Geography Form 4 Notes : FISHING

FISHING

• The act of catching fish and other aquatic animals.
• Fisheries are fishing grounds or areas where water resources such as fish, seals, clubs, whales, etc., are exploited.

Factors Influencing Fishing

Physical Factors

Presence of Plankton

• Large shoals of fish are found in shallow waters of lakes and seas where there is plenty of plankton. They thrive where the depth of waters is less than 180 m because it is up to where the sun’s rays can reach.

Nature of the Coastline

• There is more fish on coasts with sheltered inlets and estuaries because of calm water and shelter from natural enemies like predators, e.g., Fiords of Norway.

Relief

• People in some countries engage in fishing due to mountainous landscapes which hinder other economic activities such as agriculture, e.g., Japan, Norway, and Alaska.

Climatic Conditions

• In temperate regions, there is more fish because there are cool waters which plankton requires to grow, while in tropical lands there is less fish due to high temperatures resulting in warm waters which hinder plankton growth.

Convergence of Cold and Warm Ocean Currents

• There is plenty of fish in areas where warm and cold ocean currents meet because upwelling takes nutrients to the surface and improves the circulation of oxygen. Cold ocean currents cool waters in tropical regions resulting in conducive conditions suitable for plankton thriving, e.g., the coast of Namibia washed by the cold Benguela current.

Human Factors

Supply of Labour

• Fishing is intensively carried out in Europe, Asia, and North America due to labour availability as it is labour intensive.

Market

• Fishing is done extensively in highly populated and developed regions with a ready market because fish is a perishable commodity, e.g., in Norway, Japan, China, etc.

Fish Eating Culture

• Fishing is extensively done in areas where there is a habit of eating fish, e.g., Norway and Japan.

Transport and Preservation Facilities

• Fishing is done extensively in countries with transport and refrigeration facilities because fish is perishable and has to be transported in refrigerated lorries and ships.

Capital

• Fishing is extensively done in developed countries because they can afford huge sums of money required for hiring labour force, buying fishing equipment, and preservation facilities.

Technology

Rapid growth of the fishing industry in developed countries is a result of the presence of advanced equipment like large refrigerated ships, trawl nets, fish detecting equipment, etc.

Types of Fishing

Pelagic Fishing

• Catching of fish which live close to the surface, e.g., mackerel, menhaden, herring, sardines, and tuna.
• Best methods to catch pelagic fish are drifting and seining.

Demersal Fishing

• Catching fish that live at the bottom of deep water bodies, e.g., cod, haddock, pollock, and halibut.
• Methods are trawling and long lining.

Inshore Fishing

• Fishing close to the shores in shallow sheltered coastal waters and the lower stretches of rivers.
• Fish caught are shellfish, lobsters, prawns, shrimps, and crabs.
• Methods involved are casting nets, hooks, and line.

Fresh Water Fishing

• Fishing done in fresh water bodies such as streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, and paddy fields.
• Examples of fresh water fish are sturgeon, carp, tilapia, and trout.
• Methods are line and drifting methods.

Methods of Fishing

Traditional Fishing Methods

• Commonly practised in tropical areas along the African coast and the inland fisheries.
• Fishing is mainly done for subsistence purposes.
• Simple handmade equipment is used.
• The methods are employed on a small scale.

Types

Basket Method

• A basket with a cone opening with bait inside is used.
• It is placed at the shallow end of the water.
• The fish are attracted by the bait.
• Fish run to hide in the basket, get inside, and are trapped.
• The catch is relatively small.

Harpooning

• Using a sharpened arrow or stick to strike fish.
• One fish is caught at a time.
• Dangerous in waters infested with crocodiles and hippopotamuses.

Barrier Method

• Using barriers made of reeds or sticks to catch fish in flood waters.
• They are placed on the downstream side of a flooded region, and when water levels drop, the fishermen scoop the fish.

Herbs

• Sprinkling crushed herbs in waters making fish become unconscious, then the fishermen collect fish from the river using hands.

Use of Lamp and Net

• Placing a lit lamp on the edge of the boat to attract fish.
• Fish swim towards the light and are caught using a net.

Hook and Line

• Throwing a line with a baited hook into the water.
• The fish are attracted by the bait which they swallow together with the hook.
• The line is pulled from the water together with the fish.

