Global Picture
Waters the world over are suffering from pollution, global warming, overfishing, and a variety of other harmful human activities. From the smallest streams to the biggest oceans, the plants and creatures are sending signals to people that all is not well and it's time to change.
Where Are All the Fish Going?
Freshwater and saltwater fish are disappearing at alarming rates. People love eating fish, but are too many being eaten? How often do you eat fish? What kind? Where does it come from? Have you ever gone fishing? How do you think fish are caught? Most kids think of pole fishing, but some might know about net fishing. Here are some different ways fish are caught to be sold in stores or at restaurants.
Dredging is when fishermen drag a large metal frame that has teeth that act like a rake along the floor of the ocean. The frame has an attached mesh bag that catches bottom feeders like scallops, clams, oysters, and other shellfish.
Gillnetting is using large nets that are suspended in water by floats and weights. The size of the holes in the nets vary according to what size fish the fisherman wants to catch. The fish's head can go through the net, but not its body. When it tries to back out, its gills get stuck.
Harpooning is a traditional way of catching fish. A fisherman watches for fish and then throws or shoots a spear into the fish. The spear is connected to a rope so the fisherman can reel the fish in.
Hook and line fishing is the fishing method most people are familiar with. Fishermen use a rod, reel, and bait to catch fish.
Long-lining uses a long fishing line that ranges from one to fifty miles long. Many smaller lines with bait and hooks are attached. A boat pulls the line all day and then pulls it in to collect the catch.
Purse seines are a big wall of net that are used to scoop up schools of fish. They are most often used to catch tuna.
Trolling is hook and line fishing, but the fisherman props numerous poles around the boat.
Can you guess which ways of fishing are environmentally friendly? Have the students draw a picture of an underwater scene. Make sure to include a wide variety of sea life, coral, shells, and plants. Have a collection of aquatic life books that they can refer to for drawing the pictures. Now, read through the fishing methods again and imagine what happens when each method is used. They can use their hands to pretend they are using the fishing method on their picture. When fishermen dredge, they rake the bottom of the ocean. What happens if you rake across the bottom of your pictures? How would it affect the habitat? Imagine if these different practices were used on land. What if a giant net came through your neighborhood all of a sudden?
Dredging is not ocean-friendly because the rake disrupts the ocean floor and all the critters, plants, and habitats on it. It also ends up catching creatures that the fishermen don't want. These creatures, known as bycatch, are usually killed through the fishing process and then tossed overboard as waste after they've been separated from the catch. Gill netting and purse seines both use nets that accidentally catch far more creatures than the fishermen really want. Long-lining attracts seagulls that get caught in the line, as well as other creatures that are curious about the bait. Since the line is so long, the fishermen have no control over what they're catching until they draw it in at the end of the day, often with a lot of bycatch.
Trolling, hook-and-line, and harpooning are ocean-friendly ways to fish. The fishermen have complete control over what they're catching and they cause minimal disruption to underwater habitats.
Save Our Seas
Everyone can do something to help protect all of the bodies of water that provide people with food and fun. Small acts each day add up over time to make a big difference. There are so many ways to help protect the saltwater and sweetwater seas, it's hard to know where to start. Here's one way to get started.
Learn whatever you can about aquatic ecosystems. Start by picking one creature that's being harmed by pollution or overfishing. Learn everything you can about that creature and tell everyone you know, every chance you get.
Make up a short story or poem about that creature and how it is sad because people are hurting it and its family. Have ideas for your readers to help protect this creature and aquatic ecosystems in general. Illustrate your story and then start reading it to everyone who will listen. Likewise, you can write a short skit, have a puppet show, or even record a short video. Use your imagination to teach the world.
Everyone can do something, and every little bit helps. Make that a classroom mantra and repeat it whenever you're discussing the dismal and depressing facts about how badly humans are damaging the planet. There's always a solution and it starts with you!
