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in Context the SCotian Shelf - COINAtlantic

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Human use of <strong>the</strong> Scotian <strong>Shelf</strong> ecosystem exerts many<br />

different pressures on <strong>the</strong> mar<strong>in</strong>e environment. These range<br />

from direct removal of fish and <strong>in</strong>vertebrates from <strong>the</strong> system to<br />

<strong>in</strong>creased noise and light <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> water column. Some key pressures<br />

are listed below and <strong>the</strong>y are described <strong>in</strong> more detail <strong>in</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>me papers on each topic. In addition to <strong>in</strong>dividual environmental<br />

pressures, <strong>the</strong>re are also concerns around cumulative<br />

impacts from all ocean activities and multiple use conflicts.<br />

4.1 Direct Removal of fauna<br />

Fish<strong>in</strong>g is <strong>the</strong> ma<strong>in</strong> activity that removes organisms<br />

from <strong>the</strong> Scotian <strong>Shelf</strong> environment. Impacts of<br />

fish<strong>in</strong>g on target species have been widely documented,<br />

and may <strong>in</strong>clude impacts on <strong>the</strong> size of<br />

<strong>the</strong> population, <strong>the</strong> structure of <strong>the</strong> population,<br />

its success <strong>in</strong> reproduction, <strong>the</strong> area occupied by<br />

<strong>the</strong> species, <strong>the</strong> size spectrum on <strong>the</strong> species, as<br />

well as many o<strong>the</strong>rs (see, e.g., Smith et al. 1993,<br />

http://co<strong>in</strong>atlantic.ca/<strong>in</strong>dex.php/state-of-<strong>the</strong>-scotian-shelf<br />

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