The Influence of Environmental Factors and Fishing Pressure on Catch Rates of Diplodus vulgaris

Abstract

The variability of coastal marine resources has been linked to environmental variability but the impacts of artisanal nearshore fishing activity and environmental factors interact in different ways. Time series, Min/Max Autocorrelation Factor, Generalised Least Squares and Dynamic Factor Analyses models were applied to examine the role of environmental factors (SST, NAO Index, Upwelling Index, Wind Magnitude, Easterly Wind Component, Northerly Wind Component, Coastal River Discharges) and fisheries effort on commercial catch rates of Diplodus vulgaris in the Northwest, Southwest and South Portuguese coast. Environmental factors were found to affect short-term variations of catch rates with a time lag of 2 years, according to the regions and seasons. In the Northwest, autumn wind magnitude and summer river discharges were positively correlated with D. vulgaris catch rates. In the Southwest, D. vulgaris catch rates were negatively associated with variations in winter sea surface temperature. In the South, catch rates were positively associated with yearly westerly wind component and yearly, winter and autumn river discharges whilst negatively associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) Index. These results indicate that both large-scale climatic patterns and local hydrological factors can have an influential role in determining the abundance of D. vulgaris stocks. Fishery assessment should therefore incorporate information on ecosystem and environmental effects to help managers to make informed decisions on how to best regulate coastal fisheries.