In its most recent issue “The Economist” ran a story referencing the problems created by overfishing. The painfully obvious issue, if a species of fish is being caught faster than it can reproduce, the long term survival of that species comes into doubt. The article cites estimates that the population of some fish species may have dropped as much as 90% in the past 60 years. The article suggests that modern technology can be used to try to regulate fishermen. By using GPS to track their position and with stricter enforcement of laws that already exist fisheries might be able to survive.
The article also brings up some critical terms that are used in Human Geography, specifically referencing the application of ocean borders. 12 miles out from a coast is still considered the territory of that country. It also uses the term “Exclusive Economic Zones” that extend 200 miles out from a coast. Any natural resources or fisheries within this EEZ are subject to the laws and regulations of that country, although they can prove to be difficult to enforce.
Most importantly, one of the key themes in Human Geography is the relationship between people and the environment. I teach my students that there are three general attitudes that exist towards the environment:
- The planet has unlimited resources that can be used in any way humans want or need and there will be no negative consequences. I generally refer to this theory as the “unicorn theory” because we’d like it to be real, but it’s not.
- Humans have trashed the planet beyond repair and all hope is lost. I find this outlook to be overwhelmingly pessimistic and disagree with it simply because I don’t want to die as part of some ecological disaster.
- Humans have damaged the planet but with increasing awareness and action we can find a sustainable solution to maintain our existence. I hope this one is the correct outlook because if it’s not, the alternatives are remarkably bad.