UNDERSIZE

AN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION ACTIVITY

by Emili Miralles

The Ebro river has important and widely recognised ecological and social functions. Among them, feeding the local fishery is one of the most significant. Indeed, the river’s planktonic life fertilises one of the most productive fishing grounds on the Spanish Mediterranean coast. As a result, four out of nine fish, molluscs and crustaceans caught in Catalonia and the Comunitat Valenciana every year, are caught on the largest river -created continental platform.

1) Catalonia 2) Comunitat Valenciana 3) Ebro Sea

In accordance with these figures, the number of fishing boats registered in the closest ports to the Ebro river represents the 43% of the whole Spanish dragging fleet in the Mediterranean Sea.

Source: O. Zeiske

In 2001, one out of every five euros generated by the fishery in Catalonia was produced in the Ebro delta fish markets. As is shown in table 1, only in Sant Carles de la Ràpita –the most important port in the Ebro delta-, hundreds of people earn their living from fishing, whereas thousands more depend on it (shipyards, restaurants…)

Table 1^{( [1] )}

		Boats	Gross Tones	Horsepower	Men
Dragging fleet		62	2.354	15.420	236
Other fishing tackle		78	626	6.804	163
	TOTAL	140	2.980	22.224	399*

* Sant Carles de la Ràpita: 11.000 inhabitants

In recent years, the catch in Catalonia clearly increased (by 70% on average from 1990 to 2000). However, the fishing catches unloaded at Ebro delta ports over the same period decreased by a 12% -from a 30% of the whole catch to 18%. In those ten years, 49 boats ceased activity in Sant Carles de la Ràpita and the horsepower registered decreased by 23%. Amazingly, the amount of fish sold at Sant Carles de la Ràpita fish market was virtually the same in that period, as is shown in table 2. Obviously, the figures mean a trend towards making the most profit with the minimum cost.

Table 2: Year	Fishing boats	Gross tons	Horse power	Fish captures (tons)	Source: O. Zeiske
1990	195	3.888	29.024	7.995
2000	140	2.880	22.224	8.250

In more detail, compared data shows that the amount of crustaceans and molluscs unloaded at Ebro delta fish markets remained the same from 1990 to 2000. The amount of blue fish unloaded has gone up, but the white fish catch has gone down.

It is agreed that some species are being overfished, locally and globally. At present, 13 of the 15 main productive fishing areas are getting exhausted. Fishing catches have gone down alarmingly all over the world from 1989. The European Commission recognises the failure of the common fishing policies to achieve a sustainable exploitation of marine resources.

Source: O. Zeiske

Since fishing is the collection of a natural production -like harvesting without sowing-, captures shouldn’t be bigger than the natural capacity of marine populations to renew. It is widely known that if we catch immature fish, i.e. before they grow enough to reach their reproductive development, the number of fish we could catch will be smaller every, the which will ultimately lead to the exhaustion of species.

That is why it is suggested that no more than 30-40% of the populations be caught. Despite that, according to International Council for the exploration of the Sea, the situation of some of the most important commercial species in the Mediterranean basin is worrying, as outlined in table 3:

Table3:^{( [2] )}

European anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus	High fluctuations exist from one area to another. The situation at Ebro delta is not satisfactory but is improving.
European pilchard Sardina pilchardus	This is a species fished moderately by all the Mediterranean EU countries.
Red mullet Mullus sp.	This species is in an overexploitation context by Spanish, Italian, Greek and French fishing fleets.
Norway lobster Scyllarus arctus	The exploitation is moderate, but overfishing exists in some areas, which is increased in spring and summer.
Shrimp Aristeusantennatus	The captures are subject to oscillations, but the species is mostly overfished.
European hake Merluccius merluccius	It is one of the most important resources of the area. Although the allowed catches should exceed 20 cm, you can find juveniles easily in most fish markets. The European hake is overfished in Catalonia.
Tuna Thunnus thynnus	The fishing is realised through a high variety of boats and fishing tackles. A 50% reduction is recommended a 50% reduction of the present rate of catches to protect the species.
Sword fish Xiphias gladius	Overfishing is suspected and the capture of juveniles has been demonstrated

Capturing and eating juveniles is an illegal which involves the complicity of different people: those who fish them, those who sell them and those who by them.

Given these facts, our task is to encourage pupils to think about the positive and negative effects of overfishing in the short and long term. But, also, making students aware of what could be done by local people, government and each of us. Undersize [3] is the name of the activity we want to put forward to your consideration. In the following pages you will find the activity plan and teacher’s instructions.

Undersize

Age of the pupils
From 10 to 16
Duration of the activity
60 minutes
Materials
Nets of different mesh sizes (20 mm, 10 mm, 3 mm), shoeboxes, 1 kg of walnuts, 1 kg of peanuts (with their nutshell), 1 kg of bean seeds, 1 kg of haricot bean, 1 kg of lentil seeds, 1 kg of maize seeds (or whatever dry fruit or seeds you can get).
Subjects Sciences and Mathematics.	Key concepts Sea resources exploitation, fishing, frequency/abundance of species, growth rate, technology, limitation of resources.

