The warm ocean currents allows the water body to be ice-free.

– Availability of fishing grounds:The more fishing grounds, the more will be fish production. Japan is favoured in this way.

– Availability of varying fish species:The presence of various fish species supports the development of fishing. Actually, when the demand for specific fish species falls, at least the demand for other fish species remains stable, supporting the development of fishing. Such varying fish species includeCod, Salmon, mackerel, Sardines and Pilchards among others.

– The nature of the sea bed:The nature of the sea bed may either support the development of fishing or discourage fishing operations. The smooth and non-rugged sea bed makes the fishing of the demersal fish easy and when it is rugged, it becomes hard to fish them and even when the fishermen try, the trawl nets get destroyed, stuck or held by obstacles, which costs them a lot. For example, there is a flourishing fishing industry on the Mediterranean Sea because of its smooth sea bed in Spain.

– Lack of enough natural resources:This is a factor that pushes countries to resort to fishing as the only way of economic survival. Countries such as Norway, Sweden and Japan developed their fishing industry because they have limited natural resources. While in countries where natural resources are in abundance, fishing tends to be a forgotten sector, as it is the case in the DRC.

Human factors influencing the development of fishing

The following are the key human factors affecting fishing in the world:

– Availability of adequate capital: The presence of adequate capital plays a great deal in the development of the fishing sector. Capital is needed to hire the required labour force, to purchase the fishing gear and generally the inputs such as nets, ships, boats and many others. Without adequate capital, fishing becomes less developed and remains at subsistence levels.

– Availability and accessibility of adequate labour force:It should be noted that fishing is another sector that requires enough labour force. There are steps involved in fishing that cannot be done by the machines, for they require the availability of manpower. Therefore, the fishing flourishes in the areas with cheaper manpower. South African fishing sector has developed because of the availability of both local and immigrant labour. The same applies to Norway where the Asian labour supply has supported the fishing industry.

– Availability of enough market: Commercial fishing requires a steady market. The investors need to sell what they are producing. That is why in densely populated areas such as China and Japan, fishing has stood a test of time for centuries. In areas where the market for fish and fish products is poor, the development of fishing becomes stagnant and eventually fails to pick up. 

– The presence of better forms of transport and communication: Fish and fish products are perishable. They go bad very fast. They therefore require to be sold and consumed as quickly as possible. This is possible when there is a steady form of transport that can enable fishermen to transport the fish and fish products as quickly as possible. That is why in countries where fish landing sites are not connected to the market centres, fishing has remained undeveloped. 

– Supportive government policies: This plays a key role in the prosperity of the fishing sector. The government with well-planned and designed policies such as tax holidays, economic diversification and fishermen being subsidized in times of economic constraints; all put together support the development of the fishing sector. In the regions where government policies are poor, nondiscriminating fishing methods are used, pollution of fishing grounds and over taxation take the leading part. Such a case makes the fishing sector less attractive in the eyes of potential investors.

– Political stability/improved security: The fishing operations are usually conducted at night times. This implies that, there must be safety and peace that can support the fishermen. The installed fish processing plants need to be protected too. That is why in countries where peace has existed for many years, fishing has become one of the highly developed economic sectors. That is, investors wish to operate in areas where they are assured of peace and security.

– Modern storage facilities: As fish areperishable, there is a need to have appropriate storing facilities. In countries like Peru, Spain, USA, Japan and Norway fishermen use refrigerators, deep freezers and refrigerated trucks that transport fish and their products. This has enabled the fishermen to prolong the life span of the fish and their products. 

– Level of research:This has become an essential aspect in the development of the fishing sector. It includes fish breeding, artificial fertilization of fish eggs and restocking of over fishing grounds with quick maturing fish species. It yields the production of quick maturing fish species especially those that are used in fish farming. 

– Availability of the required technology: This influences the mode of fishing. The application of improved technology enables the fishermen to use modern fishing methods that support the sustainable fishing operations. It extends to fish processing and fishing gears and in-puts that ease the fishing operations. In areas where technology is poor, fishing operations remain at subsistence levels.

– Long tradition of sea faring people: Fishing has developed in countries where there is a long tradition of fish faring. These countries such as Japan, Spain and Norway, fishing is part of their cultural aspect. It creates the love for catching fish and the availability of experienced labour force. There, fishing develops faster than in areas where people know nothing about fishing practices. 

– The existence of several ports: The more the fishing ports a country has, the more the chances of developing the fishing sector. These ports support the fishing landing operations, selling and purchasing the fishing in-puts. It also means that the more the fishing ports, the more the areas of fishing grounds. 

– The presence of fish cooperative organizations or societies: When the fishermen are grouped into cooperatives, there are advantages that support their operations. All these provide a helping hand to the development of the fishing industry. They can access market, financial support and at the same time the purchasing of inputs becomes easier. This has been proved right in Norway, Spain and Sweden.

Application Activity 14.3

1. Rwanda has many water bodies, but her fishing sector is still very poor, to the extent that much of the fish and fish-products are imported from the neighbouring countries. Discuss the statement.

2. Account for deficient performance of the fishing sector in Rwanda.

14.4.: Importance of fish and fishing

Learning activity 14.4

1. Examine the economic significance of fishing industry in the world.

2. Analyse the economic implications of fishing in the development of any one country associated with the North West Pacific fishing grounds.

