scholarly journals Trawl impacts on the relative status of biotic communities of seabed sedimentary habitats in 24 regions worldwide

2022 ◽  
Vol 119 (2) ◽  
pp. e2109449119
Author(s):  
C. Roland Pitcher ◽  
Jan G. Hiddink ◽  
Simon Jennings ◽  
Jeremy Collie ◽  
Ana M. Parma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Ecosystem Approach ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Bottom Trawling ◽  
Fish Stocks ◽  
Environmental Status ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Average Status ◽  
Regional Analyses ◽  
Trawl Fisheries

Bottom trawling is widespread globally and impacts seabed habitats. However, risks from trawling remain unquantified at large scales in most regions. We address these issues by synthesizing evidence on the impacts of different trawl-gear types, seabed recovery rates, and spatial distributions of trawling intensity in a quantitative indicator of biotic status (relative amount of pretrawling biota) for sedimentary habitats, where most bottom-trawling occurs, in 24 regions worldwide. Regional average status relative to an untrawled state (=1) was high (>0.9) in 15 regions, but <0.7 in three (European) regions and only 0.25 in the Adriatic Sea. Across all regions, 66% of seabed area was not trawled (status = 1), 1.5% was depleted (status = 0), and 93% had status > 0.8. These assessments are first order, based on parameters estimated with uncertainty from meta-analyses; we recommend regional analyses to refine parameters for local specificity. Nevertheless, our results are sufficiently robust to highlight regions needing more effective management to reduce exploitation and improve stock sustainability and seabed environmental status—while also showing seabed status was high (>0.95) in regions where catches of trawled fish stocks meet accepted benchmarks for sustainable exploitation, demonstrating that environmental benefits accrue from effective fisheries management. Furthermore, regional seabed status was related to the proportional area swept by trawling, enabling preliminary predictions of regional status when only the total amount of trawling is known. This research advances seascape-scale understanding of trawl impacts in regions around the world, enables quantitative assessment of sustainability risks, and facilitates implementation of an ecosystem approach to trawl fisheries management globally.

scholarly journals What's wrong with the coastal waters of Spelman Strait, Indonesia: Sustainable reef fisheries management is required

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 408-418
Author(s):  
Rahmat Kurnia ◽  
Muis ◽  
Agus Alim Hakim
Keyword(s):  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Coastal Waters ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Ecosystem Approach ◽  
Fishery Resource ◽  
Fish Stocks ◽  
The Social ◽  
Primary Base ◽  
Economic Domain ◽  
Destructive Fishing

Reef fish in Spelman strait, Indonesia, is one of the fishery resources of considerable economic value. Unfortunately, there is still the use of unfriendly resources equipment (destructive fishing) that cause potential social problems. In this study, all components of the EAFM (Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management) composed of 6 domains, namely (1) fish stocks, (2) environment and ecosystem, (3) fishing techniques, (4) culture, (5) social, and (6) institutional are analyzed combining with MDS (Multidimensional Scaling).  The main aim of this research is to find out the root solution for managing coral reefs in the coastal waters of Spelman Strait.  The sustainability status review in the fishery resource domain, the environment and ecosystem domain, the fishery technique domain, the social domain, and the economic domain were respectively were 87.69, 88.17, 51.22, 51.61, and 72.67 which were in the category sustainable. Meanwhile, the sustainability status review in the institutional domain was 42.15, which was in the category of less sustainable. Institutions are the primary base for reef fishery protection in the Spelman Strait.

scholarly journals Adopting a Wider Ecosystem Approach for Fisheries Management

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Anthony Hawkins*
Keyword(s):  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Marine Environment ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Ecosystem Approach ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Marine Animals ◽  
Fish Stocks ◽  
Environmental Interests ◽  
Current Systems

