Fisheries Management System Research Articles

Examination of Management Models in the Common Fisheries Policy

This paper analyses the historical development of fisheries management systems within the framework of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP): how resources are managed, how tasks are allocated by the Commission, and how quotas must be implemented. Early developments were based on the control of the fleet, aiming at the best compliance regarding catches by removing the overcapacity derived from the imbalance fleet/resources. The next developments focus on the allocation of national quotas and financial subsidies. Lastly, from the 2002 reform, the developments focus on managing the fishing effort according to the precautionary principle and the implementation of individual fishing rights. The document also deals with the different criteria implemented to strengthen this more and more open and competitive sector, with more liability for producers. Finally, the author places particular emphasis on how to establish the different positions related to decision-making processes all through the period from 1983 to 2009, mainly with regard to micromanagement and regionalisation of fisheries. These recommendations would mean a change of mentality in reference to the principles of the Common Fisheries Policy.

Allocation of Demersal Harvest Rights in Iceland

It is generally understood that since 1984 the Icelandic fishery man- agement system has been based on individual transferable quotas (ITQs), that licenses for commercial fishing in Iceland were allocated to owners of vessels according to their fishing activity for the period 1 November 1982 through 31 October 1983, and quota shares in the demersal fisheries (usually 70–80 % of the annual catch value) were allocated according to the catch history of vessels in the period 1 November 1980 through 31 October 1983. Several judgements have been based on these premises. The aim of this article is to illustrate that the Icelandic fishery management system has by no means been a 100 % ITQ system since 1984, and that alloca- tion of fishing licenses and quotas in the demersal fisheries in Iceland has been far more complicated than the aforementioned understanding would indicate. In fact since 1984 the Icelandic system has evolved more by trial-and-error than by design, and a substantial portion of the demersal quota shares have been reallocated. These reallocations should influence how the system is judged and evaluated.Keywords: fisheries management, ITQs, allocation of fishing rights, equality, property right, freedom of employmentCitation: Arctic Review on Law and Politics, vol. 1, 2/2010 p. 299-318. ISSN 1891-6252

Evolving science of marine reserves: New developments and emerging research frontiers

The field of marine reserve science has matured greatly over the last decade, moving beyond studies of single reserves and beyond perspectives from single disciplines. This Special Feature exemplifies recent advances in marine reserve research, showing insights gained from synthetic studies of reserve networks, long-term changes within reserves, integration of social and ecological science research, and balance between reserve design for conservation as well as fishery and other commercial objectives. This rich body of research helps to inform conservation planning for marine ecosystems but also poses new challenges for further study, including how to best design integrated fisheries management and conservation systems, how to effectively evaluate the performance of entire reserve networks, and how to examine the complex coupling between ecological and socioeconomic responses to reserve networks.

Performance evaluation of harvest control rules for Pacific herring management in British Columbia, Canada

Abstract Cleary, J. S., Cox, S. P., and Schweigert, J. F. 2010. Performance evaluation of harvest control rules for Pacific herring management in British Columbia, Canada. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 2005–2011. Despite application of a harvest control rule (HCR) since 1986, abundance of several Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi) stocks in British Columbia, Canada, are currently below levels considered adequate for exploitation. An alternative HCR, based on default limit and upper stock reference (USR) points at 0.4 BMSY and 0.8 BMSY, was recently developed under Canada's precautionary fisheries management policy. We simulated the Pacific herring fishery management system to examine whether (i) realized fishery performance over the past 10 years is an expected consequence of applying the existing herring HCR (with a single lower reference point) and (ii) performance could be improved by adopting the Department of Fisheries and Oceans new HCR with limit and USR points. Both HCRs successfully rebuilt stocks to sustainable levels under a high-productivity scenario, but performed poorly when stock productivity was low. The two HCRs were sensitive to stock productivity, because the effect of a target harvest rate (20%) that is independent of productivity was much larger than the effects of biomass reference-point choices. We therefore recommend further research on estimating reference points and sustainable harvest rates for Pacific herring, so that HCRs may be made more responsive to changes in productivity.