The fish and fishing have become the most significant aspect in the socio-economic development of various countries where they exist. Countries such as Japan, China, South Africa, Peru, Chile among others have had their economies flourishing from fishing activities. Below is a detailed explanation of ways in which fish and fishing are important:

– Source of government revenue: Fishing industry has enabled various countries to earn revenues through taxation and payment of company registration fee collections. This is used by those countries to develop their infrastructures and meet the socio-economic needs of their people.

– Provision of foreign currency:Fish and fish products are exported to other countries. This results in earning foreign currency. For example, the USA exports fish and fish products to France, China and many other countries. South Africa exports fish and fish products to East African countries. The foreign currency earned is used to fill the gaps in the national budget.

– Facilitation of infrastructural development:Fishing industry has come along with the development of various infrastructures such as roads, ware houses, railways and water transport which support the global development of the country. 

– Urbanization:Several urban centres have developed because of fishing operations in various parts of the world. These urban areas are a positive contribution to the development of the economies. Cities such as Shanghai, Seattle, Baltimore, Osaka, Yokohama and many others; their existence is attributed to fishing activities taking place there.

– Generation of employment opportunities: Thousands of people are directly or indirectly employed by fishing industry. There are those who work in the harvesting of fish, others in fish processing, while others are employed by the industries that deal with the production of the in-puts needed in fishing operations.

– Supportof economic diversification: The occurrence of fishing industry has enabled various countries to diversify their economies. This has a handful of additional advantages. The countries are therefore able to have a wide range of sources of foreigncurrency and revenue. In other words, instead of depending on one economic activity, they are now having another economic activity. Fishing has led to the development of other economic sectors such as forestry, tourism and industrialization.

– Sustainable utilization of resources: Fish is one of the natural resources provided by nature. Therefore, to be able to utilize fully the available resources especially those related to water bodies, fishing must be performed. This has enabled countries to maximize the use of the resources.

– Development of industries:There are several industries that have come up because of fishing. These include ship building, those that produce fishing nets and other marine related equipment. These too have a positive role to play in the entire development of an economy. There are fish processing plants that contribute millions of dollars to the economies. Fishing companies have invested a lot of capitals in the development of marine technologies that can provide solutions to their challenges. These technologies are later used by other sectors such as military and researchers.

– Provision of markets for other products:Fishing industry provides ready and steady markets for the products produced by other industries. These include agriculture (which provides food stuff to the fishermen), ship building industries, etc. 

– Research and study:Fishing industries has provided excellent ground for research and education. There is a great deal of scientific research in relation to the creation of quick maturing fish species. Students who are taking fisheries as a career do their internship in various fishing companies. 

– Promotion of better international relations:Fishing industry has enabled the countries to forge better international cooperation. For example, Japan and Germany are allies because of the interdependence that has come up as Germany imports fish from Japan.

– Acquisition of skills:Fishing has become a centre of skills acquisition. Fishermen have become experts in marine technologies and in understanding marine life and weather conditions. Deep sea diving, research skills and manufacturing of equipment are used in fishing and the acquired skills may be transferred in other sectors of activities. 

– Source of proteins:Fish and fish products are part of the meals that many families, worldwide put on their table each day. Fish provides proteins to mankind and such has enabled many to live a healthy life.

– Medicinal contribution:Fish is used in the production of medicine for human beings. For example, the cod liver oil and insulin are used as medicine. The whale oil is also used to make soaps that treat skin diseases.

– Support of tourism: Many tourists come to various fishing spots to see the types of fish, for example how the whales look like or track their long journeys. This has indeed supported the development of tourism as a sector of the economy. Thousands of people travel up to Japan to see the Ise Bay and Osaka Bay.

– Source of raw materials for other industries:There are several products that are obtained from fishing industry and that work as raw materials in other industries. The fish bones and inferior fish are used in the manufacturing of fertilizers to be used in the agricultural sector.

Application Activity 14.4

Read the passage provided below and use it to answer the following questions:“There are hundreds of foreign investors that have visited Rwanda. They are moving around the world seeking for business ventures that they can invest in their huge sums of capital. Suppose that you are part of the team that will market the fishing sector”

1. Explain how you will market the fishing sector to influence the investors to select Rwanda’s fishing industry.

2. Asses the contribution of the fishing sector to the socio-economic development of Rwanda.

14.5. Problems affecting marine fisheries and Solutions

Learning activity 14.5

Study the photograph provided below and use it to answer the questions that follow:

1. Comment on the above photograph in relation to fishing industry.

2. Apart from the challenges affecting Marine fishing shown in the photograph above, identify and explain the problems faced by the marine fisheries of the world.

3. Discuss the problems affecting the fisheries of the world and suggest the possible ways that can help sort them out.

4. With specific examples, examine the problems faced by the inland fishing industry and suggest viable solutions.

Like any other economic activity, fishing industry is also challenged with several problems. The severity of these problems varies from one place to another but at least they all share similar impact on the prosperity of fishing and the physical environment in general.

To have a prominent level of clarity, the problems and solutions are dealt with simultaneously using the table below:

Application Activity 14.5

1.Design and point out the ways that can be put in place to improve the fishing industry in Rwanda.

2. Identify the challenges that are affecting fishing in Rwanda and suggest different ways of addressing them.

14.6: Future prospects and problems of inland fisheries

Learning activity 14.5

Study the photographs shown below and use them to answer the questions that follow:

1. Describe the relationship existing between the two photographs.

2. Analyse the problems affecting the inland fisheries in the world.

3. Suggest the future prospects that would address the challenges faced by the inland fisheries in the world.

14.6.1: Problems affecting inland fisheries of the world

The following are some of the problems influencing inland fisheries of the world:

– Nature of African coasts which are extremely straight and which lack indentations that may provide good shelters for young fish.

