scholarly journals Exploring the economic viability of a mesopelagic fishery in the Bay of Biscay

2018 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 771-779 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raúl Prellezo
Keyword(s):  
Economic Incentive ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Economic Viability ◽  
Commercial Fisheries ◽  
Mesopelagic Fish ◽  
Bay Of Biscay ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Operating Characteristics ◽  
Fisheries Policy ◽  
Mesopelagic Species

Abstract The study analyses the economic viability of the mesopelagic fish exploitation. Operating characteristics of the selected bottom-trawl fleet operating in the Bay of Biscay were analysed on a trip basis, from the technical, financial and market perspectives. The results show that, while this activity is technically possible, it cannot be considered a viable financial alternative to the existing commercial fisheries. However, the landing obligation of the European Union Common Fisheries Policy, to become fully operational in 2019, provides an economic incentive in the form of alternative trips. The fishing effort is to be limited by this regulation. Thus, the discouraging opportunity costs of fishing mesopelagic species might be alleviated by the effort limitation. Additionally, the existing markets might expand, and new opportunities for commercial fisheries of mesopelagic species might be created. The sustainability of exploitation and its impact on the ecosystem services associated with these species should be considered in their management.

scholarly journals A rapid assessment of trends in the multispecies small-scale fishery of Palamós (Catalonia, Spain)

2015 ◽  
Vol 72 (9) ◽  
pp. 2638-2649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caterina Dimitriadis ◽  
Alvar Carranza ◽  
Raúl Vilela ◽  
Margarida Casadevall
Keyword(s):  
Rapid Assessment ◽  
Ecosystem Approach ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
The State ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Fisheries Policy ◽  
Aichi Biodiversity Targets

Abstract Monitoring small-scale fisheries (SSFs) is challenging due to the limited information available and their underlying socioeconomic characteristics. This constitutes a serious impediment to assess the compliance level of Aichi Biodiversity Targets (ABT). The European Union has committed itself to include an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) in its Common Fisheries Policy. EAFM depends on suites of indicators that track the pressure exercised, the state of the ecosystem, and the socio-economic consequences of management objectives. Therefore, The Living Planet Index (LPI) is proposed here for describing the performance of SSF towards the ABT. We show that the LPI can be reformulated to track trends in Fishing Effort (LPIFE), trends in Fish Populations (LPIFP), and both the state and trends related to the contribution of fisheries to broader society (LPIDEB). The implementation of the LPI in SSF applies several principles of the EAFM, including decentralization, fishers participation, and consideration of local knowledge. In this paper, we used 10-year daily data from the Cofradía at Palamós port, Catalonia - Spain. This is a multi-species SSF landing ca. 130 species, from which 10.9% are of special interest, being listed by the IUCN or in agreements by regional conventions. We observe a decreasing trend in the LPIFP, the LPIFE, and in the LPIDEB, including 36 species or groups, accounting for 90% of total landings, suggesting an overall decrease in the sustainability of this SSF. We conclude that use of the LPIFP is especially well suited to standardize the reporting of information for multispecies fisheries using a wide array of fishing strategies, and results strongly suggest the feasibility of using the LPI methodology to standardize reporting of any given agreed fisheries indicator in order enhance management towards the ABTs.

scholarly journals In the Wrong Place at the Wrong Time: Identifying Spatiotemporal Co-occurrence of Bycaught Common Dolphins and Fisheries in the Bay of Biscay (NE Atlantic) From 2010 to 2019

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helene Peltier ◽  
Matthieu Authier ◽  
Florence Caurant ◽  
Willy Dabin ◽  
Pierre Daniel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Coast ◽  
Sea Bass ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Common Dolphin ◽  
Bay Of Biscay ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Fishing Activity ◽  
Fishing Vessels ◽  
Common Dolphins

The first Unusual Mortality Event (UME) related to fishing activity along the Atlantic coast recorded by the French Stranding Network was in 1989: 697 small delphinids, mostly common dolphins, washed ashore, most of them with evidence of having been bycaught. Since then, UMEs of common dolphins have been observed nearly every year in the Bay of Biscay; unprecedented records were broken every year since 2016. The low and unequally distributed observation efforts aboard fishing vessels in the Bay of Biscay, as well as the lack of data on foreign fisheries necessitated the use of complementary data (such as stranding data) to elucidate the involvement of fisheries in dolphin bycatch. The aim of this work was to identify positive spatial and temporal correlations between the likely origins of bycaught stranded common dolphins (estimated from a mechanistic drift model) and fishing effort statistics inferred from Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) data on vessels >12 m long. Fisheries whose effort correlated positively with dolphin mortality areas after 2016 included French midwater trawlers, French Danish seiners, French gillnetters, French trammel netters, Spanish bottom trawlers, and Spanish gillnetters. For the French fleet only, logbook declarations, sales, and surveys carried out by Ifremer were integrated into fishing effort data. Six fleets were active in common dolphin bycatch areas at least twice between 2016 and 2019: gillnetters fishing hake, trammel netters fishing anglerfish, bottom pair trawlers fishing hake, midwater pair trawlers fishing sea bass and hake, and Danish seiners fishing whiting. Except for changes in hake landings in some fisheries, there were no notable changes in total fishing effort practice (gear or target species) based on the data required by the ICES and Council of the European Union that could explain the large increase in stranded common dolphins recorded along the French Atlantic coast after 2016. Small scale or unrecorded changes could have modified interactions between common dolphins and fisheries, but could not be detected through mandatory data-calls. The recent increase in strandings of bycaught common dolphins could have been caused by changes in their distribution and/or ecology, or changes in fishery practices that were undetectable through available data.

