This report will inform you about the production of fish (Barramundi). There is a large population of barramundi farms in Queensland and it is a fast growing industry throughout the country. Barramundi are found in an aquatic biome and can thrive in their biome when untouched. Habitat loss and degradation are both threats to this species.
Barramundi are usually found in freshwater biomes. An aquatic biome can be classified as freshwater or saltwater, this is usually determined by how much salt the water consists of. Freshwater biomes can contain less than 1% of salt and the organisms living in them have been well adapted by the amount of sunlight, nutrients and dissolved oxygen in the water. These biomes can be lakes, ponds, streams and rivers. Many species of fish are usually found in freshwater biomes, but barramundi are mainly farmed in ponds or rivers. The climate Barramundi needs to survive include a lot of dissolved oxygen and require a temperature controlled water temperature between 20°-30° C, which a freshwater pond provides. Australia annually produces around 500-600 tonnes of barramundi.
Fish have adapted to its habitat well enough to survive and grow, but if there was no fish produced what would happen to our waters? Fish in our waters keeps them running, they keep pollution under control and prevents bloom of bacteria. If our waters were to be empty of these fish, the water would die, it would become unhealthy and would eventually affect humans and our survival. There would not be enough fish for consumption and economy would drastically drop. Thousands of people would lose their jobs and families would starve. We produce around 500 to 600 tonnes worth of this species of fish in a year. Barramundi farming is a fast growing industry in Australia. Our Barramundi industry is continually growing as we come up with extended efficiency and productivity.
Although there are efficient ways to fishing, there are still impacts on the environment that happen because of it. Fish population, water pollution and habitat degradation are all negative outcomes from fishing. Fishing can leave marine environments damaged and unhealthy for its inhabitants. Damaged habitats accounts for decreased fish population, but also damages coral species which keeps water healthy. Fishing plays a large role in Australia’s economy. It creates huge amounts of job opportunities and has lots of profits. It is also a great food option for families who may not be able to afford more expensive meat products. Fishing’s impact on the future are larger and faster production as well as more efficiency in ways of fishing techniques.
There have been many proposals to minimise the impact from production of fish. Overfishing is popular to meet the demand of big populations, but the consequence of this is decreased populations of fish. Fishery management rules determines how much fish you can catch and what equipment you can use. These rules try ensure the amount of fish people are allowed to fish and keep. These rules are all implemented to sustain the fishing environment as much as possible. The minimum size for Barramundi is 58cm and the maximum size is 120cm, possession limits 5 per person/ 10 per boat. This plan is only working in areas for commercial fishing, unfortunately people still illegally fish. Illegally fishing is when someone violates the rules of fishing and this further impacts the marine environment. This is usually the cause for overfishing.
Overall, the production of fish has many impacts on the environment and economy. Although fishing damages marine life, we can’t just stop fishing since fish is a major source of food and it is also dependent on our economy as it creates job opportunities and has a lot of profit. Overfishing affects all aspects of the marine biome from fish to coral which both help to keep the waters clean and healthy. The management solution has improved our waters condition by implementing strict rules for species of fish, but more efficient management plans could be proposed because people still go against set rules.