– Small continental shelves that do not allow the penetration of in-light water for the multiplication of plankton.

– High temperatures which make water warm, leading to the development of fish species that are too oily and unpalatable.

– Poor methods of fishing and poor fishing vessels that lead to over fishing and reduce the production and investment. 

– Lack of capital to invest in fishing activities. This has resulted in the production forsubsistence.

– Low levels of education, some people don’t know the importance of fish in their diet. This is further influenced by traditional values and norms that prohibit some groups of people from eating fish.

– Some of the inland water bodies are so deep at the point that sunlight cannot reach the bottom of the lake. This has affected fishing operations and contributed to low quantity of fishes.

– The use of non-discriminative fishing methods results in over fishing, thus causing the exhaustion of fish in the water bodies. 

– The inland water bodies are becoming dumping places for wastes from industries and domestic establishments. This has made most of the fish to lose their lives and at the same time making it hard for fishermen to catch high quality fish. 

– There are limited commercial fish species in most of the inland water bodies. This has become the hindering block to the supply of specific fish species from inland water bodies. 

– There is a challenge of inadequate capital required to facilitate the fishing operations. This has contributed to the absence of integration of advanced technology in fishing and use of skilled labour.

– The inland fisheries are affected by lack of enough modern fish preservation facilities which influenced the inland fisheries to remain subsistence in nature. 

– Poor and less developed forms of transport of fish and fish products from remote areas which are naturally endowed with fish in abundant levels have limited the access to the markets. 

– There is serious silting of rivers and lakes because of the misuse of the areas surrounding the water bodies. The watersheds poorly farmed with trees cut for charcoal or fire wood haveresulted in serious soil erosion that takes the sediments into water bodies. Then, the fishing nets are buried by the silt and the hatchery, and the breeding places for fish are distorted. 

– There is a challenge of water weeds that have covered almost the biggest parts of some water bodies. This has made fishing operations difficult and at the same time suffocating fish. 

– There is stiff competition between inland fisheries and marine fisheries. Most of the time, the marine fishing products are bought faster than the inland fishing ones. 

– The inland fisheries are more affected by the political instabilities than the marine fisheries. The civil wars and political upheavals have made the inland water bodies unsafe for fishermen. 

– There is also competition from other sectors of the economy. There are economic sectors that have attracted more the interests of the masses and investors than fishing. This has limited investment to be injected in fishing industry.

14.6.2: Future prospects of inland fisheries

Below is a detailed explanation of the future prospects of inland fisheries:

– Formation of co-operatives: These may advance loans to the industry for the purchase of fishing gear and other equipment such as refrigerators for preservation. The cooperatives also assist in the marketing of fish.

– Ban on indiscriminate fishing: This is done by regulating the size of the fishing nets used during fishing.

– Restocking overfished waters: Where overfishing has taken place, there is need to restock the fisheries by introducing new fish species which are fast maturing.

– Construction of cold storage facilities: Cold storage facilities should be constructed in the major fishing areas for both fresh water and marine fisheries.

– Establishment of research centers: Research centers should be established to research on fresh water and marine fisheries in the country. Furthermore, it should make possible the creation of new and improved breeds of fish that can multiply faster and mature in abbreviated period.

– The countries engaged in fishing should consider enacting strict laws that aim at protecting fish and their habitants. That is, the laws will at least enable sustainable fishing to prevail.

– New agencies responsible for addressing challenges affecting inland fisheries should be put in place. The governments of the countries with inland fisheries should use such agencies to look for workable solutions that can drive fishing to the desired levels.

– The water bodies whose fish are threatened by depletion should be protected and a specific period should be fixed to allow the fish to multiply. That is, a period of no fishing in such fishing grounds.

– Massive and general infrastructural development should be given a point of attention. This when done, the inland will cease to be subsistence oriented and take the commercial display.

– The countries engaged in fishing, on a general perspective, should establish the fish hatchery centres in various strategic places. This will support the fish farming sector as well as having more young fish to use in restocking the over fished inland water bodies of fishing grounds. 

– The master plan should be drawn in favour of the future of the fishing sector. Such will ensure that the fishing sector develops in a sustainable manner.

– Well trained guards should be available to protect the fishing grounds and monitor the implementation of the government policies related to fishing sector.

– The areas near the water bodies where fishing is taking place should be restored and protected against degradation. That requires the reforestation and afforestation programs to take place in the water sheds. This should come along with the establishment of buffer zones around all water bodies. This will address the problem of silting which has left disastrous effects on the life of fish and fishing operations in general. 

– The intensive water weed control program should be launched. The concerned governments should ensure that water weeds such as water hyacinth along Nile River and Lake Victoria should be removed completely.

– Commercializing of the inland fisheries should be developed. This will address the challenge of inland fisheries that has for many years remained for subsistence purposes. 

– The countries with interest in inland fisheries should encourage fish farming with cage fishing given much emphasis.

Application Activity 14.6

1.Identify the measures to be taken to improve and develop inland fisheries in Rwanda.

2. Suggest the appropriate measures and methods that can be promoted to improve the inland fisheries.

14.7: Fish conservation and preservation

Learning activity 14.7

Read the passage shown below and use it to answer the questions that follow:

In one of the fishing villages around lake Malawi, people are concerned with the quality of fish products the fishermen are selling to them. The fish products have lost their natural flavour, while in some places they decompose before they are taken to the market.  This has become a case of great concern to the local authorities. The fishermen and fishing cooperative societies are being trained on how to store their fish products for a reasonable time.   However, the number of methods used need to be supported by other methods that can enable fish products to reach market without getting spoilt.