Gill Nets

– Nets with mesh which lets only the head of a fish through and then traps it by the gills.

– They can be swerved across or around the river on the path of fish.

Modern Fishing Methods

Seining

• Method used to catch pelagic and anadromous/migratory fish which swim in shoals.
• A bag-like net with small meshes (seine) attached to two boats on each end is cast into the sea.
• It’s kept open and held in position by floats on top and weights at the bottom.
• Fish move towards the net and get trapped.
• The net is hauled over and fish emptied onto the ship or the net is hauled to the shore (haul seining).
• Leads to overfishing because it doesn’t discriminate the ages of fish caught.

Trawling

• Mainly used to catch demersal fish.
• A bag-shaped net is attached to a trawler (ship) and is cast into deep waters.
• The upper part is kept open by floats and the lower part kept down by weights.
• The net is dragged by the trawler along the sea bed.
• The trawl net sweeps in the fish.
• The net is hauled into the trawler and the fish is emptied onboard.
• Also catches immature fish.

Line Fishing

– The method is used to catch demersal fish.

• Fishing boats spread out long lines with several baited hooks on them.
• Floats keep the lines suspended and also show the fishermen where the lines are.
• Baited hooks catch the fish as they compete to feed.
• Hooks are drawn and fish unhooked and put in refrigerated containers.

Distribution of Major Fishing Grounds in the World

The Atlantic Fishing Grounds

N.W. Atlantic Fishing Grounds

• Located along the east coast of North America.
• Fishing grounds are Grand Bank, Sable Bank, George Bank, and Nova Scotia.
• Fish caught are cod, herring, mackerel, lobsters, etc.

Factors That Have Led To High Development of Fishing

• Large continental shelf providing an extensive area over which plankton can grow.
• Convergence of warm Gulf Stream current and cold Labrador Current resulting in cool temperatures favourable for the thriving of plankton and which also makes the area ice-free most of the year.
• Adjacent lands have a cold climate and a rugged landscape unfavourable for agriculture making the alternative to be exploitation of fishing grounds.
• There is a dense population in the surrounding areas which provide a ready market for fish, e.g., Massachusetts and Connecticut.
• There is highly developed technology which allows fishing to go on throughout the year, e.g., large and self-contained ships with radar to forecast storms, wireless communication, and processing and storage facilities.

N.E. Atlantic Fishing Grounds

• Located on the west coast of Europe.
• Major fishing grounds are coasts of France, Germany, Denmark, Britain, and Norway.
• Fish caught are herring, mackerel, and cod.

Factors That Have Led To High Development of Fishing

1. Numerous sea inlets which provide shelter for the spawning of fish and anchoring of fishing boats, e.g., fiords of Norway.
2. Ruggedness of landscape by glaciated features which is unfavourable for agriculture making fishing another economic activity.
3. Warm Atlantic Drift Current which raises the temperature making conditions favourable for plankton growth and making fishing possible throughout the year.
4. Large continental shelf providing an extensive area for plankton growth.
5. Land-derived minerals brought by the icebergs from the land which provide plenty of food for plankton which fish eat.
6. Dense and affluent population of Western Europe which provides a ready market for fish.
7. There is highly developed technology which allows fishing to go on throughout the year.

S. Atlantic Fishing Grounds

1. N.W Africa

• Located along the coastland of Mauritania.

Factors

• Presence of cold Canary Current that cools the warm ocean waters.
• Wide and fairly shallow continental shelf providing an extensive area for the growth of plankton.

2. S.W. Africa

• Located in and Cape Province of South Africa.

Namibia Factors

• Washed by cold Benguela Current which cools the warm tropical waters hence favouring the growth of plankton.

3. West Coast of S. America

• Location is the coast of Peru.

Factors

1. Presence of a continental shelf.
2. Prevailing Peruvian Current which favours plankton growth.

Pacific Fishing

N.E. Pacific Fishing Grounds

• Located along the west coast of North America.
• Fishing grounds are from Alaska, British Columbia, Oregon states to California.
• The main fish caught is salmon.

