Mapping fishing grounds from fleet operation records and local knowledge: The Pacific calico scallop (Argopecten ventricosus) fishery in Bahia Magdalena, Mexican Pacific

Abstract

For ecosystem-based fisheries management, the identification of different strategies for the spatial and temporal use of resources is key. Such strategies are related to the fleet operation dynamics and can be identified from catch data per season and fishing area, for each target species. In Mexico, such data are reported in fishing trip tickets; in this article, we use these data to map the Pacific calico scallop (Argopecten ventricosus) fishery in the Magdalena-Almejas Bay region, Baja California Sur. Three distinctive zones were identified within the bay based on physiographic features. Fishing zones were defined based on catch size, economic value and record frequency between 1998 and 2010. The zones were validated through a survey of fishermen's local knowledge. The resulting maps display fishing activity patterns related to temporal variations in scallop availability.