Around Lake Victoria, some measures have been adopted to protect the waters and aquatic animal, more specifically  fish.

1. Identify the statement in the passage that represent fish preservation and fish conservation.

2. Using both the passage shown above and the past studies, identify and explain the methods used in fish preservation and conservation.

14.7.1: Fish conservation

The term fish conservation stands for all ways used to protect fish in the fishing grounds to avoid their depletion. This ensures that there is sustainable production of fish and fish-products. There are numerous ways of fish conservation and the following are among them:

– Use of modern fishing methods: The modern methods of fishing that are discriminative in nature are used. These only catch the mature fish and leave the young ones to grow. This replaces the traditional and crude methods of fishing such as poisoning and barrier methods that lead to catching of both young and old fish and other aquatic animals.

– Re-stocking the fishing grounds: This is the act of seeding the over fished fishing grounds with quick and hybrid fish species. When this is done, fish can grow, and fishing activity during that protection period, is put on halt.

– Cross-breeding: This involves the practice of artificial fertilization of fish to attain hybrids. These are of high yielding capacity and mature faster than the local breeds. These hybrid fish are then introduced into the over fished areas or well-selected water bodies.

– Use of recommendable fishing gear:The recommended sized nets are used. These are inspected by authorized government officials. This is a conservation measure, because it only allows the fishermen to catch mature fish leaving the young ones to grow. Hence, there is a need to develop and ensure a sustainable fish harvesting system.

– Artificial hatching of fish:This involves the creation of special ponds to conduct an artificial fish hatching. In such ponds fish are looked after well until they reach the level of being replanted into the fishing ground or well-selected water bodies.

– Mass education: The fishermen and the population living around water bodies should be educated or sensitized on proper ways of fishing. They are given light on the dangers of pollution and proper recommended fishing methods that ensure sustainable fishing practices.

– Regulated fishing stages: This involves setting restricted period of nonfishing operations. This aims at allowing fish to grow to maturity and breed without being interrupted. Such specific periods support regeneration of fish.

– Provision of plankton artificially: In some water bodies where there are inadequate plankton supplies, it is supplied artificially to allow fish survive and grow in abundance. This is best practiced in fish farms.

– Enacting strict rules and regulations:For fish conservation to be implemented, it requires the government’s support. The government should put in place the laws that regulate the utilization of water resources and fish. The laws are made to safeguard the wet lands and water bodies from misuse by man.

– Relocation of predators: In water bodies where predators dominate and are a threat to fish, they (Predators) are transferred or caged to a given section of the fishing ground.

– Harsh punishments against pollution: The fishing grounds should be protected from pollution at all costs at the point that those caught polluting water bodies are fined. This may enable the fishing grounds to be free from the water pollution in order to protect fish from any type of pollution.

14.7.2. Fish preservation

The term fish preservation refers to all ways that enable fish and fish-products to be stored for a prolonged period before being taken to the market or consumed. As fish is perishable, it needs to be preserved as soon as it is caught to increase its storage life. Below there is a detailed explanation of the methods of fish preservation. 

Application Activity 14.7

In Umutuzo village, the local population gets their livelihood from fishing. They fail to market their fish and fish-products because the market centres are far away. Wherever they try to transport their products, they get spoiled before reaching the market.

1. Advise the people from Umutuzo village on the ways of conserving and preserving their fish in order to transport them without getting spoiled.

2. Show how some of the fish preservation methods affect negatively the environment.

3. Describe how sustainable fishing can be implemented in the above mentioned village.

14.8: Case studies of fishing in selected countries

Learning activity 14.8

1. To what extent are physical factors responsible for the growth and development of fishing in Norway?

2. Outline and explain the contribution of fishing industry to the economy of Japan, Norway and Peru.

3. Using Text books, internet and other sources of geographical information, research on the state of fishing industry in Morocco and South Africa.

14.8.1: Norway (North East Atlantic)

The country of Norway is known for its leading position in fishing in the whole of Europe. Its total fish catch is estimated to stand at 5% of the total world’s catch. Fishing is a dominating economic sector in the country. It employs the greatest percentage of the population and fetches huge sums of foreign exchange for the government. Its fishing ground falls under North East Atlantic. The extent of Norwegian fishing ground extends from Stavanger in the South to around Hammerfest in the NorthEastern. This fishing ground is naturally blessed with a variety of fish species. The dominant ones include the following: Herrings, Pilchards, Sardines, Mackerel, Sprat, Halibut, Dogfish, Haddock, Cod, and Capelin.

The fishing in Norway has been primarily favoured by the presence of an extensive continental shelf that stretches for thousands of miles or kilometers.  Norway is a good place for coast and deep-sea fishing.

For freshwater fishing, Norway offers top quality trout fishing in beautiful woodland and mountain areas. Pike fishing is also very good. Freshwater inland lakes and ponds are abundant with trout, pike, grayling, carp and perch.

Factors that have led to the development of fishing industry in Norway

Below are the factors that have influenced the development of fishing in Norway:

– The presence of vast and extensive fishing ground that is composed of North Sea, Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea.

– The country has extensive and shallow continental shelf that has supported the growth of enough plankton. This is so, because light can reach the sea beds. Therefore, being able to attract large shoals of fish.