Factors

• The coast is washed by North Pacific Current which makes water favourable for plankton growth and ice-free enabling fishing to be done throughout the year.
• Many inlets which form favourable shelter for breeding of fish and good sites for fish ports, e.g., fiords and river estuaries.
• Presence of several rivers and lakes which form suitable breeding grounds for species such as salmon.
• Rugged mountainous landscape and dense forest cover which has made the area unconducive for agriculture and forced people to carry out fishing as an alternative economic activity, e.g., British Columbia.
• Ready market because of sound economies of the industrialised USA and Canada enabling people to have economic power to purchase fish and capital for the development of fishing industry.

N.E. Pacific Fishing Grounds

• Located along the coast of N.E. Asia.
• The world’s largest fishing ground.
• Stretches from Beijing southwards to China Sea in Japan, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
• Fish caught are salmon, mackerel, cod, sardines, eels, trout, etc.

Factors

1. Broad continental shelf which favours plankton growth leading to more fish.
2. Convergence of cold Oyashio and warm Kuroshio currents which result in cool, well-oxygenated, and ice-free waters ideal for fishing throughout the year.
3. Numerous islands, bays, and sheltered inlets which favour fish breeding and provide good fishing ports.
4. Mountainous landscape especially in Japan which hinders development of agriculture making fish an alternative source of food and income.
5. Large and ready market due to high population in the Asian countries.
6. Advanced technology, e.g., Japan has large modern vessels with refrigeration facilities, processing equipment, electronic communication making fishing very efficient.

Fresh Water and Marine Fisheries in East Africa

Marine Fishing

• Fishing grounds found in oceans and seas.
• Carried off the coast of Kenya and Tanzania in the Indian Ocean.
• Uganda doesn’t have marine fisheries because it is landlocked.

Kenya and Tanzania

• Contributes only about 10% in Kenya and 13% of the total catch in Tanzania.
• Relatively warm waters of the tropics don’t favour breeding of a large number of fish.
• Indian Ocean is warmer and hence has little plankton.
• Continental shelf is narrow with little fish resources.
• Warm Mozambique Current and deep continental shelf discourage the flourishing of fish.
• They use simple tools.
• Fish caught include pelagic fish such as tuna, kingfish, mullet, bonito, and sardines.
• Fishing is done on a small scale for both subsistence and commercial purposes.
• In Kenya, small boats and a few of them motorised without refrigerators are used, while in Tanzania, fishermen use small rarely motorised dhows which are guided by trade winds which travel into deep sea.
• In Tanzania, most of the coastal communities take part in the fishing industry particularly in the islands of Mafia, Pemba, and Zanzibar and along the coast around Tanga, Mtwara, and Dar-es-Salaam.
• Dense coastal population provides a ready market for fish.
• Fish is more popular than beef in Pemba and Zanzibar.

Problems Facing Marine Fishing

• Inadequate market due to low purchasing power of the surrounding community, poor transport network to the interior of the country, and availability of agricultural products in some coastal areas which reduces the rate of fish consumption.
  • Inadequate capital causes fishermen to be unable to afford expensive equipment used in deep sea fishing which restricts them to fish near the shore hence the low catch.
• Stiff competition from industrialised countries mainly Japan and Korea which have modern fishing equipment and are able to tap fish in the deep sea.
• Lack of refrigeration facilities to enable them to transport fish to distant markets.
• Unpopularity of fishing as an economic activity due to fish prices being high which discourages people from eating it regularly.
• Strong sea tides which are a great menace to local fishermen who use small boats which are not motorised, forcing them to go fishing when the sea is calm making them catch only a limited stock.

Fresh Water Fisheries

• Found inland in lakes, rivers, and ponds.

Kenya

• Lakes are the main suppliers of fish and their resources are more exploited than those of the Indian Ocean because they are calmer than seas enabling fishermen to reach deep areas where there is a large catch.
• The fresh water lakes containing fish are Lakes Victoria, Naivasha, Baringo, Jipe, Chala, Balisa, and Shakababo in lower Tana and Kanyaboli and Sare in Yala Delta.
• The only alkaline lake containing fish is Lake Turkana.
• Most fishermen use simple equipment but around Lake Victoria trawlers are used.
• Many fishermen don’t belong to a co-operative hence they sell their catch to middlemen at minimal prices.
• The middlemen with refrigerated lorries transport the fish to urban centres where they make a huge profit while the rest of the fish is smoked, salted, or sun-dried and transported to local markets.
• Lake Victoria forms the main centre for inland fishing contributing the largest fresh water catch.
• The main species of fish is tilapia and others are herring, Nile perch, and omena.

