Abstract
In addition to their role as a fisheries management tool, discard bans can be effective in improving knowledge of total catches via the requirement to land and report all catches. This shifts the focus to understanding the scale of unreported catches in fisheries, rather than only on discards. However, the presence of a discard ban can cause problems with estimation process, as it involves the observation of illegal activities, and the complex sources of unreported catches require a different approach to estimation. The Norwegian discard ban was introduced in 1987 as part of a wider suite of regulatory measures to improve exploitation patterns in commercial fisheries, but a framework for the regular estimation of unreported catches has yet to be established and operationalised. Here, we aim to identify global best practices for estimating unreported catches under a discard ban and assess their applicability to Norwegian fisheries. We approach this in three steps: (1) defining the scope of an estimation, (2) data collection, and (3) the actual procedure for estimation. We discuss how each step can affect the quality of an estimate with regards to accuracy, precision, practical limitations and whether the estimate is fit for purpose. Finally, we provide a list of recommendations for future studies and identify key knowledge gaps and limitations regarding their application to Norwegian fisheries.
Highlights
Information about total removals by a fishery is vital to detect and manage impacts on stocks and ecosystems and so contribute to the long-term sustainability of the fishery
In this review we aim to identify best practices used globally to estimate unreported bycatches and discards and determine if they can be applied to Norwegian fisheries under a discard ban
This review has identified a range of best practices for estimating unreported catches which, whilst in the context of Norwegian fisheries under a discard ban, are framed to be relevant to other discard bans globally where similarities can be identified
Summary
Information about total removals by a fishery is vital to detect and manage impacts on stocks and ecosystems and so contribute to the long-term sustainability of the fishery. If this knowledge comes from reported catches, it only represents the landed portion of catches (hereafter referred to as landings). For non-commercial species, a lack of understanding about total catches will limit knowledge of a fishery’s impact on the wider ecosystem, on species of conservation importance (Gray and Kennelly 2018). Wasted resources have the potential to become new market opportunities, improving utilisation and economics sustainability
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