Responsible Approach to Marine Stock Enhancement: An Update

Marine stock enhancement is a set of management approaches involving the release of cultured organisms to enhance or restore fisheries. Such practices, including sea ranching, stock enhancement, and restocking, are widespread, of variable success, and often controversial. A set of principles aimed at promoting responsible development of restocking, stock enhancement, and sea ranching has been proposed by Blankenship and Leber [American Fisheries Society Symposia 15: 167–175 (1995)], and has gained widespread acceptance as the ‘Responsible Approach’. Fisheries science and management, in general, and many aspects of fisheries enhancement have developed rapidly since the responsible approach was first formulated. Here we provide an update to the Responsible Approach in light of these developments. The updated approach emphasizes the need for taking a broad and integrated view of the role of enhancements within fisheries management systems; using a stakeholder participatory and scientifically informed, accountable planning process; and assessing the potential contribution of enhancement and alternative or additional measures to fisheries management goals early on in the development or reform process. Progress in fisheries assessment methods applicable to enhancements and in fisheries governance provides the means for practical implementation of the updated approach.

Spatial coherence between remotely sensed ocean color data and vertical distribution of lidar backscattering in coastal stratified waters

Detection of sub-surface optical layers in marine waters has important applications in fisheries management, climate modeling, and decision-based systems related to military operations. Concurrent changes in the magnitude and spatial variability of remote sensing reflectance ( R rs ) ratios and submerged scattering layers were investigated in coastal waters of the northern Gulf of Alaska during summer of 2002 based on high resolution and simultaneous passive (MicroSAS) and active (Fish Lidar Oceanic Experimental, FLOE) optical measurements. Principal Component Analysis revealed that the spatial variability of total lidar backscattering signal ( S) between 2.1 and 20 m depth was weakly associated with changes in the inherent optical properties (IOPs) of surface waters. Also based on a 250-m footprint, the vertical attenuation of S was inversely related to the IOPs (Spearman Rank Correlation up to −0.43). Low (arithmetic average and standard deviation) and high (skewness and kurtosis) moments of R rs (443)/ R rs (490) and R rs (508)/ R rs (555) ratios were correlated with vertical changes in total lidar backscattering signal ( S) at different locations. This suggests the use of sub-pixel ocean color statistics to infer the spatial distribution of sub-surface scattering layers in coastal waters characterized by stratified conditions, well defined S layers (i.e., magnitude of S maximum comparable to near surface values), and relatively high vertically integrated phytoplankton pigments in the euphotic zone (chlorophyll a concentration > 150 mg m − 2 ).

Risk identification and perception in the fisheries sector: Comparisons between the Faroes, Greece, Iceland and UK

This paper presents the findings of risk identification and risk perception research conducted in relation to the fisheries systems of four distinct and diverse European countries: Faroes, Iceland, Greece and the UK. Risk research traditionally attempts to quantify the potential threat or consequences from a range of risk events or hazards. This research, however, adopted a social sciences perspective and so assumed that a risk event or hazard can mean different things to different people and that these perceptions are also context and culturally dependent. Risk perceptions were examined and risk registers developed in each country for a range of stakeholder groups. A ‘mental modelling’ approach was adopted in a series of qualitative interviews. Findings were examined in terms of a wide range of psychological, social and cultural risk theories. Differences in risk perceptions were noted between stakeholder groups and countries and contextual influences were examined such as the widely differing fisheries management systems used in each country. This research provides one of the first attempts to systematically evaluate risks and perceptions across a range of fisheries-systems. The findings support social science theories which argue that risk is a subjective, as opposed to objective, concept and that this subjectivity will therefore affect our attempts to assess and manage those hazards we think we can potentially influence or control.

Reforming the European Common Fisheries Policy: a case for capacity and effort controls

AbstractI summarize the total allowable catch (TAC) fishery management system, which forms part of the European Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) as complicated, inaccurate and ineffective. Total allowable effort (TAE), i.e. limits on fishing capacity and days‐at‐sea, provides a simpler, readily enforceable control to protect all species affected by a fishery. Fishing capacity of vessels in each region‐gear fleet could be capped through limits on engine power, gear, crew, and fittings, and/or reducing allowances of days‐at‐sea for large, powerful vessels. Two basic, fishery‐dependent indicators are put forward to assess sustainability of a fishery dependably even in the absence of fishery‐independent data. One is socio‐economic, the other is ecological. Fishery working groups within each marine region would recommend a TAE to sustain their fishery while also protecting the most critically affected species or processes. Regional working groups would supervise a consistent approach across the different fisheries in their region. A pan‐European group would set policy, implement external agreements, set rules for trading TAE if necessary and harmonize fishing opportunities across regions. To ease negotiations on TAEs with the fishing industry when an ecosystem needs to recover, I propose compensation payments funded by re‐direction of existing CFP subsidies that promote fishing.

