Planet earth is planet ocean. Our oceans provide most of our oxygen, regulate our climate, and are a main food source for many human populations. 1 However, our historical disregard for the beauty and fragility of our oceans has led to frightening implications for the future. It is in part because of the entwinement between humans and technology that we have seen the decline of many ocean–living creatures. It is important to understand the historical impacts of technology on the natural world so we can begin to mend what has been broken and prevent future ocean degradation.
We can consider, for example, the impact of technology on North Atlantic Cod. During the Second World War, progression in navigation and communication technologies were quickly advanced. As these became accessible to the average fisherman they reshaped the fishing industry. Competition rose as fishermen invested in equipment that was up to date; gill nets became non-selective, steam-powered vessels with the ability to drag nets at 400m were introduced and refrigeration allowed boats to stay out longer on the water. 2
In the 18th century, before these technologies were introduced, North Atlantic Cod numbers were so thick in the waters they were reported to slow down sailing ships. Huge numbers were caught and salted to feed armies, the poor, and industrial workers in the city. However, after World War II, overfishing led to the rapid decline of Cod in Canadian waters. In the summer of 1992, the Northern Cod biomass fell to 1% of previous levels and the Canadian Federal Government declared a moratorium over their fishing. 3 Today they still hold a vulnerable conservation status, and while work is being done to increase their population numbers, we will never again see numbers of Cod like those recorded in history.
The tragedy of the North Atlantic Cod is simply one example of how the technology we create can harm the natural world and exploit fragile resources. Technology, alongside human exploitation, drove a once-abundant species to the brink of extinction. There is only one planet earth, and only one planet ocean. Continuing to fish our oceans at the rate we currently do is not sustainable, and we will continue to see cases like the North Atlantic Cod if we don’t redesign fisheries for a more sustainable future. As the war on resources rages on we must learn from history and pay close attention to how the new technologies we create, whether seemingly good or bad, impact the natural world that we are so dependent on.
Feature image: Cod fisheries in the History of the North Atlantic.
Retrieved from https://www.wilderutopia.com/environment/wildlife/disappearing-cod-sustainable-populations-require-long-term-action/
- https://theoceanpreneur.com/sail/sailing-sustainability/seven-reasons-ocean-important/ ↩
- Hamilton, Lawrence; et al. (2004). “Above and Below the Water: Social/Ecological Transformation in Northwest Newfoundland”. Population and Environment. 25 (3): 195–215. doi:10.1023/b:poen.0000032322.21030.c1 ↩
- Hamilton, Lawrence; Butler, Melissa J. (2001). “Outport Adaptations: Social Indicators through Newfoundland’s Cod Crisis”. Human Ecology Review. 8 (2): 1–11 ↩
I had no idea that this had even happened! I think that this type of information about the North Atlantic Cod should be more readily available, and that way people would be able to make a conscious choice to not eat this fish and therefore they would hopefully be able to repopulate. I don’t think the answer is to stop eating fish as I know that’s the only type of protein that some people eat, but potentially limiting the amount of fish that fishermen can take from the ocean and the technology they use to do so could be changed. Thank you for bringing this to our attention!
This was a really interesting and provoking read! I really liked your take on how technology can be created for certain purposes, but how when combined with human exploitation it can have unforetold consequences. I think this is a really interesting topic, and I want to look for further examples. I also think you raised pertinent issues regarding overfishing, and resource control!
Thank you for writing about this. This is important information.
I think your post is really perceptive because it sheds light on the complicated idea of progress. We seem to have developed a narrow understanding of progress as inextricably linked with the production of more, whereas, as you point out, these seemingly progressive technologies are at the root of a regression in sustainable fishing and a near loss of an entire species.
As you point out, we are dependent on the ocean and the earth. This seems to necessitate a reordering of our value system with more attention to issues of sustainability and respect for the natural world.
This is a harrowing piece of reality you’ve written, well done. I’ve heard a few anecdotal accounts of people fishing in areas one day, and coming back the next to find that it was completely destroyed by trawler boats. It’s strange as someone brought up in this era to imagine a world without the high-tech equipment used by these industries, for better or worse. It’s even stranger to think we may never get to see a world resembling the one that once existed.
Sustainability, as you say, is a huge issue. Our world has resources, yes, but only to a point. Humanity has long over indulged in the abundance of resources offered to us by technology. However, these are quick fixes, and as you pointed out do not last, not even for a short while. The natural world is a precious and unique one, and we cannot simply keep removing gears from the machine and then expect it to work. Sustainability is key, and it will be interesting to see how companies, particularly the large ones, take this challenge on. Will they put money forward for more sustainable fishing options? Reduce their intake? Or will they simply ignore it?
Only time will tell I guess.