– The Norwegian fishing ground is naturally blessed with cool waters. These provide ideal conditions that favour the growth of plankton and fish metabolism. Such has attracted large shoals of fish. 

– The country has a wide range of rivers radiating from the interior to the coastal areas. These have provided better breeding areas for a variety of fish species, at the same time bringing enough food to the sea which supports the existence of fish.

– There are extensive sheltered waters along the coastal regions of Norway. This has contributed to the development of excellent fishing landing sites, ports and at the same time the provision of protected fish breeding points. 

– The Norwegian fishing industry has been favoured by the presence of many off-shore Islands. There are almost more than 2000 islands. These have resulted in the creation of several fishing villages.

– The latitudinal location of Norway allows the presence of cool temperate climatic conditions which supports easily the preservation of fish and fishproducts. The area is blessed with cool waters that favour fish metabolism. Such has attracted large shoals of fish to prevail in the area.

– The soils of Norway are infertile and less productive. This is worsened by the mountainous nature of the country. These have pushed the country to resort to fishing.

– The fishing grounds of Norway are ice-free most of the year. This is attributed to the warm North Atlantic drift that influences the existence of mild winters. Therefore, fishing operations are conducted throughout the year.

– Norway has several forested areas which support ship building by providing timber and other forest products which lessens the cost of ship building.

– The fishing industry of Norway is supported by the existence of a variety of fish species. These include White fish, Prawns, Herrings, mackerel and  Cod among many others. 

– There are supportive government policies that have favoured the development of fishing in Norway. These include financing the fishing operations and tax holidays that are provided to the upcoming fishing companies.

– The presence of excellent forms of transport has favoured the development of fishing industry. The fishermen can transport both in-puts and out-puts easily and at a cheaper cost. 

– There is availability and accessibility to local and international markets. The Norwegian fishing sector exports fish to countries such as China, German and many others.

– There is well developed marine technology in Norway. The fishermen have been able to develop their fishing operations because all modern equipment needed is available and they know how to use it. Therefore, they can use the detectors of shoals of fish, trawling methods among others.

– The fishermen in Norway are organized in cooperative societies. These have supported the fishermen to have access to the financial support, market and at the same time purchasing fishing gear becomes easy.

– There is availability of adequate capital required by fishing companies. The country of Norway for many years has injected into it huge sums of capital earned from the exportation of oil and natural gas. There is also a collaborative atmosphere between the government and financial institutions whereby banks are encouraged to give loans to the fishing companies.  

– There is a steady supply of both skilled and semi-skilled labour force from the large influx of immigrants from the Asian countries and the Arab regions. This labour force supports the development of fishing operations.

14.8.2: Japan (North West Pacific)

Japan is ranked the third in fishing industry in the world and it contributes about 8% of the world’s fishing production. Japan is a country with thousands of Islands which favour the country to have several fishing villages. Japan fishing ground stretches from Hokkaido to Kyushu. Japan also has greatly advanced aquaculture or sea farming techniques. In this system, artificial insemination and hatching techniques are used to breed fish and shellfish, which are then released into rivers or seas. These fish and shellfish are caught after they grow bigger. Salmon is raised this way.

Japan has more than 2,000 fishing ports, including Nagasaki, in southwest Kyūshū; Otaru, Kushiro, and Abashiri in Hokkaidō. Major fishing ports on the Pacific coast of Honshū include Hachinohe, Kesennuma, and Ishinomaki along the Sanriku coast, as well as Choshi, Yaizu, Shimizu, and Misaki to the east and south of Tokyo.

Japan is also one of the world’s few whaling nations. As a member of the International Whaling Commission, the government pledged that its fleets would restrict their catch to international quotas, but it attracted international opprobrium for its failure to sign an agreement placing a moratorium on catching sperm whales. Currently Japan conducts research whaling” for minke whales in the oceans surrounding Antarctica.

The major fish species caught in Japan include: Sardines, herrings, Pearls, Salma, yellow tail, Tuna, Shellfish, Cuttle fish, Whales, and Crustaceans. It should be noted that japan has a well-developed fishing sector that exercises the highest level of modernization. Her fishing grounds are in North West pacific zone.

Factors influencing the development of fishing industry in Japan

– The existence of extensive irregular coastline that covers almost 29,750 km. This has favoured the development of fishing ports, occurrence of breeding places for fish due to the sheltered waters. The irregular nature of coastline is made up of many bays such as Ise Bay near Nagoya, Southern Honshu, Tokyo Bay around Tokyo and Yokohama, and Osaka Bay near the metropolis of KobeOsaka.

– There is an extensive and shallow continental shelf. This allows the light to infiltrate up to the sea bed, thus favouring the growth of enough plankton. It explains why there are large shoals of fish.

– Japan has an indented coastline characterized by bays and lagoons. This has led to the formation of sheltered inlets which have favoured the establishment of fishing ports and villages. Examples: Eastern Honshu and South of Tokyo. 

– The huge fishing ground that extends to Pacific Ocean. This has supported the massive fishing operations as far as to the deep parts of the sea, and thus ensuring large production that meets the increased demand for Japanese fish.

– The convergence of the Warm Kuroshio and Cold Oyashio currents has supported the creation of favourable conditions that give a hand to the growth of plankton and fish metabolism. This explains why there are huge shoals of fish of both demersal and pelagic fish in the fishing grounds of Japan.