scholarly journals Bioeconomic assessment of a change in fishing gear selectivity: the case of a single-species fleet affected by the landing obligation

2017 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. 371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raúl Prellezo ◽  
Itsaso Carmona ◽  
Dorleta García ◽  
Luis Arregi ◽  
Jon Ruiz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Labour Productivity ◽  
Mesh Size ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Societal Benefit ◽  
Gear Selectivity ◽  
Fisheries Policy

The European Union Common Fisheries Policy has established a discard ban, which states that fish below a reference size cannot be sold directly for human consumption. In a fishing effort-regulated fishery, the discard ban can result in extra handling, storing and landing costs. In an output-regulated fishery, this policy might also limit the effort levels as all the catches count against the quota. In both cases, this regulation can reduce the economic performance of the companies, even in single-species fisheries. A possible solution is to increase the mesh size, thus retaining fewer small individuals. To study this option, a bioeconomic simulation of a change in the gear selectivity from 100- to 120-mm minimum mesh size (MMS) was performed. The results show that the private perspective (profits) does not change. Furthermore, due to the lower retention of 120 mm MMS, the efficiency of a fishing day was reduced by 5% and 2.5%, from the point of view of capital and labour productivity, respectively. In contrast, gross revenues increased by 1.5% and crew compensation by 2%. Given a societal benefit of this change in the mesh size, this gain could be re-distributed to provide an incentive for selectivity improvements.

scholarly journals Let Them Eat Fish!—Exploring the Possibility of Utilising Unwanted Catch in Food Bank Parcels in The Netherlands

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2775
Author(s):  
Madhura Rao ◽  
Lea Bilić ◽  
Joanna Duwel ◽  
Charlotte Herentrey ◽  
Essi Lehtinen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Research Question ◽  
Economic Incentive ◽  
Food Aid ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Food Bank ◽  
Fishing Sector ◽  
Fisheries Policy ◽  
To Receive

The Common Fisheries Policy of the European Union was reformed in 2013 with the aim of improving the sustainability of the fishing sector. The Landing Obligation, a cornerstone of this reform, requires fishers to land their unwanted catch instead of discarding it at sea. Existing literature pays little attention to what becomes of this unwanted catch once it is landed. To further the discourse on the sustainable valorisation of unwanted catch, this study explores whether unwanted catch that is safe for human consumption could be used for improving food security. The paper focuses on Dutch food banks, which deliver critical food aid to over 160,000 individuals yearly but struggle to provide all dependant recipients with nutritionally balanced food parcels. The research question is addressed in two ways. The food bank recipients’ willingness to consume UWC is evaluated quantitatively through a survey. Next to this, data from interviews with relevant stakeholders are analysed qualitatively. Results indicate that the Food Bank Foundation and its recipients are willing to receive this fish if it is safe to consume and accessible. However, various factors such as existing infrastructure, lack of economic incentive to donate, competition from non-food and black markets, and the fishing industry’s conflict with the landing obligation might pose barriers to this kind of valorisation. The dissonance between fisheries, food, and sustainability policies is discussed and identified as a key limiting factor. To bridge the differences between these policy areas, we propose public-private partnerships and voluntary agreements among involved stakeholders.

Efficiency and selectivity of the Anomalocardia brasiliana (Mollusca: Veneridae) hand dredge used in southern Brazil

2010 ◽  
Vol 90 (7) ◽  
pp. 1455-1464 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo R. Pezzuto ◽  
Caroline Schio ◽  
Tito C.M. Almeida
Keyword(s):  
Management Plan ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Commercial Fisheries ◽  
Effective Management ◽  
Southern Brazil ◽  
Fishing Rights ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Experimental Plots

