The effect of the fishery on the Atlantic environment has become an important issue for fishermen, packagers, and the public alike.

New technology in the fishing industry has made fishermen far more effective. Boats are able to catch more fish in less time. However, this efficiency has come at a cost. Because it is now possible to catch more fish then ever, fish stocks are becoming depleted due to over-fishing. The fish are not able to reproduce fast enough to maintain their populations.

Government regulated quotas are one way to combat over-fishing. Fisheries managers in Canada have increasingly experimented with or implemented quota licenses, or the allocation of predetermined shares of the Total Allowable Catch (the total quota) to individual fishermen.¹ A quota gives a fishermen a "quasi-property right" to a certain amount of fish. By limiting the amount of fish per quota and the number of fishermen in the industry, the government can better regulate the fishing industry.

The effects of over-fishing were brought to the forefront of the public's attention in 1992 when the government was forced to place a moratorium on the cod fishing industry of Atlantic Canada. The cod stocks had become so depleted that it was no longer viable to harvest them. Although the cod fishery has remained closed for seven years, there is still only small growth in the number of cod found in Atlantic waters.

Limiting catch size is another way to regulate the fishing industry. In the lobster fishery, the government has set minimum size restrictions for fishermen. If a lobster is too small, it must be thrown back in the water. Fishing seasons are also designed to limit catch and to protect species during spawning and other vulnerable times. Lobster fishermen are not permitted to catch a lobster which is in berry--carrying eggs.

Pollution of the environment is another key issue in the fishery. Molluscs, in particular, are very susceptible to water pollution because they filter water through their systems. Run-off from farms and sewage pollution in the water can make shellfish crops inedible.

Aquaculture

A clean environment is essential to developing any aquaculture site. This is because a farmer can acquire more yield from a properly maintained site than they can from one that suffers from poor upkeep. Aquaculture is used to find ways to treat water or marine farming surfaces. This standard is kept up by regulations put in place by federal and provincial governments. A controlled environment means that the farmer must be aware of any adverse effects that his technology may be having on the natural environment. For instance, any discharges that may be due to equipment used in aquaculture must be looked after and kept from polluting any nearby waterways.

Aquaculture research can also be used during site selection. When a site is being chosen, many factors must be considered: temperature, salinity, as well as existing flora and fauna. There are also prior environmental considerations that must be taken into account; which means that regulations that have already been established in a given area play a factor as well. This can include the number of farms allowed in one area, the risk of transferring diseases, optimum farm sizes, amounts of nutrients that can safely be released into the water and the list goes on.

As mentioned earlier, operational waste--waste that come from the use of aquaculture products--are a constant problem. The means of disposing of these wastes without causing problems with the existing environment are constantly an issue. Even blood from slaughtered fish during harvesting can cause problems if it is disposed of by way of ocean. It contains pathogens that may infect healthy fish, therefore ruining whole stocks.

Another concern in this department is the disposal of diseased fish. Not so much a concern on the Atlantic coast, it has been a major issue on the West coast. Not only might these fish pass on a disease, but the chemicals used to treat diseased fish can be detrimental to healthy fish. Biocides are used to prevent or kill existing parasites or predators and others are used to protect the existing health of farmed species. Some chemicals are used to prepare and preserve the surface of materials used in aquaculture equipment. All of these additives, although introduced to help, can cause adverse effects.

Although there is concern that the use of aquaculture has created more problems and environmental concerns then it has remedied, that concern is unwarranted. Problems that have emerged have been easily righted and aquaculture continues to aid the fisheries rather than hinder them.