– The presence of several Islands influences the existence of Sea faring tradition that has played a significant role in the development of the fishing sector. Japanese are known for having a culture that respects the sea life. The major Islands are Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku and Honshu. However, there are other several small Islands and all are known for fishing.

– Japan is naturally endowed with vast forested areas covering almost 50% of the total area. These have provided steadily raw materials to the ship building industry. Therefore, it is easy to get ship, small boats and other related vessels needed in the fishing sector.

– The rugged nature of the country made the land to be less supportive to the agricultural sector. This left fishing as the only alternative for the Japanese Homesteads. 

– The warm Ocean currents, especially the Warm Kuroshio, keep the waters of Japan to be Ice free even in times when winter is in existence. This allows the fishing operations to be conducted throughout the year. 

– Japan has a relatively smooth sea floor along the East Sea / Sea of Japan. This has supported the use of trawling and Drifters in the catching of both pelagic and demersal fish species. 

– Japan experiences the cool temperate climate. This favours both the existence of large  shoals of varying fish species and their preservation. 

– There is adequate market for the Japanese fish and fish-products. This is provided by its high population that stands at almost above 127,230,107 People as per 7th May 2018. It also exports fish to countries such as China, Korea, Philippine and Singapore among others.

– There is intensive research into marine technology as well as fish breeding, restocking fishing grounds and artificial fertilizing of fish eggs. The research into this area has enabled the Japanese to introduce even other fish species in their waters that never existed before. 

– Better methods of fishing are used. These are highly modernized and efficient in nature. They include trawling, drifting and seine nets. These are witnessed on the East / Sea of Japan.

– The country of Japan has been stable for several years. This has built trust in the minds of foreign investors to put their funds in the sector of fishing. 

– There is a close cooperation between Japanese fishing companies and foreign fishing groups. This exposure has enabled the Japanese to have access to modern technologies and being allowed to conduct fishing in other international waters.

– There are supportive government policies. These include making agreements with other countries that share international waters with Japan. Providing tax holidays to the investors and the implementation of fish conservation programs.

– There is a steady supply of labour force of all kinds. This is provided by the local population and immigrants from Asian and African countries. These have provided a helping hand to the development of the fishing industry of Japan.

– The excellent and well-developed forms of transport, especially the network of electrified railways system that connects fishing ports to market centres. This has assisted the fishing companies to have the capacity and means of taking the fish and fish-products on time. The good example is the railway line in Ise Bay town, Osaka Bay and other inlets of commercial significance.

– Japan has one of the modern and highly facilitated storage facilities for fish. These have modern refrigerators that enable fishermen to prolong the shelve life of the fish and fish-products. These are in hundreds and strategically located. Some are found at Hokkaido, Nagaya and Osaka.

14.8.3: Peru (South East Pacific)

The country of Peru is found in South America. This is done all along Peru’s vast Pacific coastline; The economy in this country is supported by fishing industry. Peru was once a world’s leading country of fish and fish-products production in 1950s. Even though there were some changes in the trend, still it earns a reasonable position in the tropical America and the world at large.

Peru is naturally endowed with a variety of fish species. These include Rainbow trout, Sardines, Mackerel, Bonito, Anchovy, Tuna and many others. It should be noted that much of her fish caught are used in the making of fertilizers and fish oil.

The fishing industry of Peru has developed because of several factors as developed below:

Factors influencing the development of fishing industry in Peru

– There is an extensive coastline. Peru’s long coastline covers almost 3000 km in length. It stretches from Tumbes in the North to Taona in the south. This facilitated the fishing industry to have a vast fishing ground. 

– The sea bed along the coastline of Peru is smooth. This has favoured fishing of both the pelagic and demersal fish using the appropriate methods such as Trawling, and purse seining that ensure a large catch of fish

– There are good conditions that favour the growth of Plankton. These conditions are created by the cool Peruvian current known as Humboldt. Such has attracted varying fish species to the area

– The country is blessed with indented coastline. This has led to the creation of well-sheltered inlets that provide excellent sites for Port establishment. The major fishing Ports include Callao, Trujillo and Chimbote among others. The indented nature provides fish breeding and nurseries for fish.

– The presences of coastal birds in millions make the coastal areas unique. Their droppings naturally fertilize the sea bed and therefore, supporting the growth of plankton. The more plankton, the more fish are attracted to the area and the result is enabling the fishing companies to register a big catch.

– . The rugged nature of the western region of Peru, because of Andes mountain ranges, left the land to be of less agricultural importance. Therefore, for the economic survival, Peru resorted to fishing as the best viable substitute. 

– There are various rivers radiating from the middle part of the country to the coastal waters of Peru. These come along with the required salt minerals that support the growth of plankton. These rivers bring a wide range of fish feeds as well as providing breeding places for some kinds of fish. The most notable rivers are Maranon River and Ucayali.

– Peruvian fishing grounds are known for having a wide variety of fish species. These include Mackerel, Anchovies, Bonito, Skipjack. They enable the fishing companies to always meet the market demand. The sector of fishing in Peru has resorted to the use of fish to manufacture fish meal for animal fodder, fertilizers and fish oil. These are practiced at Chimbote and Callao fishing Ports.

– The country of Peru has several off-shore Islands. These are dominantly used for the collection of Guano and giving support to the fishing vessels that sail far away from the coast. 

– There are huge forested areas especially along the slopes of the Andes mountain ranges. These have supported fishing in several ways especially in ship, boat and vessel building. The timber collected is also used in making packaging products/materials in the form of boxes. The fuelwood is used to make fire that is needed in the smoking of fish as a form of fish preservation technique. 

