Using a climate attribution statistic to inform judgments about changing fisheries sustainability

Sustainability—maintaining catches within the historical range of socially and ecologically acceptable values—is key to fisheries success. Climate change may rapidly threaten sustainability, and recognizing these instances is important for effective climate adaptation. Here, we present one approach for evaluating changing sustainability under a changing climate. We use Bayesian regression models to compare fish population processes under historical climate norms and emerging anthropogenic extremes. To define anthropogenic extremes we use the Fraction of Attributable Risk (FAR), which estimates the proportion of risk for extreme ocean temperatures that can be attributed to human influence. We illustrate our approach with estimates of recruitment (production of young fish, a key determinant of sustainability) for two exploited fishes (Pacific cod Gadus macrocephalus and walleye pollock G. chalcogrammus) in a rapidly warming ecosystem, the Gulf of Alaska. We show that recruitment distributions for both species have shifted towards zero during anthropogenic climate extremes. Predictions based on the projected incidence of anthropogenic temperature extremes indicate that expected recruitment, and therefore fisheries sustainability, is markedly lower in the current climate than during recent decades. Using FAR to analyze changing population processes may help fisheries managers and stakeholders to recognize situations when historical sustainability expectations should be reevaluated.

Portfolios, programs, and projects in strategic marine-fisheries sustainability and blue growth: a case study in Indonesia

The purpose of the study was to design the development of creative and sustainable solutions to critical problems of marine and fisheries through Portfolio, Programme and Project Management Maturity Model (P3M3) in order to execute strategic marine-fisheries sustainability and blue growth: a case study in Indonesia. This model can help marine-fisheries businesses deconstruct the problems of existing industries and create a new (innovative) policy based on the alignment of macro level (portfolio management), meso level (programme management) and micro level (project management) by providing superior value of Triple Bottom Line (economic-social-deep ecological environment) to the stakeholders and the generations for today and future forevermore.

Sustainability analysis of pelagic fisheries using purse seine at Ujong Serangga Fishing Port, Aceh, Indonesia

Analysis of the sustainability of pelagic fisheries using purse seine at the Ujong Serangga fishing port is an analysis to determine the level of fisheries sustainability by maintaining a balance between the level of exploitation and the level of utilization of fish resources. The purpose of this study was to determine the sustainability of pelagic fisheries and the most influential factors on the sustainability of pelagic fisheries. This study applied descriptive method with a survey technique. The analysis used is RAPFISH (Rapid Appraisal for Fisheries). The results of the RAPFISH analysis show that the ecological dimension is at a moderate level of sustainability, the economic dimension is at a less sustainable level, the social dimension is at a sustainable level, while the technological dimension is at a moderately sustainable level. Fishing catch that affect the sustainability of pelagic fisheries with purse seine are the ecological dimension by-catch. The economic dimension, assistance from the government with a score of 18.27 and attributes of working capital sources. The social dimension, fisherman’s education and the technological dimension, pre-sale management.

Reef Conservation off the Hook: Can Market Interventions Make Coral Reef Fisheries More Sustainable?

The overexploitation of coral reef fisheries threatens the persistence of reef ecosystems and the livelihoods and food security of millions of people. Market-based initiatives to increase fisheries sustainability have been widely implemented in industrialized commodity fisheries, but the suitability of these initiatives for coral reef fisheries has not been systematically investigated. Here, we present a typology of market-based interventions and coral reef fisheries sectors and identity promising approaches for each fishery archetype. For high value, export-oriented reef fisheries that are highly unsustainable (live reef food fish and dried sea cucumbers), traditional regulatory efforts including trade restrictions will be most effective. For high-value, export-oriented fisheries for highly fecund invertebrates (lobsters and mollusks), certification and ratings efforts, fishery improvement projects, and sustainable purchasing commitments can improve fishing practices and increase fisher market access and revenue. For lower-value fisheries targeting species for domestic or regional consumption, sustainable purchasing commitments among local buyers, consumer awareness campaigns, and local certification and ratings schemes hold promise for shifting attitudes toward sustainability and increasing food security for local communities. Finally, fisher empowerment efforts including direct access to local markets and market information, training on improved post-harvest methods, and formation of fisher associations hold promise for increasing fisher incomes, reducing wasteful catch, increasing food security, and de-incentivizing unsustainable practices. Despite the potential of market-based interventions, specific approaches must be carefully tailored to the ecological and social reality of these systems, including the inherent unsustainability of commercial coral reef fisheries, the limited capacity for fisheries governance, the limited financial support of market-based initiatives, and the threatened status of coral reef ecosystems globally.

Ecosystem-Based MSP for Enhanced Fisheries Sustainability: An Example from the Northern Adriatic (Chioggia—Venice and Rovigo, Italy)

Human pressures on marine ecosystems significantly increased during last decades. Among the intense anthropic activities, industrial fisheries have caused the alteration of habitats, the reduction of biodiversity and the main fish stocks. The aim of this research, carried out in the Adriatic Sea, was to test a repeatable Marine Spatial Planning framework aimed at enhancing fisheries sustainability through the application of Decision Support Tools and the composition of a catalog of possible measures. The use of these tools proved very useful to identify possible criticalities and facilitate an effective exchange with fisheries stakeholders, local authorities, and fishermen, whose involvement was an indispensable step in the process. Tool-based analyses allowed to assess the spatial footprint of a range of anthropogenic pressures from human activities (e.g., fisheries, maritime traffic, and aquaculture). Within this multi-pressure scenario, special attention was paid to fishing-related disturbances and potential conflicts across different fishing métier and with other sectors. Specifically, results highlighted the spatial features of the major fishing pressures (e.g., abrasion from trawling) affecting essential fish habitats, marine mammals and turtles in the study area. A portfolio of possible management measures is identified for the study area. It provides clear evidence that, in order to mitigate emerging conflicts and cumulative impacts, it is necessary to combine and integrate different types of measures: spatial measures modulated over time, monitoring and control, actions to fill knowledge gaps, concertation—involvement—co-management actions, improvement of governance systems, actions to support innovation in the sector, etc. Given the complex set of measures discussed, this work can provide a useful contribution to the management of fisheries both at local and regional level, fostering the transition to sustainable fisheries.