Abstract
Information on stock status is available only for a few of the species forming the catch assemblage of rapido fishery of the North-central Adriatic Sea (Mediterranean Sea). Species that are caught almost exclusively by this gear, either as target (such as Pectinidae) or accessory catches (such as flatfishes apart from the common sole), remain unassessed mainly due to the lack of data and biological information. Based on cluster analysis, the catch assemblage of this fishery was identified and assessed using CMSY model. The results of this data-poor methodology showed that, among the species analyzed, no one is sustainably exploited. The single-species CMSY results were used as input to an extension of the same model, to test the effect of four different harvest control rule (HCR) scenarios on the entire catch assemblage, through 15-years forecasts. The analysis showed that the percentage of the stocks that will reach Bmsy at the end of the projections will depend on the HCR applied. Forecasts showed that a reduction of 20% of fishing effort may permit to most of the target and accessory species of the rapido trawl fishery in the Adriatic Sea to recover to Bmsy levels within 15 years, also providing a slight increase in the expected catches.
Highlights
Single Species Fishery Management (SSFM) has many limitations since it does not consider the effects of fishing on non-target species and the effect of species interaction on the fisheries (Link, 2010)
This paper presents the first attempt to analyze and to project in the medium-term future the state of exploitation of the catch assemblage caught by rapido trawlers in the North Adriatic Sea (General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean – GFCM, Geographical Sub-Area – GSA 17), one of the most impacting fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea (Colloca et al, 2017)
The rapido trawl fishery has been in place for more than 50 years in the western side of the north-central Adriatic Sea (Figure 1), where it is carried out all year round on the soft bottoms outside three nautical miles offshore (Scarcella et al, 2007)
Summary
Single Species Fishery Management (SSFM) has many limitations since it does not consider the effects of fishing on non-target species and the effect of species interaction on the fisheries (Link, 2010). Few practical experiments are available, intergovernmental marine science organizations strongly advise about the limited view given by single-stock management on multiple stocks caught in mixed fisheries (ICES., 2017). To avoid this situation, and under the government’s recommendation, in recent years fishery science has. To date management advices for the Mediterranean Sea mostly rely on single-species stock assessment methodologies (FAO-GFCM, 2019)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
