Ecosystem services provided by the Baltic Sea ... - Naturvårdsverket

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SWEDISH ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Report 5873 • Ecosystem services provided by the Baltic Sea and Skagerrak Economic Marine Information biogeochemical cycling, primary production and food web dynamics. Indeed, the existence of viable populations of fish and shellfish are inasmuch dependent on all supporting ecosystem including habitat availability, biological and genetic diversity as well as resilience, the capacity to cope with disturbance. In turn, the provision of food fit for consumption contributes to several cultural services, creating opportunities for recreational fishing (many fishermen wish to consume their fish) and maintaining cultural heritage by creating opportunity for traditional activities like small-scale fishing. As for the quality of the food, it is related to ecosystem services such as the regulation of hazardous substances. Although natural ecosystem services are vital for the reduction of accessible contaminants, the provision of fish fit for consumption is ultimately related to the extent to which human society allows the release of hazardous substances. . Status, threats and consequences Status Sustainability of use Level of threat Expected consequences Poor Unsustainable High Severe The summary speaks for itself. The situation is critical for the provision of food. Being an extractive ecosystem service, our excessive use can and does indeed impact it. The unsustainable use of this service is alarming, not only for human consumers; it also has major negative consequences for supporting and regulating services less appreciated by humans, yet vital to ecosystem function. Modern fishery – service or theft? The provision of marine food resources is an ecosystem service with an amazing capacity to renew itself. Well governed, its potential value is tremendous. Highly exploited and badly governed, its potential decreases rapidly. 19 th century marine biologist Thomas Huxely’s view of the ocean as inexhaustible (136) remained well into the 20th century and only recently, the actual impact of human extractive activity in the marine environment is becoming perceptible (91). It seems likely that the invisibility of all exploitive or otherwise degrading activity taking place under the sea surface, have contributed to the problem. For comparison, is seems unlikely that analogous activities (c.f. bottom trawling, discard of unwanted catch, 21 km drift nets, dumping of garbage) would have been permitted on land, within human sight. There is a global crisis in the fishing industry. Worldwide, fish stocks have been significantly degraded or subject to collapse (87), the consequences of which may become increasingly critical in the decades to come (11, 137). The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment acknowledged over-fishing as one of the most pressing 93
SWEDISH ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Report 5873 • Ecosystem services provided by the Baltic Sea and Skagerrak Economic Marine Information environmental issues in the world today (13). Globally, 80 % of the fish biomass has been reduced in as little as 15 years. Today, more than 25 % of fish stocks are over-exploited and as much of 90 % of predatory fish are gone. Meanwhile 25 % of catches are thrown dead back into the sea (138). Over-exploitation within the European Community has been estimated to as much as 81 % (139) and overcapacity in the fishing sector is estimated at 40 - 60 % (140). The situation in our region constitutes no exception. In the last two decades cod catches in the Baltic Sea and Skagerrak have dwindled, despite increasing effort, primarily due to unsustainable harvest, but possibly also as a result of reduced water quality, degraded habitats (141) and distorted food webs (37). Fishing capacity exceeds stock availability with limited profitability as a consequence. Despite warnings from a united scientific community, unsustainable exploitation continues. From an ecologist’s point of view it is highly questionable if, for example, current landings of cod from the Baltic Sea and Skagerrak represent a beneficial ecosystem service; rather, they might constitute an example of ecosystem theft. A general rule is that in order to maintain natural capital, exploitation should be limited to the resources’ interest, or else ecosystem functions may be imperilled. Threatened fish stocks do not provide interest; in the Baltic Sea and Skagerrak, fishing is without doubt aiming at the natural capital itself, thereby reducing the value of ecosystem services provided to society. "I still believe the cod fishery. . . . and probably all the great sea-fisheries are inexhaustible; that is to say that nothing we can do seriously affects the number of fish." British marine biologist, Thomas Huxley, 1883 The tragedy of the common Over-extraction in the fishery sector is related to two of the factors which distinguish this sector from land-based resource extraction. First, there is no way to control or promote production, which is commonly done on land via nutrient input and the amount of e.g. seedcorn, seedlings or breeding stock. Second, and perhaps worse, is that fishery resources lack individual ownership. Over-fishing is a typical example of the ‘tragedy of the common’, a situation typically related to irresponsible and unsustainable use. The concept goes as far back as Aristotle, who stated “that which is common to the greatest number has the least care bestowed upon it” (142). Accordingly, short term profits for resource extractors are jeopardizing the availability of healthy and environmentally sustainable food sources for millions of people, as well as their own future profits. Over- fishing in Swedish waters Today, fisheries are controlled with set quotas referred to as total allowable catch (TAC). TAC decisions for each region are taken by the Council of the European Union, and have repeatedly exceeded recommendations from ICES Advisory committee (Fig. 12). In fact, the European commission has calculated that member- 94
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Ecosystem services provided by the
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Ecosystem services provided by the Baltic Sea ... - Naturvårdsverket

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