Constitution, Spectacle, and Fisheries

 Hey y'all!

    Ironically, the one week we're supposed to talk about fisheries, which are places where fish are either caught or raised for commercial purposes (a.k.a. to be sold as food), is the week in which we did the least fishing. A fishery is a place where fish are either caught or raised for commercial purposes (a.k.a to be sold as food). Constitution is a great beach if you want to swim or find hermit crabs, but it's not a great fishing beach. We also visited Spectacle Island this week, and though you can fish on the Harbor Islands, we were only there to hike and swim. Boston as a whole, however, is a top fishing port. Lobsters, scallops, skate, mackerel, black sea bass, herring, and dogfish are all common catches here. If you've ever eaten fish (that you haven't caught yourself), you've probably interacted with a fishery. If you've ever had a "catch of the day" at a restaurant, you've probably interacted with a local fishery. A lot of the best fishing spots are located just outside of Boston (such as in Gloucester), but there are good places to fish within the city as well, including Castle Island, off the Harbor Islands, and even the Charles River.

Constitution Beach

    Fisheries can be both helpful and harmful. On the one hand, fisheries help provide food to the entire world. Raising fish as a way to provide food also prevents overfishing and gives wild species that were endangered by fishing a chance to recover in numbers. The fishing industry is a leading provider of jobs as well. On the other hand, however, fisheries often capture fish in an unnatural environment full of water polluted by chemicals and other waste. This is both bad for the environment and for the people who consume fish from these fisheries. Plus, while fisheries can help the environment by preventing overfishing, they can also harm the environment when coastal ecosystems are destroyed to make room for fisheries. Because of these dangers, it is important that fisheries are properly regulated. Massachusetts regulates both recreational and commercial fishing. The Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) is responsible for creating and upholding these regulations. Many of the commercial policies have to do with fishing permits. Nobody under the age of 14 may have a fishing permit, and certain standards must be met if one person wants to transfer their permit to another person. Additionally, people must get different permits depending on what they are fishing for (shellfish or fish). As for environmental protection, the DMF has a policy on the restoration of eelgrass to be used as a guide for restoration projects. 

Team Claudia (+ David) on Spectacle Island

Peace out y'all :)

McRae

Sources:

Fisheries and Aquaculture topics. Fisheries technology. Topics Fact Sheets. In: FAO Fisheries Division                 [online]. Rome. Updated 4 January 2016. [Cited 14 August 2020]. http://www.fao.org/fishery/

“Major Fishing Ports.” NOAA Fisheries, NOAA, 22 Aug. 2019, www.fisheries.noaa.gov/new-england-                 mid-atlantic/commercial-fishing/major-fishing-ports.

“Marine Fisheries Policies.” Mass.gov, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 2020, www.mass.gov/service-details/marine-fisheries-policies.

Wolff, Anita. “The Pros and Cons of Fish Farming.” Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2020, www.britannica.com/explore/savingearth/the-pros-and-cons-of-fish-farming.

Yannone, Tessa. “Where to Go Fishing in Boston.” Boston Magazine, Boston Magazine, 28 June 2019, www.bostonmagazine.com/health/urban-fishing-in-boston/.