Factors Which Have Favoured Fishing in Lake Victoria

• Shallow waters which allow plankton to thrive in abundance.
• Several beaches and highlands within the lake which provide good landing sites for fish boats, e.g., Asembo and Mbita.
• Large and ready market within major towns because of dense population, e.g., Kampala, Kisumu, and Mwanza.
• Presence of a variety of species which are of economic value.
• Presence of fish eating culture as it is a traditional diet of the people around.
• Fishermen have formed co-operatives which help them in marketing of fish.

Problems Facing Inland Fishing

• Overexploitation due to accessibility of Lake Victoria. Tilapia from Lake Turkana is cheap and thus in high demand.
• Indiscriminate fishing leading to catching even immature fish.
• Boundary conflict over Lake Victoria especially with Uganda, e.g., recently over Migingo.
• Water hyacinth in Lake Victoria.
• Lack of capital leading to lack of modern fishing equipment which restricts the catch per day.
• In Lake Victoria, Nile perch preys on other fish such as tilapia lowering their stock.
• Communities neighbouring Lake Turkana such as Turkana, El Molo, and Rendile are pastoralists and sparsely populated so they can’t provide a reliable market for fish.
• The damming of River Omo in Ethiopia has reduced the amount of water flowing into Lake Turkana drying Ferguson Bay which is the main fishing area.

Fish Farming in Kenya

• Rearing of fish in ponds where the farmer provides an environment conducive for the survival of fish.
• Fish farms are mainly found in Nyanza, Western, Central, Coast, and parts of Rift Valley.
• Fish ponds are built in areas with heavy clay or loamy soils which are usually impervious.
• The ponds must be located near a river to ensure a steady supply of water to ensure the water remains fresh providing a natural environment for fish.
• After establishing a pond, the farmer gets fingerlings from hatcheries set up at Sagana, Kabaru, Kibos, and Aruba and puts them in the pond.
• The main types of fish kept are tilapias which are more popular because they breed fast, are resistant to diseases, and can survive in different environments; trout suited to cool areas such as the slopes of Mt. Kenya; and mudfish.
• Fish are fed regularly on grass, vegetables, grains, compost manure, and remains of processed fish.
• Some plants are grown in the pond to provide oxygen.

Fishing in Tanzania

• More intensive than in Kenya and Uganda.
• Inland fishing grounds include lakes Victoria, Tanganyika, and Rukwa which form substantial fishing grounds; Lakes Rukwa and Malawi; and rivers Mara, Malagasi, Ruvu, Pangani, Ruaha, Rufiji, Kagera, and Wami.

Lake Victoria

• About 49% of Lake Victoria is in Tanzania.
• There are many fishermen who use modern techniques and equipment.
• Fishing boats are large and carry large stocks of fish which enables fishermen to travel deep into the lake where there is more fish.
• The neighbourhood of the lake is densely populated with large towns such as Bukoba, Mwanza, and Musoma which provide a ready market and processing facilities for the fish.
• Lack of well-developed transport limits the marketing of fish to the interior towns.
• Lake Tanganyika is deep and is the richest in the region in fish.
• Fishing has been an old tradition of the people living around the lake.
• The main type of fish caught is dagaa, usually caught at night when attracted by light using special nets with small meshes.
• The factory at Kigoma preserves and processes fish for sale to other parts of the country while some of the fish is smoked or dried and exported to Zambia.
• Fishing is concentrated along the shore because rough storms discourage fishermen from going far into the lake.
• Sparse population around the lake does not offer a ready market for fish but the large surplus is transported by rail to other parts of the country.
• Rukwa’s biggest problem is fluctuation of water levels which affect survival of fish.
• A section of Lake Malawi is in Tanzania enabling Tanzanian fishermen to catch a lot of fish which is dried and sold in the southern districts of Mbeya and Songea.

