🐟 Fishing series: The scandal of electric fishing: Difference between revisions

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The electric current, which was meant to knock the fish out for a few minutes, was actually proven to make fish undergo violent convulsions, often leading fish touched by the pulse to be injured or to die.  
The electric current, which was meant to knock the fish out for a few minutes, was actually proven to make fish undergo violent convulsions, often leading fish touched by the pulse to be injured or to die.  


50% to 70% of northern sea cod in the array of the electric arc are said to be left with a broken spine and internal bleeding<ref>The effect of electric pulse stimulation to juvenile cod and cod of commercial landing size. IMARES Report C141/11. Available [https://www.wur.nl/en/Publication-details.htm?publicationId=pub-lication-way-343137383633.55/ here] <br>Pulse trawl fishing: characteristics of the electrical stimulation and the effect on behaviour and injuries of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). ICES Journal of Marine Science 73(6): 1557-1569.</ref>. And indeed, since electric fishing is in use in the North Sea, the area<ref>We are here talking about the area of the North Sea in which pulse fishing was authorized by the EU</ref> <u>has seen the number of sea-bed species decrease by 57%</u><)<ref name=study>See latest study (2019) delivered by Cefas [https://www.scribd.com/document/430606618/Cefas-Impact-Electric-Fishing / here]</ref>. Sole population has been reduced by x2.6 and thornback rays by half. This area, on the other hand, is today home to many more fragile brittle stars<ref>Close to the starfish</ref> and hermit crabs, the latter being a scavenger. “This shows that the sea floor are highly disturbed. The invasion of these species is a sign of general stress of the ecosystem, which is losing biodiversity and resilience”.<br>
50% to 70% of northern sea cod in the array of the electric arc are said to be left with a broken spine and internal bleeding<ref>The effect of electric pulse stimulation to juvenile cod and cod of commercial landing size. IMARES Report C141/11. Available [https://www.wur.nl/en/Publication-details.htm?publicationId=pub-lication-way-343137383633.55/ here] <br>Pulse trawl fishing: characteristics of the electrical stimulation and the effect on behaviour and injuries of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). ICES Journal of Marine Science 73(6): 1557-1569.</ref>. And indeed, since electric fishing is in use in the North Sea, the area<ref>We are here talking about the area of the North Sea in which pulse fishing was authorized by the EU</ref> <u>has seen the number of sea-bed species decrease by 57%</u><ref name=study>See latest study (2019) delivered by Cefas [https://www.scribd.com/document/430606618/Cefas-Impact-Electric-Fishing / here]</ref>. Sole population has been reduced by x2.6 and thornback rays by half. This area, on the other hand, is today home to many more fragile brittle stars<ref>Close to the starfish</ref> and hermit crabs, the latter being a scavenger. “This shows that the sea floor are highly disturbed. The invasion of these species is a sign of general stress of the ecosystem, which is losing biodiversity and resilience”.<br>
The inability of electric trawlers to fill their sole quota last year is perhaps not unrelated to this devastation…
The inability of electric trawlers to fill their sole quota last year is perhaps not unrelated to this devastation…