Institutional nuts and bolts for a mesopelagic fishery in Norway

Dag Standal,Eduardo Grimaldo

doi:10.1016/j.marpol.2020.104043

Abstract

While most commercial fish stocks in the north Atlantic are regulated with TAC's (total allowable catch), access regulations and IVQ's (individual vessel quotas), harvesting mesopelagic fish resources, such as pearlsides (Maurolicus muelleri) and glacier lanthern fish (Benthosema glaciale), represents a clear exception. Neither TAC's nor rules for bycatch are implemented. As mesopelagic fish resources are classified as one of the largest fish resources globally and abundant in the north-Atlantic, the species represent a significant potential for the development a new fishery and source for the biomarine industry. However, with reference to the historical development of other fisheries, lack of TAC-regimes represents a major driver for capacity expansion. As a new mesopelagic fishery may be conducted either as a new- and additional season for today's deep-sea pelagic fleet or by specialized vessels for a year-round mesopelagic fishery, the alternatives represents different capacity adaptations and institutional implications for the management regime. This article outlines the mesopelagic potential, which management principles may be implemented to a mesopelagic fishery and the interplay to other TAC-regulated pelagic fisheries.

Highlights

From 1950 to 1990, world fishery catches increased from 20 to 90 million tonnes, a growth rate of 8–9% per year
A mesopelagic fishery is in its infancy or at an experimental level, the nature of the resource, histories of the development of wellestablished fisheries, and modern management principles provide use ful information with relevant management implications for a future mesopelagic fishery
For Norway, an important feature is that none of the commercial fish resources are sole Norwegian re sources

Summary

Introduction

From 1950 to 1990, world fishery catches increased from 20 to 90 million tonnes, a growth rate of 8–9% per year. Within Norway’s economic exclusive zone (EEZ) and the most relevant areas for mesopelagic fish species (The Norwegian Sea), commercial fish stocks, such as herring, mackerel and blue whiting, are well managed and within safe biological limits. In this setting, the search to develop a mesopelagic fishery does not correspond to Pauly et al.’s [5] perspective that fishing for unexploited mesopelagic fish resources is driven by over-harvested or depleted fish stocks higher up in the marine ecosystem. Section four outlines implementation of central management principles, potential management implications for different capacity adaptations, and some key points for further development

Mesopelagic opportunities

Framing the capacity concept

Findings

Discussion