Theme 2B: Effects of fishing, aquaculture and associated activities.

Urban cities generate considerable potential for ecological disturbance leading to environmental degradation (Programme 2: Anthropogenic Disturbances of Coastal Habitats). In particular, there are problems for organisms on hard and soft substrata because of building jetties, seawalls, pilings, etc. Human disturbances include foraging for bait and food and disposal of wastes. The research to understand ecological changes due to these disturbances is time-consuming and long-term, particularly when experimental analyses of processes during disturbances are planned.

Predicting, measuring and interpreting impacts are hamstrung by poor sampling and analysis - often dictated by inadequate statutory requirements for Environmental Impact Statements. One major problem is that natural ecological assemblages of species vary enormously from time to time and place to place. Thus, even when undisturbed by people, ecological patterns are very different from place to place and change rapidly from time to time.

Commercial fishing, recreational fishing and aquaculture can all cause impacts other than their direct effects on the species being harvested. Trawling, for example, has potentially large-scale consequences for animals and plants on and in the sea-floor. Aquaculture causes artificial installations and potential contamination by wastes and nutrients.

Ecologically sustainable fisheries and aquaculture absolutely requires decision-making based on well-developed ecological understanding of those indirect effects. To date, the focus by government departments has been almost exclusively on direct consequences of the harvesting.

The Centre for Research on Ecological Impacts of Coastal Cities (EICC) has generated many scientific papers and theses from research projects on the effects of fishing, aquaculture and associated activities. The link to the URL provided in this record provides a link to this research.

城市区域具备引发显著生态干扰的巨大潜力，进而导致环境退化（项目2：沿海生境人为干扰（Anthropogenic Disturbances of Coastal Habitats））。具体而言，由于防波堤、海堤、桩柱等人工设施的存在，硬质与软质底质上的生物生存面临诸多问题。人类活动带来的干扰包括饵料与食物采集、废弃物排放等。针对此类干扰引发的生态变化开展研究，往往耗时长久且周期漫长，若规划开展干扰过程的实验分析，研究周期则更为冗长。

干扰影响的预测、测定与解读工作常因采样与分析手段不足而受到严重掣肘——这一局限往往源于环境影响报告书（Environmental Impact Statements）的法定编制要求不够完善。核心难题之一在于：自然生态物种群落的组成会随时间与空间发生显著波动。因此，即便未受人类活动干扰，生态格局也会因地域不同而存在显著差异，且随时间快速变化。

商业捕捞、休闲垂钓与水产养殖均可产生除直接捕获目标物种之外的间接影响。例如拖网捕捞（Trawling）可能对海底及底栖动、植物造成大范围潜在影响。水产养殖则会催生人工养殖设施，并可能引发废弃物与营养物质污染。

生态可持续的渔业与水产养殖，绝对需要基于对这类间接影响的深入生态学认知开展决策。迄今为止，政府部门的关注重心几乎完全集中在捕捞活动的直接后果上。

沿海城市生态影响研究中心（Centre for Research on Ecological Impacts of Coastal Cities, EICC）依托针对捕捞、水产养殖及相关活动影响的研究项目，已产出大量学术论文与学位论文。本记录附带的URL链接可访问该研究的相关内容。