Vessel monitoring systems as a tool for mapping fishing effort for a small inshore fishery operating within a marine protected area

Abstract

Robust, quantified evidence of spatial and temporal patterns of inshore fishing activity is required to assist management in the face of a growing number of marine protected area (MPA) designations. Vessel monitoring system (VMS) technology has provided such data for the offshore fleet but has yet to be studied in relation to the inshore fleet. This study tested the effectiveness of VMS on quantifying fishing activity for a near inshore fishery, comprised solely of <12 m vessels, operating within the Poole Harbour MPA (Dorset, UK). VMS data were collected from up to three vessels between 2012–2013 and 2014–2015. Analysis using GIS allowed spatial and temporal comparisons of fishing effort down to 250 m2 and enabled activity to be overlaid with MPA features. A 10-min reporting interval was determined suitable for quantifying fishing effort at the operational scale of this <12 m fleet. Results showed a decline in overall fishing effort in 2014 and mixed seasonal usage of four defined areas of the Harbour. Fishing effort intensity was lowest during November to February, coinciding with the period of greatest sensitivity for designated features of the MPA and no active fishing was detected within defined sensitive areas for these features. It is concluded that VMS data can be used successfully on the <12 m inshore sector, over small spatial scales, to quantify patterns of activity and detect overlap with MPA features. VMS should be used to create high confidence datasets for the inshore sector that assist in the development of evidence-based, rather than precautionary, management.