Science and the Sustainable Catch

Sustainable fishing is fishing that maintains fish stocks and the environment where fish live.

Focus Questions:

What is sustainable fishing?

What do we mean by a 'sustainable catch'?

Learning outcomes:

Describe the idea of 'sustainable fishing' and a catch of fish that is a 'sustainable catch'

Materials:

Sustainable Fishing & Sustainable Catch SLIDES

Sustainable fishing and sustainable catch OUTLINE

Video clips on 'Overfishing' and 'Sustainable Fishing'

Sustainable Fishing Concept Cards (see Sustainable fishing and sustainable catch OUTLINE)

Scissors

Internet access for film clips and Kahoot

Brainstorm template (slide 16) 

Cloze (fill in the gap) activity (slide 18)

Copies of Sustainable fish stocks WORKSHEET

Paper and something to write with

Activities include:

WATCH a film What is the MSC and why is certified seafood important [1:29]

DISCUSS value of knowing where your kai moana comes from and the meaning of sustainable catch and sustainable fishing

INVITE a grandparent or kaumātua to visit & talk about how fishing has changed

WATCH video clips on ‘Overfishing’ and ‘Sustainable Fishing’

PLAY with sustainable fishing concept cards to deepen understanding

Complete the QUIZ on Kahoot (MSC Sustainable Fishing Concepts)

WATCH a short film about Marine Stewardship Council’s three sustainable fishing principles [0:52]

WATCH a film clip about Sustainable Fish Stocks [2:34]

READ and answer questions using Sustainable fish stocks WORKSHEET

Complete a CLOZE activity

Sustainable fishing sounds easy!  But working out whether fish are being fished sustainably is tricky. Scientists collect data and use mathematical formulas such as the ‘Maximum Sustainable Yield’ to help them work out what level of fishing can occur without causing a decline in fish stocks. 

Focus Questions:

What is 'maximum sustainable yield’?

What is the role of science in ensuring fisheries are sustainably fished?

What new words and concepts have we learnt?

Learning Outcomes:

Understand the concept of Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY)

Investigate the role of science in ensuring fisheries are sustainably fished

Use scientific and fishery related vocabulary

Materials:

Scientists & MSY SLIDES

Scientists & Maximum Sustaianble Yield OUTLINE

Copies of Go Fish! Vocab cards (Teacher OUTLINE page 6)

Access to Quizlet

Go Fish GAME

One or more scientific papers (see Teacher OUTLINE)

Activities include:

DISCUSS how fish stocks grow and shrink over time

CREATE a diagram showing fish populations changing over time

TEST knowledge of key words using the Go Fish Vocab Cards (see Teacher outline)

PLAY the Go Fish! Game

BRAINSTORM and CATEGORISE factors affecting sustainability of catches

INVESTIGATE biomass and fishing effort in sustainable yield calculations

DISCUSS importance of fish size for sustainable fishing

INVESTIGATE what research topics fisheries scientists look at

STUDY a scientific paper about fish or fisheries

DISCUSS the role of fisheries scientists and scientific protocols for research and presenting research

REFLECT and DISCUSS MSY for a fishery

LIST new words learnt and write a meaning for each new word

In Aotearoa New Zealand commercial fishers must report their catches and sometimes fishery observers go out with commercial fishers to collect extra information.  Scientists use all this information to get an idea of how many fish there are (abundance).

Focus Questions:

How do we assess fisheries in Aotearoa New Zealand?

What is the role of science in ensuring fisheries are sustainably fished?

What new words and concepts have we learnt?

Learning Outcomes:

Describe how we assess the sustainability of fisheries in Aotearoa New Zealand

Investigate the role of science in ensuring fisheries are sustainably fished

Use scientific and fishery related vocabulary 

Materials:

Assessing NZ fish stocks SLIDES

Scientists & Aotearoa Fisheries OUTLINE

A fisheries scientist story WORKSHEET

Internet connection

Something to write with 

Activities include:

DISCUSS the QMS and the role of scientists in figuring out how many fish there are

WATCH the short film about Fishing observer Holly Lane [1:15]

READ A Fisheries Scientist Story (WORKSHEET) and ANSWER questions

INVITE a local fisheries scientist to come and talk about their job

INVESTIGATE how we determine the age of a fish and what we know about the status of NZ fisheries

REFLECT and DISCUSS – What role do scientists play in looking after fisheries under the QMS?

LIST new words learnt and write a meaning for each new word

When fish are fished unsustainably the number of fish declines. This has environmental, social, cultural and economic consequences.

Focus Questions:

How are people and environments impacted when fisheries are fished unsustainably?

What new words and concepts have we learnt?

Learning Outcomes:

Explain two or more impacts on people and environment when fisheries are fished unsustainably

Use scientific and fishery related vocabulary

Materials:

When Fish Stocks Decline SLIDES

Fishery decline and Review key concepts OUTLINE

Copies of news items about fisheries in decline

Question cards

Something to write on and with

Activities include:

BRAINSTORM what impacts there are on the environment and people when fish stocks decline

CATEGORISE answers under one of the three headings: (1) Environmental, (2) Economic and (3) Social and Cultural

READ about Aotearoa New Zealand examples of fish stocks declining and quota being cut and complete the activity provided (see Teacher OUTLINE)

Review key learning from this topic.

Focus Questions:

How are people and environments impacted when fisheries are fished unsustainably?

What new words and concepts have we learnt?

Learning Outcomes:

Explain two or more impacts on people and environment when fisheries are fished unsustainably

Use scientific and fishery related vocabulary

Materials:

Fishery decline and Review key concepts OUTLINE

Something to write on and with

Science & Sustainable Catch Review SLIDES

Internet access – Kahoot and/or quiz slides

Activities include:

DEFINE key terms

ACT out definitions of key concepts

Take the Kahoot QUIZ or use the review quiz provided (see Slide Set)

CREATE your own Kahoot