The activity, step by step

BEFORE STARTING

	You need nets of different mesh measures. Ask your pupils to keep the nets used to pack and transport fruit, potatoes, onions, garlics... Perhaps they will be able to just ask for some nets in any supermarket or else buy them in an ironmonger’s or any shop dealing with fishing. You can also ask your pupils to bring the dry fruit or seeds listed above.
Cut out the nets into 20x10 cm rectangles. As pupils are going to form several crews they need as many sets of nets as the number of crews they create. Attach a piece of wood to one of the ends of the net in order to improve their handling. However, as we will see later, by doing pupils are also improving their fishing method.

Dry fruit and seeds will be mixed to create our sea. Divide the resultant mixture into as many portions as crews pupils have formed. Put each portion in a shoebox, which will represent stocks of fish.

LET’S GO!

You are fishermen. To begin with, come up with a suggestive name for your boat. Dry fruit and dry seeds in the shoebox symbolise a stock of fish. Choose one of the commonest species in your area. You have been supplied with nets of different mesh sizes (20 mm, 10 mm and 3 mm). Picture 1^( [4] )

Fish twice with each net (start with the biggest one) and count the number of fish you have captured. Write down your results in the table:

	Number of fish caught with the 20 mm net	Number of fish caught with the 10 mm net	Number of fish caught with the 3 mm net
First time
Second time
Total

According to your results, which of the three nets will you choose to fish?

As fishermen, all of you are aware that you can only catch individuals bigger than the authorized minimum size (in our simulation the dried beans size), otherwise you will be committing an offence. So, from now on you will be fined for each undersize individual found in your nets during the Ministry Fishing inspections. You have ten seconds to check your net and back to sea the smallest fish before being inspected.

Now a member of each crew will be a Fishing Service Inspector (you should choose somebody). They will be recognized thanks to their identity tag:

	FISHING SERVICE INSPECTOR
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, LIVESTOCK & FISHING

The rest of you, start to fish again with the biggest of your nets. Set free the smallest fish you have caught, that is: the seeds smaller than the dried beans. Ten seconds later, the inspectors will carefully count up the undersize fish left. The inspectors will write the results in the table. You will be fined according to the amount of “illegal” fish they found. Repeat the whole process again with the 10 and 3 mm nets.

Fishing Service Inspection Report
Name of the boat:
20 mm net Number of undersize fish found:
10 mm net Number of undersize fish found:
3 mm net Number of undersize fish found:

DISCUSSION:

- Can fishermen afford to throw the smallest fish away by hand?

- Is there another method?

- Is there any advantage in letting the smallest fish go instead of having they back to sea by hand?

- What will happen to fishermen if the smallest fish are caught? What will happen to the species?

- Although as a fisherman you are subject to tight controls, in the local fish market there is ever somebody who will buy the smallest fish you have caught. Knowing that, would you fish small individuals?

- What can be done by each of us to avoid undersize fish trading?

Fishermen should...

Customers should...

The Authorities should...

I should...

SUGGESTIONS

- Searching for information about the species which we are working on           (habitat, size, their price in the fish market, ways of cooking them...) Looking           for pictures.

- Focusing our attention on the stock of fish. What is happening? Is the result           the same when smallest fish are thrown back to the sea?

- Working on different fishing methods (such as those shown in  picture 2) to             discuss the effect of technological improvements.

Picture 2^{( [5] )}

- Do some research into traditional and modern fishing methods, into what is demandable according to current law and into local species in danger because of overfishing and subsequent protective measures.

- A slogan, song o logo could be created to encourage people towards responsible fish consumption.

- Who should protect the seas and their wildlife? What are the reasons for international fishing conflicts? Which agreements and international organisations protect the marine life?

- Planning a visit to local fish market: species, sizes, prices...

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[1] Pictures taken from www.gencat.es/darp/espesca.htm

[2] Drawings and pictures taken from www.gencat.es/darp/espesca.htm and HUGUET, A.                    (1992): Catàleg d’espècies d’interès pesquer a Catalunya. Barcelona. DARP

[3] This activity is adapted from FRANQUESA, T. and others (1998): Hàbitat. Guia                     d’activitats per a l’educació ambiental. Col·lecció Materials 3. Barcelona. Institut                    d’Educació.

[4] This picture is taken from FRANQUESA, T, and others (1998): Hàbitat. Guia d’activitats                   per a l’educació ambiental. Col·lecció Materials 3. Barcelona. Institut d’Educació.

[5] The picture is taken from FRANQUESA, T, and others (1998): Hàbitat. Guia d’activitats                   per a l’educació ambiental. Col·lecció Materials 3. Barcelona. Institut d’Educació.