scholarly journals A socio-psychological approach for understanding and managing bycatch in small-scale fisheries

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hollie Booth ◽  
Muhammad Ichsan ◽  
Rizky Fajar Hermansyah ◽  
Lailia Nur Rohmah ◽  
Kusuma Banda Naira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Marine Conservation ◽  
Human Dimensions ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Psychological Approach ◽  
Marine Animals ◽  
Small Scale Fisheries ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Gill Net ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approaches ◽  
Marine Megafauna

Fisheries bycatch is the greatest threat to migratory, long-lived marine animals. Managing bycatch can be particularly problematic in small-scale mixed-species fisheries, where perceptions of target and non-target vary widely, and all catches have economic or subsistence value. Such fisheries are ubiquitous throughout the world’s oceans, and represent a cross-disciplinary challenge for biodiversity, food security and livelihoods. We offer a novel approach for addressing this challenge, drawing on well-established theories from behavioural and social sciences. We first typify bycatch as a spectrum rather than a clearly delineated component of catch, where the position of a species on this spectrum depends on fishers’ beliefs regarding the outcomes of bycatch-relevant behaviour. We then outline an approach to diagnose the underlying socio-psychological drivers of bycatch, based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Finally, we illustrate the approach using an empirical case study, exploring fishers’ beliefs regarding bycatch-relevant behaviour for three endangered species in a small-scale gill net fishery in Indonesia. We show how a socio-psychological approach can help to identify conflicts and synergies between bycatch mitigation and fishers’ beliefs, thus informing more effective and socially-just interventions for marine megafauna conservation. We emphasize the need to understand human dimensions of bycatch, especially in SSFs, where technical fixes alone will be insufficient to change behaviour. Rather, interdisciplinary approaches are needed to align fishers’ needs with conservation objectives. Our spectrum and approach could be widely applied for disentangling drivers of bycatch in other SSFs, and designing interventions which support effective and equitable marine conservation.

scholarly journals Designing locally-appropriate conservation incentives for small-scale fishers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hollie Booth ◽  
M Said Ramdlan ◽  
Ayesha Hafizh ◽  
Karto Wongsopatty ◽  
Susana Mourato ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effective ◽  
Marine Conservation ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Marine Animals ◽  
Small Scale Fisheries ◽  
Outcome Goals ◽  
Use Values ◽  
Combination Of Methods ◽  
Marine Megafauna ◽  
Business As Usual

Large, long-lived marine animals (‘marine megafauna’) play critical roles in ocean ecosystems, however, they are threatened by overfishing. Technologies and practices that reduce fisheries’ impacts on marine megafauna are well documented, yet less is known about how to encourage their adoption. This is particularly challenging in small-scale fisheries (SSFs), where endangered species can have important consumptive use values. We used a novel combination of methods – scenario interviews with contingent valuation (CV) – to investigate how incentive-based interventions might influence fisher behaviour and reduce mortality of Critically Endangered taxa (hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna spp.) and wedgefish (Rhynchobatus spp.)) in two case study SSFs in Indonesia. Scenario interviews revealed that positive performance-based incentives were almost unanimously supported (98% and 96% of fishers would stop landing hammerheads and wedgefish, respectively). This is in contrast to 1% and 6% under a business as usual control scenario, and 52% and 46% in response to a regulation with a fine. Using CV, we estimated that an incentive-based scheme for catch mitigation of all hammerheads and wedgefish across both sites could cost US$71,620-298,820 annually, and save up to 18,500 hammerheads and 2,140 wedgefish relative to current catch baselines. This study provides empirical evidence that performance-based payments could offer a cost-effective, legitimate and socially-just approach for marine conservation in SSFs, and support “a sustainable and equitable blue economy” and “living in harmony with nature”. This is particularly important with the growing adoption of net-outcome goals for biodiversity, with studies such as this providing the basis for locally-appropriate investment ready schemes for bycatch-neutral seafood supply chains.

scholarly journals Supporting Spatial Management of Data-Poor, Small-Scale Fisheries With a Bayesian Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Rehren ◽  
Maria Grazia Pennino ◽  
Marta Coll ◽  
Narriman Jiddawi ◽  
Christopher Muhando
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Marine Conservation ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Target Species ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Bayesian Hierarchical ◽  
Small Scale Fisheries ◽  
Spatial Management