The fishery agreements and management systems in the East China Sea

The fishery agreements and management systems in the East China Sea

Spawning and recruitment patterns of major fish species in Bontanga Reservoir, Ghana, West Africa

The spawning and recruitment patterns of the major Cichlid fish species, including Hemichromis fasciatus, Oreochromis niloticus, Sarotherodon galilaeus, Tilapia zillii and other species, Auchenoglanis occidentalis, Brycinus nurse, Clarias gariepinus and Marcusenius senegalensis were studied for 24 months in Bontanga Reservoir, Ghana, using length-based fish stock assessment approaches. The species spawned throughout the year, with two spawning pulses described as major and minor spawning seasons. The major spawning season occurred from March to September for the Cichlids, and from May to September for the other species. The minor spawning season, indicative of extended spawning, occurred from October to March for all the fish stocks. Fish spawning began with the onset of the rains in April/May, peaking by June/July, before the rainfall peak in August for all the fish stocks studied. Recruitment was found to occur throughout the year, with major and minor pulses coinciding with the major and minor spawning seasons. Accordingly, the most appropriate time for a possible closed fishing period appears to be from June to August, 1 month after the start of, and before the end of, the rains. The estimated mean standard length (Lm) for first time spawners of A. occidentalis, B. nurse, C. gariepinus and H. faciatus were 11.7, 12.7, 2.7 and 7.5 cm respectively. The estimated maturity–length ratio of 0.4 and 0.2 for O. niloticus, S. galilaeus and T. zillii were lower than the known 0.7 for normal growth, suggesting the tilapias matured faster, and at a smaller size, in the reservoir. Apparent sexual precocity associated with early maturity, year-round spawning and recruitment were some important adaptations found to have sustained the reservoir fisheries, even during high fishing pressures. For conservation and sustainable exploitation of the fisheries, instituting a closed fishing season, mesh size regulations, withdrawal rights and a community-based fishery management system are recommended.

Tangled lines in New Zealand's quota management system: The process of including recreational fisheries

Abstract This article uses New Zealand as a case study of processes relating to the inclusion of recreational fisheries in modern fisheries management systems based on Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs). The New Zealand case highlights challenges governments often meet when attempting to integrate the recreational sector into fisheries management, including: (a) resistance to restrictions on what has historically been free-of-charge public access to fish for recreational purposes and (b) the fragmented character of the recreational sector, which makes it difficult to have recreational interests attend to their management role and responsibilities.

Rapid assessment of community needs and fisheries status in tsunami-affected communities in Aceh Province, Indonesia

This paper describes the application of the methodology called Rapid Appraisal of Fisheries Management System (RAFMS) to assess quickly the situation in tsunami-affected coastal fisheries in Aceh Province, Indonesia. As a diagnostic tool, the RAFMS is introduced in terms of its conceptual framework and procedures. The RAFMS was used to appraise the status of the fisheries sector in selected 15 villages. Information generated concerning level of fishing effort, marketing patterns and community perspectives on livelihood options are used as three illustrative examples. The paper also provides some insights in applying the RAFMS methodology in the context of disasters and in the broader context of tropical fisheries management.

Fisheries management using a pooling fishery system with a competitive sharing rule as a remedy for the “tragedy of the commons”

We propose the concept of a pooling fishery system with a competitive sharing rule as a remedy for the tragedy of the commons without the need to consider the free-riding problem or dissatisfaction of more skillful or eager members. Each fisherman receives his share of pooled income according to his level of achievement, relative to those of other members, of pre-agreed common objectives such as the conservation of depleted stocks. After analyzing the system using the game theoretic approach, we examine its performance as a fisheries management system using a computer simulation. In our example, this system was proven to suppress increases in fishing effort by game theoretic interactions among fishermen, to maintain the stock size at a high level, and to increase the average fishing income. Although there is still much scope for improving this system for practical use, the concept of this system has the potential to contribute to the attainment of sustainable fisheries management.