Many marine and freshwater fisheries are now in a very poor state, and many fish stocks are close to collapse. There is a need to manage fisheries more carefully, especially since fishing can affect other aspects of the environment. It is also important to reduce the adverse effects of climate changes upon the marine and freshwater environments, fish, and other animals, and the need to manage other human activities taking place in the sea, to improve the marine environment and protect the wildlife and the fishing activities. Forms of pollution, including plastics, and also noise and substrate vibration, from industrial and other activities may affect both the abundance and quality of fish and other marine animals. This paper deals with fisheries management, and environmental protection, and concludes that fishermen, fisheries scientists, fisheries managers and environmental interests must work closely together, if fish are to be adequately protected, and fisheries are to be better managed. It describes current systems of management. It especially draws attention to the importance of moving towards an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management. Such an approach aims to manage all those human activities that have an impact upon the marine environment and its life forms. Keywords: Fish; Fisheries; Environments; Ecosystems; Management; Scientists

Exploitation of deep-sea fishery resources

2020 ◽  
pp. 71-90
Author(s):  
Les Watling ◽  
Lissette Victorero ◽  
Jeffrey Drazen ◽  
Matthew Gianni
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Environmental Harm ◽  
Fishing Gear ◽  
Bottom Trawling ◽  
Fish Stocks ◽  
Sea Bottom ◽  
Fish Catch ◽  
Sea Fish

Deep-sea fisheries occur at depths between 200 and 1800 m, using bottom trawls, long lines, and occasionally pots and gillnets. These fisheries were of minor interest and value until the mid-1980s when large stocks of fish were discovered, mostly on high-seas seamounts. However, because of the life-history characteristics of deep-dwelling fish, most seamount fish stocks were soon overfished, and few have recovered. Total deep-sea fish catch since 1950 represents about 3 per cent of the global catch, yet the environmental harm caused to deep-sea bottom communities by bottom trawling is extensive and long lasting, far exceeding the value of the fishery. In response, the United Nations has passed several resolutions since 2004 requiring the establishment of regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs) who would be responsible for setting catch limits for the target species and requiring actions that would limit the damage to the habitat by fishing gear. To date, the latter of these two requirements, at least, has not been successfully met.

The Persistence of a Concept: Maximum Sustainable Yield

2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 763-771 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen Hey
Keyword(s):  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Ecosystem Approach ◽  
Maximum Sustainable Yield ◽  
Ecological Resilience ◽  
Sustainable Yield ◽  
Endangered Fish ◽  
Fish Stocks ◽  
Food And Agriculture ◽  
Social Ecological

Abstract This essay explores the persistence of the concept of maximum sustainable yield (MSY) in global multilateral fishing law. It argues that MSY has contributed to the unsustainable governance of fishing activities by focusing on open access and catch-based management, instead of effort-based management. In response to the dire state of world fish stocks, it has been proposed to cut subsidies to the sector, restrict trade in endangered fish species, install marine protected areas and mainstream the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF). This essay proposes that the FAO’s EAF, which links in to social-ecological resilience thinking, suggests a new philosophy for fisheries management that offers a basis for introducing the aforementioned measures.

scholarly journals Public Officials’ Knowledge of Advances and Gaps for Implementing the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries in Chile

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2703
Author(s):  
Rodrigo A. Estévez ◽  
Stefan Gelcich
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Ecosystem Approach ◽  
Social Dimensions ◽  
Public Officials ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Effective Implementation ◽  
Mandatory Requirement ◽  
Support Decision Making

The United Nations calls on the international community to implement an ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) that considers the complex interrelationships between fisheries and marine and coastal ecosystems, including social and economic dimensions. However, countries experience significant national challenges for the application of the EAF. In this article, we used public officials’ knowledge to understand advances, gaps, and priorities for the implementation of the EAF in Chile. For this, we relied on the valuable information held by fisheries managers and government officials to support decision-making. In Chile, the EAF was established as a mandatory requirement for fisheries management in 2013. Key positive aspects include the promotion of fishers’ participation in inter-sectorial Management Committees to administrate fisheries and the regulation of bycatch and trawling on seamounts. Likewise, Scientific Committees formal roles in management allow the participation of scientists by setting catch limits for each fishery. However, important gaps were also identified. Officials highlighted serious difficulties to integrate social dimensions in fisheries management, and low effective coordination among the institutions to implement the EAF. We concluded that establishing clear protocols to systematize and generate formal instances to build upon government officials’ knowledge seems a clear and cost effective way to advance in the effective implementation of the EAF.