Marine conservation areas are an important tool for the sustainable management of multispecies, small-scale fisheries. Effective spatial management requires a proper understanding of the spatial distribution of target species and the identification of its environmental drivers. Small-scale fisheries, however, often face scarcity and low-quality of data. In these situations, approaches for the prioritization of conservation areas need to deal with scattered, biased, and short-term information and ideally should quantify data- and model-specific uncertainties for a better understanding of the risks related to management interventions. We used a Bayesian hierarchical species distribution modeling approach on annual landing data of the heavily exploited, small-scale, and data-poor fishery of Chwaka Bay (Zanzibar) in the Western Indian Ocean to understand the distribution of the key target species and identify potential areas for conservation. Few commonalities were found in the set of important habitat and environmental drivers among species, but temperature, depth, and seagrass cover affected the spatial distribution of three of the six analyzed species. A comparison of our results with information from ecological studies suggests that our approach predicts the distribution of the analyzed species reasonably well. Furthermore, the two main common areas of high relative abundance identified in our study have been previously suggested by the local fisher as important areas for spatial conservation. By using short-term, catch per unit of effort data in a Bayesian hierarchical framework, we quantify the associated uncertainties while accounting for spatial dependencies. More importantly, the use of accessible and interpretable tools, such as the here created spatial maps, can frame a better understanding of spatio-temporal management for local fishers. Our approach, thus, supports the operability of spatial management in small-scale fisheries suffering from a general lack of long-term fisheries information and fisheries independent data.

scholarly journals Disconnects in global discourses—the unintended consequences of marine mammal protection on small-scale fishers

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrina J. Davis ◽  
Joanna Alfaro-Shigueto ◽  
William N.S. Arlidge ◽  
Michael Burton ◽  
Jeffrey C. Mangel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Marine Mammal ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
South American ◽  
Global Policy ◽  
Small Scale Fisheries ◽  
Gill Net ◽  
Large Scope ◽  
Mammal Conservation

AbstractGlobally, the populations of many marine mammals remain of critical concern after centuries of exploitation and hunting. However, some marine mammal populations (e.g. pinnipeds) have largely recovered from exploitation, and interactions between these species and fisheries—particularly small-scale fisheries—is once again of concern globally. The large scope and widespread scale of interactions highlights the local disconnect between two global policies: marine mammal conservation and small-scale fisheries protection. In this research, we explore these conflicting global policies by assessing the perceptions of coastal small-scale fishers in Peru and Chile regarding their interactions with pinnipeds, including the South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens) and South American fur seal (Arctocephalus australis). We surveyed 301 gill net fishers and assess perceptions using a best-worst scaling methodology. We find that fishers are chiefly concerned with the increase in pinniped populations, perceive that their interactions with pinnipeds have significantly increased over the past 80 years, and report pinniped-driven catch and income losses ≥ 26 per cent. Surprisingly, fishers do not believe that compensation schemes will resolve this issue—instead they overwhelmingly call for pinniped population culls. The reported number of pinnipeds illegally killed by fishers suggests the potential for large negative impacts on these protected species, and a loss of legitimacy in marine regulation. Collectively, our results portray a sense of marginalisation from fishers’—that global policy treats them as less “important” than marine mammals. Our results highlight the increasing disconnect in global policy, which on one hand seeks to protect threatened marine mammal populations, and on the other seeks to promote the welfare of small-scale fishers.

scholarly journals Marine megafauna interactions with small-scale fisheries in the southwestern Indian Ocean: a review of status and challenges for research and management

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew J. Temple ◽  
Jeremy J. Kiszka ◽  
Selina M. Stead ◽  
Nina Wambiji ◽  
Atanásio Brito ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Small Scale Fisheries ◽  
Marine Megafauna ◽  
Southwestern Indian Ocean

scholarly journals Marine megafauna catch in southwestern Indian Ocean small-scale fisheries from landings data