In Florianópolis, southern Brazil, the venerid clam Anomalocardia brasiliana has supported subsistence and small-scale commercial fisheries for decades. The introduction of a hand dredge (gancho) since 1987 led to the development of a significant fishery supplying both local and regional shellfish markets. In 1992 one of the main fishing areas in the region was designated as the first Brazilian Marine Extractive Reserve (Pirajubaé RESEX), a federal form of governance intended to promote sustainable exploitation of natural resources by assigning exclusive fishing rights to traditional users. However, excessive fishing effort, institutional shortcomings and lack of a negotiated management plan have resulted in the overexploitation of the species since 2000. This study was aimed at evaluating the efficiency and selectivity of the hand dredge currently in use at the RESEX, through a field experiment conducted in October 2006. Quantitative samples of A. brasiliana were collected before and after dredging 15 experimental plots. Additional samples were obtained inside the dredge (catch) and respective cover cod-end (discard) for selectivity analysis. A single haul of the hand dredge can dislocate up to 76% of the individuals present in the sediment irrespective of their size, and retain up to 69% of the commercial-sized organisms. The gear has a knife-edge selection pattern, which enables the use of the minimum spacing between the iron bars of the dredge's basket as an effective management tool.

scholarly journals Socio-economic viability of public management in the context of European integration processes

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (35) ◽  
pp. 139-152
Author(s):  
Irina KOSACH ◽  
Anastasiia DUKA ◽  
Grygoriy STARCHENKO ◽  
Olena MYHAYLOVSKA ◽  
Artur ZHAVORONOK
Keyword(s):  
European Integration ◽  
Public Management ◽  
Public Institutions ◽  
Practical Significance ◽  
Economic Viability ◽  
Fragile States ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Eu Countries ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Relationship

The European Union forms new requirements for the efficiency of public institutions and the gradual transformation of public management. The relationship between the viability of public management to solve internal problems and the dynamics of socio-economic development is obvious. So, the evaluation of the viability of public institutions’ actions related to the socio-economic processes in any country has theoretical and practical significance. The purpose of our study is to assess the socio-economic viability of public management in the context of European integration processes. Within the article, a comprehensive study of the public management viability in EU countries is presented. The specificity of the study is to assess the socio-economic viability of public management on the basis of economic and social indicators of EU countries. According to the overview of scientific works it is a need to use a comprehensive indicator of public management viability evaluation. So, the considerable attention is paid to the deepening of methodical aspects of public management effectiveness on the basis of multicriteria methods. The result of the study is the calculation of the Socio-Economic Viability Index of Public Management. The obtained results prove the relationship between the SocioEconomic Viability Index of Public Management and the progress of economic reforms in the EU, with the possibility of appropriate conclusions for countries to identify strengths and weaknesses, justify priorities and means to achieve them in the context of European integration. These conclusions can be used as a starting point to assess the relationship between the level of development of the European country and the quality of its public management. The study confirmed the thesis on the correlation between the SocioEconomic Viability Index of Public Management and Happy Planet Index, The Global Competitiveness Index, Corruption Perceptions Index, Fragile States Index and сonfirm the possibility of using this indicator to assess public management quality in EU countries.

scholarly journals Target Strength and swimbladder morphology of Mueller’s pearlside (Maurolicus muelleri)

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Sobradillo ◽  
G. Boyra ◽  
U. Martinez ◽  
P. Carrera ◽  
M. Peña ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Relevant Information ◽  
Target Strength ◽  
Fish Length ◽  
Mesopelagic Fish ◽  
Bay Of Biscay ◽  
Numerical Abundance ◽  
Density Filter ◽  
Pressure Changes ◽  
First Time ◽  
Best Fit

AbstractIn the last few years, there has been increasing interest in the commercial exploitation of mesopelagic fish and a trawl-acoustic methodology has been recommended to make estimates of abundance of these resources. This study provides relevant information on the scattering properties of a key mesopelagic fish species in the Bay of Biscay, Mueller’s pearlside (Maurolicus muelleri), necessary to convert the acoustic density into numerical abundance. The target strength (TS) of pearlside was estimated for the first time at five frequencies commonly used in acoustic surveys. A high-density filter was applied to reduce the bias derived from overlapping echoes erroneously assigned to single targets. Its relationship with fish length (b20) was also determined (−65.9 ± 2, −69.2 ± 3, −69.2 ± 2, −69.5 ± 2.5 and −71.5 ± 2.5 dB at 18, 38, 70, 120 and 200 kHz, respectively). Biomass estimates of pearlside in the Bay of Biscay during the four years of study (2014–2017) are given using the 38 kHz frequency. Morphological measurements of the swimbladder were obtained from soft X-ray images and used in the backscattering simulation of a gas-filled ellipsoid. Pearlside is a physoclist species, which means that they can compensate the swimbadder volume against pressure changes. However, the best fit between the model and the experimental data showed that they lose that capacity during the trawling process, when the swimbladder volume is affected by Boyle’s law.

Designed for failure: A critique of the Common Fisheries Policy of the European Union

Marine Policy ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 1178-1182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Setareh Khalilian ◽  
Rainer Froese ◽  
Alexander Proelss ◽  
Till Requate
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Fisheries Policy ◽  
The Common
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