A comparative review of the fisheries resource management systems in New Zealand and in the European Union

This review aims at comparing the fisheries management systems existing in New Zealand and in the European Union. The involvement of stakeholders at all stages of the management process is generally more transparent and better established in New Zealand than in the EU. Both systems aim at achieving an adequate balance between sustainability and utilisation and consider the precautionary approach as a founding principle. The social objectives are probably more explicit in the EU management system. In New Zealand, B-MSY is a legal management target for all stocks in the quota management system (QMS), but management strategies were poorly explicit until most recently. In the EU, there have not been any legal management targets or strategies until 1999. Since 1999, a number of multi-annual recovery and management plans have been established, including both management targets and strategies. Both management systems include conservation and access regulation measures. The EU management measures aim at regulating fisheries outputs and inputs, and discarding is tolerated. New Zealand management is almost exclusively output-based, and discarding practices are banned. In the EU, while individual quotas (IQs) are implicit in several countries, there is no consistent pattern across Member States for allocating TACs. In New Zealand, individual transferable quotas (ITQs) are implemented, and some flexibility in catch-quota balancing is provided by a carry-over allowance and the payment of a landing tax, the deemed value, for every fish landed above quota. If rights-based management were introduced in the EU based on, e. g., the New Zealand model, we suggest that concentration rules be set in accordance with the social objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy, and also that the deemed value should be set based on science and economics.

Modeling the effects of fishery management and marine protected areas on the Beibu Gulf using spatial ecosystem simulation

The Gulf of Beibu, recognized as one of the traditional fishing grounds, is a center of rich biodiversity in the northern South China Sea. Based on the Beibu Gulf ecosystem constructed by the Ecopath and Ecosim model (in the late 1990s), we used Ecospace to evaluate the existing fishery management system and assess the potential of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Beibu Gulf over a short (5-year), medium (10-year), and long-term (20-year) scenario. The results suggest that the current trawl closure and the midsummer moratorium system used in the Gulf fishery management approach appear to offer minimal benefits for stock recovery because of the high implementation and administrative costs; also, the biomass of valuable groups would decrease drastically with simulation time, and the large predator groups, such as the large demersal and pelagic fishes, would even be reduced to depletion in the long-term (20-year) simulation. Simulations of MPAs indicate that outcomes beneficial to all are possible but not guaranteed. Both ‘no-take’ MPAs, inshore closures (<30-m isobath) and offshore closures (common fishing zone) can drastically reduce fishing effort (between 20% and 30% reduction from 1999 levels), achieving much to avert the collapse of the fishery sector, especially for large-sized, high-value species. The magnitude of the biomass and the catches would obviously increase with simulation time. In a 20-year simulation, the total catches of all fishing gears would be doubled in the inshore closure simulation compared with that of offshore closure simulation with biomass recovery. The results suggest that, for purposes of fishery management in the Gulf, the inshore area within the 30-m isobath should be considered as ‘no-take’ MPAs; this may be an effective management tactic to conserve the ecosystem and to stop the decline in fisheries resources. Considering the complexity of ecosystem-based fishery management, an extension of the current work will incorporate the costs associated with restoration and monitoring efforts as well.

Taboos and social contracts: Tools for ecosystem management – lessons from the Manambolomaty Lakes RAMSAR site, western Madagascar