2019 ◽  
Vol 230 ◽  
pp. 113-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew J. Temple ◽  
Nina Wambiji ◽  
Chris N.S. Poonian ◽  
Narriman Jiddawi ◽  
Selina M. Stead ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Small Scale Fisheries ◽  
Marine Megafauna ◽  
Southwestern Indian Ocean

scholarly journals Marine Social Science for the Peopled Seas

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan Bennett
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Social Science ◽  
Climate Adaptation ◽  
Marine Conservation ◽  
Human Dimensions ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Marine Policy ◽  
Substantial Part ◽  
Ocean Science

Coastal communities, indigenous peoples, and small-scale fishers rely on the ocean for livelihoods, for subsistence, for wellbeing and for cultural continuity. Thus, understanding the human dimensions of the world’s peopled seas and coasts is fundamental to evidence-based decision-making across marine policy realms, including marine conservation, marine spatial planning, fisheries management, the blue economy and climate adaptation. This perspective article contends that the marine social sciences must inform the pursuit of sustainable oceans. To this end, the article introduces this burgeoning field and briefly reviews the insights that social science can offer to guide ocean and coastal policy and management. The upcoming United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030) provides a tremendous opportunity to build on the current interest, need for and momentum in the marine social sciences. We will be missing the boat if the marine social sciences do not form an integral and substantial part of the mandate and investments of this global ocean science for sustainability initiative.

scholarly journals Trading information for conservation: a novel use of radio broadcasting to reduce sea turtle bycatch

Oryx ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 332-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Alfaro-Shigueto ◽  
Jeffrey C. Mangel ◽  
Peter H. Dutton ◽  
Jeffrey A. Seminoff ◽  
Brendan J. Godley
Keyword(s):  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Sea Turtle ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Radio Communication ◽  
Marine Turtles ◽  
Small Scale Fisheries ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Spatial Coverage

AbstractBycatch of non-target animals in small-scale fisheries poses a major threat to seabirds and marine mammals and turtles. This is also a problem for small-scale fisheries in Peru because of the magnitude of these fisheries and the important marine biodiversity in Peruvian waters. Here we describe how we implemented a novel approach to mitigate bycatch impacts on marine turtles in Peru. We used high-frequency (HF) two-way radio communication to exchange information with fishers. We sought data that would afford insights into fishing patterns and levels of turtle bycatch so that we could identify areas of high-density bycatch in real time and warn other fishers. In return we provided oceanographic and atmospheric information useful for the fishers. Radio communication also served as a platform to promote the use of safe handling and release techniques for incidentally caught animals. During the 24 months of the programme we communicated with over 200 vessels and with 200–1,400 fishers, who used primarily longlines, gillnets, jiggers, purse seiners and trawlers. Our findings suggest that HF radio communication is a useful tool (low cost and widely used by fishers, with extensive spatial coverage), helps build links with fishers that potentially reduces fishery impacts on marine turtles, and can also provide information on poorly documented fisheries and the relevant bycatch data associated with small-scale fishing practices.

Dysbaric osteonecrosis associated with decompression sickness in a fishing diver

2019 ◽  
pp. 217-220
Author(s):  
Eduardo Briceño-Souza ◽  
◽  
Nina Méndez-Domínguez ◽  
Ricardo j Cárdenas-Dajda ◽  
Walter Chin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Femoral Head ◽  
Decompression Sickness ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Prior History ◽  
Radiological Findings ◽  
Small Scale Fisheries ◽  
Left Limb ◽  
History Of ◽  
Decompression Stress ◽  
Probable Diagnosis

Diving as a method of fishing is used worldwide in small-scale fisheries. However, one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality among fishermen is decompression sickness (DCS). We report the case of a 46-year-old male fisherman diver who presented with chronic inguinal pain that radiated to the lower left limb. Living and working in a fishing port in Yucatan, he had a prior history of DCS. A diagnosis of avascular necrosis in the left femoral head secondary to DCS was made via analysis of clinical and radiological findings. The necrosis was surgically resolved by a total hip arthroplasty. Dysbaric osteonecrosis is a more probable diagnosis. In this region fishermen undergo significant decompression stress in their daily fishing efforts. Further studies regarding prevalence of dysbaric osteonecrosis among small-scale fisheries divers are needed. In a community where DCS is endemic and has become an epidemic, as of late, the perception of this health risk remains low. Furthermore, training and decompression technique are lacking among the fishing communities.

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