Self-Regulation of Commercial Fisheries of the Outer Long Point Bay, Lake Erie

Abstract

We examined self-regulation among commercial fishermen of Outer Long Point Bay, and found evidence of it with respect to avoidance of crowding among gillnets, avoidance of gillnet-trawl conflicts, fishermen's attitudes toward smelt and perch quotas, fish size limits, and gillnet mesh size. Some of these are primary fishermen-controlled, and many are industry-controlled, for example, through the processors. While the fishermen and the fishing industry have some ability to self-regulate, fishermen may not be able to manage fisheries successfully because of conflicts among themselves and factors external to their control. Given the scope of management issues discussed in this paper, it is clear that self-regulation alone cannot meet the need for resource protection. Rather, we are suggesting that fishery regulations be designed to take account of existing self-regulation, and biological objectives for stock protection be reconciled with socio-economic objectives for the industry.