– There are a wide number of fresh water bodies that have supported unreservedly the development of inland fresh water fisheries. These include Lake Titica, River Amazon, River Maranon. 

– The Peruvian coastal areas experience the cool temperate type of climate. This has favoured the growth of plankton and supported the fish metabolism. This cool temperate climate again increases the dependability of fish preservation methods basing on natural conditions. 

– There is availability of adequate capital. The fishing companies in Peru have adequate capital to use in the purchasing of in-puts such as fishing nets, packaging products and hiring the needed labour force.

– The Peruvian government has designed and implemented policies that favour the growth and development of fishing. These include the conservation of water bodies, strict laws against water pollution and tax holidays of the newly established companies.

– There is intensive research being carried out in Peruvian fishing circles. This is related to restocking the over fished areas, Nourishing the fish species and artificial fertilization of fish. This has enabled continuous availability of large shoals of fish. This research is more pronounced at Callao and Chimbote research centers. 

– The country is connected by a network of well-developed transport facilities. There are modern railways, better roads, and water transport in place. The fishermen are therefore, able to transport both inputs and outputs easily and very fast.

– The Peruvian population is settled in large numbers along the coastal regions. This has therefore, created a class of people with the sea experiences and who find their livelihood in fishing. 

– There is a steady supply of labour force of all kinds. This is provided by both the local population as well as the immigrant population. Many people from the neighbouring countries move to Peru to work in the fishing sector at a cheap and affordable cost. 

– There are several fish processing factories throughout the coastal areas. These have enabled the fishing industry to add value to the out-put and therefore, improvising quality. This explains why their products are highly demanded. They process fish and fish products into a variety of other products such as cosmetics, medicine, fish oil and fertilizers as well as fertilizers for agricultural purposes.

– There are modern and well-facilitated storage centers that assist the fishermen to preserve their fish and fish products for a reasonable period as they wait for export or buyers. These centers are refrigerated and well air conditioned in line with the international standards.

– Peru is one of the South American countries that at least have relatively ideal political stability. This has made the country the hub of investment in the sector of fishing for both local and international companies. 

– The Peruvian fishing sector uses modern technology. This has enabled the fishing companies to save time and increase the production. The fishermen use the GPS units, Spotter air crafts, under water cameras, fish attractants and baits, modern fishing vessels with radars among others. All these account for the prosperous prevalence of the fishing industry in Peru.

14.8.4: Morocco (West Africa)

Morocco is one of the African countries known for having relatively a well-developed fishing sector. This fishing ground is situated in the North East Atlantic fishing zone. The ocean off Morocco’s Atlantic coast is one of the richest fishing grounds in the world. (1) All together, Morocco’s coastline covers 2,141 miles along the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. The Moroccan fishing sector is supported by almost 15 fishing centers. The Moroccan fishing ground extends from Mediterranean Sea to downward direction along the coastal areas of the country.  In actual sense, there are three major fishing zones in morocco. These include;

(i)Along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea: The major fishing ports found  in this zone include: Martial, Lao, Madiq, Wadir, AliHoema as the most important ones.

(ii)The northern Moroccan coastal areas: The zone has the following fishing Ports: Kenitra, El Jadid, Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier and Laranhe.

(iii)The Southern Moroccan coastal waters: The major fishing ports in this area are: Safi, Essaquira and Agadir.

However, there are other small fishing ports and villages in this fishing zone. The Moroccan fishing is more commercial oriented and carried out on a very wide scale. This has therefore necessitated the use of modern fishing methods such as Trawling, Drifting, and Pursue seining. The fishing grounds of Morocco are naturally endowed with a variety of fish species especially Anchouvy, Tuna, Sardines and Mackerel.

Factors influencing development of fishing industry in Morocco

The following are the major factors influencing fishing in Morocco:  

– The Moroccan coastline is characterized by an indented structure. This has supported the establishment of several fishing ports such as Tan-Tan, Tangier and Agadir. Such a nature of coastline has enabled the existence of excellent fish breeding places and the protection of  young fish against strong sea waves.

– The Sea floor associated with the Moroccan Atlantic coastal areas is relatively smooth. This has helped the fishermen to use trawling and other suitable commercial fishing methods.

– The country of Morocco has off shore Islands such as Canary Island. This help the fishermen to have off-shore landing points especially in times of emergency. These Islands also influence the creation of fishing villages.

– There is a vast fishing ground associated with Morocco. This includes the Moroccan territorial waters of Atlantic Ocean and part of the Mediterranean Sea. Having a wider fishing ground means having chances of conducting larger fishing operations. 

– The aridity conditions existing in Morocco have made the soils to be less supportive to agriculture. This favours fishing since it becomes the only source of economic survival and a chief source of food. 

– The availability of enough plankton. This is attributed to the presence of the Cold canary ocean current that creates ideal conditions that support the growth of plankton. The cool conditions support also the fish metabolism. Therefore, influencing large shoals of fish to live within the region. 

– The Moroccan fishing ground is naturally blessed with a wide variety of fish species that are of commercial significance. These include Pilchards, Tuna, Sea cucumbers, Anchovies, Mussels, Shellfish, sardines, mackerel and Oysters among several others. 

– There is a long tradition of sea faring cherished by the Moroccan population. This is so because most people are settled along the coastline. 

– The government of Morocco entered into international fishing agreements that gave the country a chance of having its fishing ground being extended for 320 km. 

