Water resource plan course work

Water Resource Plan

Water is the major fundamental element for the existence of all life forms. Water has a molecule that is composed of one atom of oxygen and two atoms of hydrogen. It exists in three different states: gaseous state, solid state and liquid state. It is mostly in its liquid state and it is mainly found in large water bodies such as lakes, oceans, seas, rivers, dams, and ponds. Clean water is vital for the survival of life be it for animals, human or even plants. Due to its function as a universal solvent, water has a major role in the world economy and apart from that, most of the economic departments such as agricultural, industrial, fishing, and environmental depend on water for their success.
Water resources refer to the sources of water that are of great benefit to humans. Water has many uses that range from industrial activities to recreational activities to environmental activities to agricultural activities. In additional to that, man also uses water for general household activities such as bathing, cooking, drinking, doing laundry, and cleaning the house. All these uses need fresh water.
The water resource problem that has been portrayed in the video is overfishing. This is a major problem of water resource that is defined as where fish are caught at a rate that is higher than the reproduction rate of the fish. This is made possible by the recent fishing technologies and better fishing equipment used by the fishermen. Overfishing occurs as a result of a large population of people who want to feed on fish and fishermen who continue fishing to make a living while at the same time satisfying the continuous growth on demand for fish. Overfishing leads to depletion and/or exploitation of the world’s fish stock. In addition to that, overfishing also tend to destroy the environment of the water bodies be it oceans or lakes.
In the video, we learn that the water resource problem originated when the fishermen started using better techniques and fishing nets. Better ships and handy equipments and nets have replaced what the fishermen were using long ago. The equipment makes it possible to freeze and also tin the fish that are caught when on a fishing exercise thus making it possible for the fishermen to return to the shore only when they have caught enough fish. The video shows that the fisherman is able to have a full haul of swordfish when he goes out to fish.
Adapting to a more advanced method of fishing has also led to the fishermen catching fish at a faster and alarming rate. The video talks about long lining. This is a fishing method that uses a long line with hooks with baits that makes fishing of tuna easier. This fishing technique is mainly used to catch the most expensive types of tuna and other types of fish such as sablefish and swordfish.
The big fish have been removed from sea and it leaves the fishermen with only 10% of fish to compete for. This depletion is reversible though it can be quite challenging for the fish stocks to return to their prior levels. The best possible way to deal with overfishing is the adapting to positive attitudes as to how one can use the sea not only for his benefits but also for the benefits of the environment.
A proper laid out management and sustainment plan will be of great benefit to both sides of the mentioned issue. The plan should be efficient in forming a strong framework that will deal and solve this issue of overfishing in the most effective manner. In forming this type of plan, the first step would be to educate the community about the negative effects brought about by overfishing, the depletion of fish, and the exploitation of fish species. The next step to undertake will be challenging, as it will involve restriction on certain fishing areas. This would enable the fish to reproduce without being caught by fishermen. The other step would be to limit amount of fish to be caught be each fishermen on a regular basis. Setting our rules will also be another step in ensuring that fishermen will not waste many of the fish

Action Items

Action Steps

Timeline

Identify the major water resource problem.

Research on journals and web databases.

Outline the causes of overfishing as the main water resource problem.

Document on the fishing methods and equipment used.

Document video and audio interviews of fishermen and the local fishing authorities.

Month 1-2

Develop a program to educate on the effects caused by overfishing.

Make a well-detailed presentation that will explain the negative effects of overfishing such as depletion of fish.

The changes on lifestyle, jobs and the community as a whole that are to be expected as a result of implementing measures against overfishing should be outlined in depth.

Point out the benefits and difficulties that will come about with the change.

Month 2-4

Schedule the day and time for presentation.

Be present at the community fishing board meeting to present the advantages of the program.

Propose that the board should include the presentation to their next agenda.

Month 5

Propose rules and laws to govern the fishing system.

Month 6-7

Invite participants from the community.

Note the number of fishermen.

Distribute invitation cards to the next educational program on fishing.

Month 8

This management and sustainability plan has some positive and negative effects that will affect the environmentalist and the fishermen. An environmentalist will be greatly favored in the following ways: the remaining fish species will be conserved, the disrupted ecosystem will go back to a balanced point with time, and there will be an increased biological growth rate of the fish. Since a fisherman depends on fishing as his main source of living, then he will be greatly affected by this management plan. This is because some rules will be imposed on him that will change his fishing lifestyle and thus reduce his income. These rules include restrictions on fishing areas, a set limit of amount of fish to be caught at any given time.
There are other problems that are associated with the fishing techniques used by the fishermen to catch fish. For instance, the use of drift nets catches a lot of fish that was not planned for and it also causes death of many birds, seals, and whales. Fishing equipment e. g. trawlers that are deserted or lost at sea tend to destroy the natural habitat of sea creatures such as natural reefs, and they also cause the death of many fish that are caught in them. By catch is also a major problem in that a lot of fish caught will be wasted or discarded. Long lining method is an effective method of fishing but it also tends to kill wandering creatures such as albatrosses. All these problems bring about an imbalance in the ecosystem, a low growth rate of fish, depletion in fish stock and also severe biomass levels.
The implementation of this plan will affect the community in different aspects. The lifestyle will get to change and this is portrayed by the fact that if the main food of the community is fish then they will have to shift their food preference to something else since there will be less fish. A number of people will lose their jobs if the proposed laws will be approved. The fisheries will have to lay off some fishermen since the fishing work will be greatly reduced. This will result to lack of enough funds and hence one will have to shift his daily lifestyle to accommodate these changes.
If the proposed federal laws and policies are approved and implemented then the fishermen will stand to lose in earnings and also their daily lifestyles are likely to change.

References

Allan, J David; Abell, Robin; Hogan, Zeb; Revenga, Carmen; Taylor, Brad W; Welcomme,
Robin L; Winemiller, Kirk (2005). Overfishing of inland waters. Bioscience, 5
December.
Clover, C. (2004). End of the Line: How overfishing is changing the world and what we
eat. Ebury Press, London. ISBN 0-09-189780-7
Jacquet, J. (2007). Silent water: a brief examination of the marine fisheries crisis Environment,
Development and Sustainability. Springer.
Callum, R. (2007). The Unnatural History of the Sea Island Press. ISBN 978-1-59726-102-
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