Fishing in Uganda

• Inland fishing grounds include lakes Victoria, Kyoga, Albert, George, Edward, Katwe and rivers Nile, Kagera, Kafu, Semliki, and Katonga.
• Fishing industry has been interrupted by a long civil strife in the country reducing it to a subsistence economy.
• Lake Victoria is the main fishing ground.
• 46% of Lake Victoria is in Uganda.
• Many fishermen own motorised boats enabling them to travel deep into the lake and catch a lot of fish.
• Numerous highlands provide anchoring and resting places for fishermen.
• The fishermen sell their fish to co-operatives which organise processing and marketing.
• The dense population around such as in major towns of Entebbe, Kampala, and Njinja provide a ready market for fish.
• Fish is also dried and sold in other parts of Uganda.
• Fish is popular as a diet of the majority of Ugandans.
• There are fish processing factories in Njinja where fish is filleted.

Significance of the Fishing Industry in Kenya

1. A source of income to fishermen and traders when they sell their catch to co-operatives and customers at a profit.
2. A source of employment such as for those employed to catch fish, in fishing-related industries such as making and repairing of boats, and officers and clerks of co-operatives.
3. It is a tourist attraction as it is a sporting activity done for enjoyment which is a source of foreign exchange and revenue to the government.
4. A source of protein and food because it’s a major dish to some communities such as around Lake Victoria and along the coastal strip.
5. Has led to development of industries such as those depending on fish as a raw material, e.g., fertilizer plants, for making cod liver oil, etc.
6. A source of medicine whereby cod liver oil is used in alleviation of chest problems.
7. Fish oil is used directly or indirectly as a source of cooking fat.
8. For biological control of mosquitoes by introducing it in water so as to feed on mosquito larvae thereby reducing mosquitoes and hence incidents of malaria transmission.
9. Has led to development of transport system, e.g., an all-weather road from Kitale to Kalokol has made it easier for the fish from Lake Turkana to get to the market.

Problems Facing Fishing Industry in Kenya and Their Possible Solutions

• Overfishing resulting from use of small meshed nets and unlicensed fishermen resulting in extinction of such species.
  • Restrictions should be made on the type of net that should be used.
  • Licensing a selected number of fishermen and limiting their catch per day.
  • Fish farming to ease pressure on natural fishing grounds.
• Pollution of water bodies by oil spillage and seepage of industrial and agricultural chemicals into water which kills marine organisms and prohibits introduction of fish into such waters.
  • Agricultural activities should be prohibited close to fishing grounds.
  • Legislation should be put in place to check disposal of wastes from industries.
• Transport problem as key fisheries being far from centres of population which causes many places to rarely receive fresh fish, e.g., Lake Turkana.
  • Roads should be tarmacked for efficient transportation of fish.
• Lack of adequate market due to many communities not having developed fish eating culture, availability of agricultural products such as beef and pork, many fishing grounds being found in sparsely populated areas, many fishing grounds being found far away from potential markets, and inability by many people to afford fish due to being expensive because transport costs are passed on to consumers.
  • Roads to the potential markets should be improved.
  • People should be educated on the importance of fish in the diet so as to develop fish eating culture.
• Inadequate capital making fishermen unable to afford fishing equipment with speed and greater capacity making them unable to venture into deep waters where there is more fish and modern preservation facilities limiting their catch per day.
  • Fishermen should form co-operatives so as to get financial assistance.
• Location of marine waters within tropical latitudes where there is warm water limiting the growth of plankton.
  • Narrow continental shelf hence less fish.
  • Modern fishing methods and equipment can enable fishermen to go into deep waters where there is abundant fish.
• Fluctuation of volume of water in rivers and lakes due to seasonal variation of rainfall and prolonged droughts which causes fish death or migration, e.g., Turkana after damming of River Omo in Ethiopia.
  • Conserving water catchment areas to ensure regular supply of water.
• Growth of weeds, e.g., water hyacinth in Lake Victoria which prohibits movement of vessels thereby lowering the catch.
  • Mechanical or biological removal of weeds.
• Human activities near fishing grounds which cause soil erosion which causes siltation which lowers the depth of water affecting fish breeding.
  • Discouraging agricultural activities near fishing grounds and planting of cover crops around fishing grounds to reduce siltation.
• Boundary conflict between Kenya and Uganda over Migingo.
  • Survey the boundaries to establish the rightful owner of the island.

Fishing in Japan

• The leading fishing nation producing 1/6 of the world’s fish output.

