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  Fishery Reform Campaign
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  Cooperative Research
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  Community-Based Management
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  Community Outreach

Lesson Plan: Community Fisheries Education

Objectives: Upon completion of this lesson a student will be able to:

• Explain the basic history of fishing in New England Identify three major fishing gear types

• Categorize fish species as pelagic or benthic (groundfish or not groundfish)

• Generate informed questions about fisheries management policies

• Understand bathymetric maps (fathoms, Loran coordinates and latitude and longitude)

• Understand fish pricing and its’ effects on fishermen’s income

• Identify internal and external morphometrics

• Fillet a fish

Outline:

• Questions for students

• History of fishing in New England

• Gear types, how they work and why they are important to understand

• Brief explanation of management structure

• Map reading and fish pricing

• Fish dissection

Materials:

Circle hook(s)

Overhead projector for images of gear types

Bathymetric map (i.e. Georges Bank)

Knife, tweezers, petri dishes, microscope

Fish (thawed)

1. QUESTIONS FOR STUDENTS Begin with the following general questions to help paint a general picture of their knowledge of commercial fisheries: Does anyone have a relative or acquaintance that is a commercial fisherman? Who eats fish? shellfish? squid? octopus? scallops? Tell them that these species are commercially fished and sold for human consumption. Does anyone fish recreationally? Do you catch striped bass? bluefish? bonito? If they do, then this is the time to show a circle hook and explain why these types of hooks are ecologically friendly because they are easier to release the fish and don’t do as much damage as the older, J hooks. Circle hook brochures can be provided by the CCCHFA upon request.

2. HISTORY OF FISHING IN NEW ENGLAND Fishing is one of the oldest professions. From the 1600’s to about 1850, large vessels with sails were used to fish. The fishing gear was primarily baited hand lines. After 1850, dory trawling then became popular and the dories, launched from the schooner, would carry about six baited lines. Fish were cut on board the schooners and then salted for preservation. In the early 1900’s, the schooners were replaced by diesel powered boats. During this time the otter trawl became popular and instead of salting, the fish were put on ice or frozen. The fleets expanded due to increased efficiency, good catches and prices. By the 1970’s, fish stocks off the northeast U.S. coast were severely depleted and foreign vessels were largely blamed. Consequently, the Magnuson Act was established in 1976 that set a 200-mile limit on foreign vessels. At this time, eight regional councils were set up to manage U.S. fisheries. The stocks came back somewhat in the late 1970’s and then declined again in the mid 1980’s. Other factors, besides fishing, which can influence fish stocks: Environmental conditions (El Nino) Pollution (chemical dumping/runoff) Cascading effects of ecosystem changes (overfishing of one species)

3. GEAR TYPES Ask students if they can name one of the three main gear types used to catch groundfish. Ask if they know the difference between a pelagic fish and a groundfish. Use the chalkboard or overhead projector to make a column for groundfish (cod, haddock, flatfish, skates) and a column for pelagics (herring, tuna, mackerel). Ask to categorize each fish. Discuss three major gear types; hook and line, trawling, and gillnetting. Show overheads of gear diagrams and discuss briefly how they are used to catch fish.

4. MANAGEMENT The U.S. federal government and the state governments manage our nation’s marine resources. The state manages from the shore to three miles. The federal government manages from three to 200 miles offshore. This 200-mile zone, called the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), is managed by the Department of Commerce. Department of Commerce- oversees the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which oversee the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The Dept. of Commerce makes final decisions in approving or rejecting fishery management plans, although they do not manage fisheries directly. NOAA- stewards the United States marine resources. NMFS- implements and enforces rules within the EEZ, in conjunction with the Coast Guard and the State Fisheries. New England Fishery Management Council- responsible for preparing fishery management plans (for both federal and state waters). Before a plan can be implemented it must be reviewed by the NMFS and signed by the Secretary of Commerce. The Council allows for public hearings and comments. Division of Marine Fisheries- manages coastal fisheries from the shore to three miles.

5. MAPPING and FISH PRICING Plot out predetermined latitude and longitude as well as Loran coordinates. Explain the closed areas and explain depth values (fathoms). Students can select a species of fish and research their biology and migration patterns. Then, based on their research results, they can make informed statements on where they might be caught on the map. Students can also examine spatial overlap of different species. The fish pricing lesson includes the write-up of one particular fishing vessel’s daily expenses and how a fisherman can make or lose money depending on what the fish prices were that day. For additional information you can tell the students that sometimes, depending on the temperature and the wind, a fisherman cannot fish. Look up the current fish prices and weather on the links below.

For current fish prices: http://www.st.nmfs.gov/st1/market_news/doc31.txt

For current weather:

    Coastal: http://weather.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/fmtbltn.pl?file=forecasts/marine/coastal/an/anz254.txt

    Offshore: http://weather.noaa.gov/cgi-in/fmtbltn.pl?file=forecasts/marine/offshore/an/anz082.txt

6. DISSECTION Explain external morphometric characteristics (scales, fins, lateral line, chin barbell on codfish). Dissect the fish and identify organs in the body cavity (liver, reproductive organs, heart, swim bladder, stomach). Cut open the stomachs and identify contents. Ask what it can tell you about the fish as well as the prey species. Extract otoliths (age structures and balance mechanism for fish) from base of the brain (students can look at these under a microscope). Demonstrate how to fillet.

Last updated: September 7, 2005

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