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Books > Sport & Leisure > Natural history, country life & pets > Wild animals > Aquatic creatures > General
This book seeks to contribute to a better understanding of coastal
fisheries in the Latin American and the Caribbean region, as well
as to generate discussion about ways to move towards sustainable
fisheries. The book includes three main components. First, an
introductory chapter provides an overview of general trends in the
fisheries of the LAC countries. Second, a set of twelve chapters
each reporting on the coastal fisheries of one country in Latin
America and the Caribbean. Third, the final component of the book
contains a synthesis of information from the countries examined, an
analysis of the main issues and challenges faced by the various
fisheries, an outline of policy directions to improve fisheries
management systems in the LAC region, identification of routes
toward more integrated approaches for coastal fisheries management,
and recommendations for ways forward in dealing with fishery
assessment and governance issues in the region.
In 1980 a group of scientists censusing marine mammals in the
Bay of Fundy was astonished at the sight of 25 right whales. It
was, one scientist later recalled, "like finding a brontosaurus in
the backyard." Until that time, scientists believed the North
Atlantic right whale was extinct or nearly so. The sightings
electrified the research community, spurring a quarter century of
exploration, which is documented here.
The authors present our current knowledge about the biology and
plight of right whales, including their reproduction, feeding,
genetics, and endocrinology, as well as fatal run-ins with ships
and fishing gear. Employing individual identifications, acoustics,
and population models, Scott Kraus, Rosalind Rolland, and their
colleagues present a vivid history of this animal, from a once
commercially hunted commodity to today's life-threatening
challenges of urban waters.
Hunted for nearly a millennium, right whales are now being
killed by the ocean commerce that supports our modern way of life.
This book offers hope for the eventual salvation of this great
whale.
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