• Integrated management of marine systems—that is, coordinated management of all alternative uses of the ocean is probably the only way we are going to have any chance of securing a sustainable fishery. Here the decisions are political. Bring the issues up at all levels of government and if necessary get involved to help make changes. See 3.2 Integration
• • From Marine Fisheries Systems
    http://www.millenniumassessment.org/documents/document.287.aspx.pdf
    Although the emphasis in recent years has been on unsustainable fishing practices, fisheries represent only one of many human
    influences on marine ecosystems. In coastal marine systems in par- ticular, coastal development—with concomitant problems of local pollution and habitat destruction—is very important. (See Chap- ter 19.) Non-fisheries human influences such as marine debris and oil slicks are also important on the high seas. As a result, as de- scribed earlier, several nations are attempting to develop legislation and policies to facilitate integrated management of marine systems—that is, coordinated management of all alternative uses of the ocean. Such uses include harvesting marine species for food and other purposes, aquaculture, research, oil and gas exploration, ocean mining, dredging, ocean dumping, energy generation, eco-tourism, marine transportation, and defense. To date, it has proved difficult to integrate the management of all these activities because the authorities regulating these activities are usually inde- pendent of one another (Sissenwine and Mace 2003).
    
• We need to be involved in the choice of options for human sewage and industrial effluent disposal in coastal waters.
• We must deal with agricultural runoff head on. People have to make a choice.
• The implications for uncontrolled population growth of our communities, making the marine systems unsustainable is an issue of importance needing political decisions.
• The pros and cons of sustainable and non-sustainable aquaculture practises should be another area where the public is asked to make a commitment.
• The regulation of harvesting and the decision to create reserves and marine protected areas are other aspects that when people are presented with the facts, they should be asked to commit to one alternative or the other.
• Our goal should be to make an educated and aware public who can participate in solving the problems of humans living sustainably in the marine area.
• The Climate change choice of futures. Implications are mentioned in this reference and the urgency to act now is encouraged

6.3 Threshholds in Systems.

Index

This file was created in 2008 as a marine education resource supported by the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre in Sidney

Website courtesy of racerocks.com & Lester B. Pearson College. Copyright: 2008 Garry Fletcher Marine Education Consulting,