– There  are  better  methods  of  fishing used in Morocco. These are recommendable and they meet the international standards. They include trawling, drifting, purse seining, long lining among others. 

– The country is endowed with Mediterranean forested areas. These have provided timber required in making of fishing gear such as boats, packaging boxes, and fish net floaters.

– There is availability of required technology related to fishing and marine operations. The fishermen use ships with radars, have GPS units, light searchers, sonars, fish finders, under water cameras and many others. This technology has also enabled the canning and processing of fish products to recommendable quality and standards.

– There is availability of adequate market for the Moroccan fish and fishproducts. This is provided by both the local population (that stands at 31.5 million people) and abroad, as the Moroccan fish and fish-products are liked. The country exports in enormous quantities fish and fish-products to Spain, USA, Japan and Italy.

– The country has several fish processing plants. These purchase massive quantities of fish from the fishing sector. They process the fish into fish oil, fertilizers, animal feeds, glue and many others. For example, there are fish processing companies at Agadir and Casablanca.

– Morocco is one of the Arab countries that have been stable for a long time. This has built trust in the eyes of foreign fishing companies. The latter have invested huge sums of capital in the fishing sector of Morocco. These companies come from Norway, Italy, and Spain.

– The fishing sector of Morocco has engaged in intensive research that aims at improving all the circles of fishing operations. They have set up a Moroccan fish research center, which has played a key role in fish breeding and restocking techniques. 

– The government of Morocco has developed and designed policies that have favoured development of fishing. These include tax holidays, fish conservation, protection of fishing grounds against pollution, and easy registration of companies. 

– The fishing sector of Morocco is characterized of well-developed fishing organizations and cooperatives. These have benefitted the fishermen, since they are taught better methods of fishing, fishing company management techniques, marketing the fish and fish-products and at the same time enabling the fishermen to access modern fishing in-puts.

14.8.5: South Africa (South East Atlantic)

The fishing grounds of the Republic of South Africa are both in the South East Atlantic Zone and South East Indian region. These form three major fishing grounds, namely West coast fishing ground, South coast fishing ground and East coast fishing ground.  The East coast fishing ground is characterized by little prosperous fishing operations. This is because of the presence of the warm Mozambique current which has influenced the existence of conditions that do not support fish metabolism. The few that thrive there become oily and the majority migrate to other parts of the sea. In the whole of Africa, the South African fishing sector takes the leading position. The country is known for the in-shore and deep-sea fishing operations. There is also a well-developed aqua-culture. There are major fish species such as Sardines, sole, pilchards, mackerel, Shellfish, Anchovies, Shrimps, crabs and crustaceans. This sector is also engaged in fishing whales that are used in the production whale oil.

The South African fishing sector is also involved in harvesting sea weeds, used for human consumption as well as making the animal fodder. There are several companies that process the products from the fishing sector to make cosmetics, glue, iodine, and gelatin. Fishing has also become a sporting activity in South Africa.

The sector is supported by the existence of several fishing ports such as East London, Somerset, Cape Town, port Noloth and Saldanha. The fishing sector of South Africa operates the entire year-round. South African’s waters are kept open and ice free. The chief fishing zone is located around the Agulhas Cape. This is the part of the Atlantic where the warm Mozambique (Agulhas Ocean current) mixes up with the cold Benguela current. Such creates the most ideal conditions that support the growth of plankton in abundance. These conditions have attracted large shoals of varying fish species to dwell in the area.

Factors influencing the development of fishing industry in South Africa

Below are factors that have supported the development of the South African fishing sector:

– Presence of long and extensive continental shelves which are shallow. It is estimated to cover almost beyond 2000 km. 

– The country has an indented coastline which has given a chance of port development and occurrence of naturally sheltered fish breeding areas and nurseries for the young fish. This can be seen at Table Bay, Cape Peninsula and Picketberg.

– There is availability of enough plankton which supports the lives of fish. This also keeps attracting more fish to the area.

– South African fishing grounds are blessed naturally with a wide range of fish species. These include, Sardines, sole, pilchards, mackerel, Shellfish, Anchovies, Shrimps, crabs and crustaceans.

– The influence of the cold Benguela ocean current. This has led to the occurrence of cool conditions that support fish metabolism as well as the growth of plankton.

– There is availability of the needed technology. This has enabled the fishermen in South Africa to use modern fishing methods and to add value to the fish and fish-products.

– Availability of enough capital. The fishing companies have invested huge capitals in the sector of fishing. The government still is injecting a lot of funds in the programs related to fishing.

– The government of South Africa has designed policies that support the development of fishing activities. These include fish the conservation and protection of fishing grounds against pollution and foreign or illegal foreign fishing vessels. 

– The western regions of South Africa are affected by arid conditions and dry winds. This has made the area not to be of great agricultural significance. This therefore has influenced the South Africans to seek for an economic survival from the fishing sector.

– There is availability of local, regional and international market for the South African fish and fish-products. The urban centres with high population numbers depend on fish for food, and much of the fish and fish-products are exported to the DRC, Angola and some European countries such as Spain.

Application activity 14.8

1. With specific examples, explain why fishing in Norway is different from that of Rwanda.

2. Explain the major fishing operations that the government of Rwanda can adopt from any developed country studied under case studies (Norway, Japan, Peru, Morocco and South Africa).

End unit assessment

1. Examine the impact of fishing on the sustainable development of any country of your choice.

2. For either Norway or South African, assess the influence of physical factors to the development of the fishing sector.

3. Discuss the economic implication of the fishing sector in the developing world.