Factors Making It the Leading Nation

Physical Factors

1. Rugged mountainous landscape which doesn’t offer favourable conditions for agriculture making fishing an alternative economic activity.
2. Extensive shallow continental shelf that hosts a lot of fish.
3. Convergence of warm Kuroshio and cold Oyashio currents providing a suitable habitat for plankton on which fish feed.
4. Natural indented coasts that provide good breeding ground as well as excellent natural fishing ports, e.g., Yokohama and Nagasaki.

Human Factors

1. High technology such as large ships with refrigeration and processing facilities which carry large stocks and enable fishermen to carry out fishing in deep seas and over long periods and equipment to detect where there are abundant fish.
2. Large market for fish due to fish being a popular meal, population being large and with a high purchasing power.
3. Fish farming is carried out in the fresh waters and dams which are intensively managed allowing maximum returns.
4. Fish marketing is done through co-operatives which advance loans to fishermen to improve and expand their fishing.

Problems Facing Fishing in Japan

1. High pollution of Japanese waters by industrial effluents and oil spillage which has interfered with aquatic life.
2. Overfishing along coastal waters as a result of increase in the fishing fleet which has resulted in depletion of some fish species.
3. Restriction of Japanese fleet from other nations’ territories, e.g., to the west where they are kept away by the Korean government.

Comparison between Fishing in Kenya and Japan

Similarities

• Both countries carry out inland and marine fishing activities.
• There is overexploitation of fish resources in both countries.
• There is fish farming in both countries to supplement natural fisheries.
• Both countries experience the problem of pollution whereby in Kenya it’s by industrial effluents and agricultural chemicals and in Japan by industries dumping mercury into the sea.
• Modern methods of preserving and processing fish such as refrigerated vessels and fish filleting are used in both countries.
• Fish is consumed locally and exported in both countries.
• In both countries fishermen have organised themselves into co-operatives.
• In both countries fishing faces the problem of restriction, e.g., in Japan by Korean Government while in Kenya they are restricted from Ugandan and Tanzanian waters.

Differences

• In Kenya fishing is mostly concentrated in inland waters while in Japan fishing is mostly concentrated in the N.W. Pacific fishing grounds.
• In Kenya fishing is carried a few kilometres off the shore but in Japan it is done in deep seas even far beyond their territorial waters.
• Less fish is found in Kenya due to warm waters and narrow continental shelf while in Japan there is plenty of fish in marine waters due to broad continental shelf and convergence of warm and cold currents.
• In Kenya there is low demand for fish than in Japan.
• In Japan the fish species caught are cod, mackerel, Alaska pollock while in Kenya it is tilapia, Nile perch, dagaa, and black bass.
• In Japan marketing of fish is done mainly by co-operatives while in Kenya it’s mainly done by individual fishermen although there are few co-operatives.
• Marine fishing in Kenya faces competition from other countries such as Japan and Korea while in Japan it doesn’t.
• Japan has more advanced technology than Kenya that ensures heavy catch while Kenya has limited technology leading to low catch.

Management and Conservation of Fisheries

• Management of fisheries refers to effective planning and control of fish resources and their habitats while conservation of fisheries is careful use and protection of fish resources from overexploitation by people.

Management Measures

1. Establishment of research stations to come up with fish species which can do well in various conditions and know fish predators and separate them from fish.
2. Educating people on the importance of fishing grounds and fish resources such as by advising farmers not to cultivate near fishing grounds to prevent siltation and industrialists to treat wastes before disposing them.
3. Government inspecting inland water resources to ensure people don’t interfere with regular flow of water through activities such as damming which lead to fluctuation of water which affects migratory fish and which may also cause their death.

Conservation Measures

• Enact law banning small meshed nets to prevent catching of immature fish which leads to depletion of fish stocks in water bodies.
• Improve transport infrastructure to enable exploitation of fishing grounds in remote areas in order to reduce overexploitation of the few accessible fishing grounds such as Lake Victoria.
• Fish farming to ensure fish caught in natural waters aren’t overexploited and depleted.
• Restocking overfished waters using fingerlings from hatcheries or from overpopulated fishing grounds.
• Banning fishing temporarily whenever overfishing is detected to let fish mature and breed.
• Licensing fishermen to regulate the rate at which fish are exploited to prevent their depletion.
• Regular patrols to ensure that foreign fishermen don’t trespass Kenya’s marine waters to reduce competition for fish.