Taking Stock of Genetic Concepts in Fisheries Management

1991 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 722-731 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. W. Gauldie
Keyword(s):  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Allele Frequencies ◽  
Frequency Variation ◽  
Sustainable Yield ◽  
Fish Stocks ◽  
Meristic Count ◽  
Intuitive Idea ◽  
Selection Mechanisms ◽  
Insight Into

The historical development of the idea of isolated stocks of fish that can be managed as separate management units has been as strongly tied to the intuitive idea of separate races as it has been to the practical necessities of jurisprudence and the estimation of both biomass and sustainable yield by fisheries managers. Demonstrating the existence of isolated fish stocks and delineating their boundaries has generally proved unsuccessful. Various techniques ranging from meristic count differences to polymorphic allelism have usually failed. However, in the pursuit of isolated stocks, biochemists have uncovered a great deal of information about the variation of polymorphic allele frequencies over time and space. Following the shift in opinion away from stochastic to natural selection mechanisms in allele frequency variation, it is evident that the observed variation in allele frequencies allows more insight into the biology of fishes than into the breeding structure of populations. These insights argue against the idea of isolated stocks of fish with homogeneous growth rates that are the basis of the sustainable yield models in favour of migration-linked stocks with heterogeneous growth rates.

scholarly journals Depleted marine fish stocks and ecosystem-based management: on the road to recovery, we need to be precautionary

2010 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 212-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Gårdmark ◽  
Anders Nielsen ◽  
Jens Floeter ◽  
Christian Möllmann
Keyword(s):  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Marine Fish ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Fishing Mortality ◽  
Fish Stocks ◽  
The Road ◽  
Stock Status ◽  
Ecosystem Based Management ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
On The Road

Abstract Gårdmark, A., Nielsen, A., Floeter, J., and Möllmann, C. 2011. Depleted marine fish stocks and ecosystem-based management: on the road to recovery, we need to be precautionary. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 212–220. Precautionary management for fish stocks in need of recovery requires that likely stock increases can be distinguished from model artefacts and that the uncertainty of stock status can be handled. Yet, ICES stock assessments are predominantly deterministic and many EC management plans are designed for deterministic advice. Using the eastern Baltic cod (Gadus morhua) stock as an example, we show how deterministic scientific advice can lead to illusive certainty of a rapid stock recovery and management decisions taken in unawareness of large uncertainties in stock status. By (i) performing sensitivity analyses of key assessment model assumptions, (ii) quantifying the uncertainty of the estimates due to data uncertainty, and (iii) developing alternative stock and ecosystem indicators, we demonstrate that estimates of recent fishing mortality and recruitment of this stock were highly uncertain and show that these uncertainties are crucial when combined with management plans based on fixed reference points of fishing mortality. We therefore call for fisheries management that does not neglect uncertainty. To this end, we outline a four-step approach to handle uncertainty of stock status in advice and management. We argue that it is time to use these four steps towards an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management.

scholarly journals Quirky patterns in time-series of estimates of recruitment could be artefacts

2014 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Dickey-Collas ◽  
N. T. Hintzen ◽  
R. D. M. Nash ◽  
P-J. Schön ◽  
M. R. Payne
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Stock Assessment ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Reference Points ◽  
Fish Stocks ◽  
Stock Recruitment ◽  
Modelling Assumptions ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Recruitment Model ◽  
Recruitment Time

Abstract The accessibility of databases of global or regional stock assessment outputs is leading to an increase in meta-analysis of the dynamics of fish stocks. In most of these analyses, each of the time-series is generally assumed to be directly comparable. However, the approach to stock assessment employed, and the associated modelling assumptions, can have an important influence on the characteristics of each time-series. We explore this idea by investigating recruitment time-series with three different recruitment parameterizations: a stock–recruitment model, a random-walk time-series model, and non-parametric “free” estimation of recruitment. We show that the recruitment time-series is sensitive to model assumptions and this can impact reference points in management, the perception of variability in recruitment and thus undermine meta-analyses. The assumption of the direct comparability of recruitment time-series in databases is therefore not consistent across or within species and stocks. Caution is therefore required as perhaps the characteristics of the time-series of stock dynamics may be determined by the model used to generate them, rather than underlying ecological phenomena. This is especially true when information about cohort abundance is noisy or lacking.

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