Traditional taboos and social contracts played an important role in managing the Manambolomaty RAMSAR site. Taboos are defined as a prohibition imposed by social custom as a protective measure’ and social contracts are – in conservation sense – a common agreement for achieving conservation, sustainable development and development of resources objectives. The Manambolomaty Lakes RAMSAR site, District of Antsalova in western Madagascar, is composed of four lakes (Soamalipo, Befotaka, Ankerika and Antsamaka) surrounded by the Tsimembo deciduous forest. The first three lakes with forest surrounding encompass 14,701 ha and are being managed by two local Associations: FIZAMI (FIkambanana Zanatany Andranobe MIray) and FIFAMA (FIkambanana FAmpandrosoana Mamokatra Ankerika). The associations have used traditional taboos and social conventions to manage their local natural resources by incorporating a GELOSE (GEstion Locale SEcurisée) management system to conserve biological diversity, maintain resource sustainability and socio - economic viability. This site has the highest concentration of the endemic and critically endangered Madagascar fish eagle (Haliaeetus vociferoides), representing 10 % of the global population, and many other species of different faunal groups are also in good conservation status such as Decken’s sifaka (Propithecus deckeni) and Western lesser bamboo lemurs (Hapalemur occidentalis) and Madagascar flying fox (Pteropus rufus). Culturally, the site is known as a unique source of the endemic tree Hazomalania voyroni (Hernandiaceae), which is used by the Sakalava people for constructing coffins, and being buried in a coffin made of this wood is a great honour for the Sakalava people. From Manambolomaty’s Lakes fish yields, estimated at 60 - 100 tons per fishing season, FIZAMI and FIFAMA are one of the few Malagasy Associations with active bank accounts supported by management of their natural resources and associated activities. Their fisheries management system has increased the annual local revenue estimated at more than $ 1,562 US / fisherman per season. The tax of fish sales to wholesale fish buyers forms 56 % of the two local Commune’s budgets. This has made the Community - Based Wetlands Conservation at the Manambolomaty Lakes site well known in the conservation circles within Madagascar and has been modelled vy other organizations and associations. Consequently, the Manambolomaty Lakes site is in the process of being added into the System of Protected Areas of Madagascar (SAPM) (Figure 1).

Fisheries management and operations research

Abstract Fisheries are subject to a deep-rooted problem of economic inefficiency, often referred to as the fisheries problem. The fisheries problem derives fundamentally from inappropriate social institutions controlling the fishing activity, the foremost of which is the common property arrangement. Fisheries management consists of replacing these institutions with more appropriate ones. Which institutions are most appropriate depends on the social objectives of the fisheries. There are strong economic arguments for the view that there should be only a single objective, namely to maximize the present value of the flow of benefits from the fisheries. In reality, different interest groups often push for several, often conflicting, objectives. In that case a multi-objective programming approach may be appropriate. A set of institutions to manage fisheries is referred to as the fisheries management regime. The fisheries management regime consists of a (i) fisheries management system, (ii) fisheries enforcement system and (iii) fisheries judicial system. Each one of these has to be appropriately designed and implemented. The efficacy of the overall fisheries management regime cannot be greater than that of its weakest link. At the same time it is of the greatest importance to keep an eye on the cost of fisheries management. Global evidence suggests that the cost of fisheries management often constitutes a substantial fraction of the value of the harvest. The problem, thus, is to strike the right balance between the efficacy of the fisheries management regime and its cost of design, implementation and operation. The problem of fisheries management is by its nature multidisciplinary. It involves marine ecology and biology, mathematics, economics, game theory, political science and anthropology to name a few. The problem is, moreover, typically quite complex, requiring powerful modelling and calculation techniques. In many respects this is the kind of problem operations research techniques are designed to deal with.

Sharks, skates and rays in the northeast Atlantic: population status, advice and management

The fisheries management system in the northeast Atlantic is complicated. It was not designed with management or conservation of elasmobranchs in mind. Gradually, however, the system has taken elasmobranchs into account. Managers have asked science to provide advice, and in some cases management actions have followed. The purpose of this short review is to explain the system of assessment and advice, especially how it relates to sharks, skates and rays. Emphasis is on the legal framework, however, soft law and the role of the conservation movement are also discussed.

Vertical habitat use of Atlantic blue marlin Makaira nigricans: interaction with pelagic longline gear

We characterized Atlantic blue marlin Makaira nigricans temperature-depth vertical habitat utilization from data collected using 51 electronic pop-up satellite archival tags (PSATs) at- tached to fish released by recreational and commercial fishers. Most source data were in the form of 3 or 6 h, temperature- and depth-frequency histograms transmitted by the tags to the ARGOS satellite system. However, high resolution time series of temperatures, depths (30 or 60 s resolution), and light intensity were obtained from 6 tags that were physically recovered. The distributions of times at depth were significantly different between day and night. During daylight hours, the fish were typically be- low the near-surface layer, often at 40 to >100 m, sometimes remaining below the near-surface layer at depth throughout the daylight hours, but often returning briefly to the surface. At night, the fish spent most of their time at or very close to the surface. This pattern of behavior also meant that the distribu- tions of time at temperature were significantly different between day and night, with the fish occupy- ing warmer strata during darkness. We evaluated the fractions of time spent by each fish within each degree of water temperature relative to the temperature of the surface mixed layer to assess assump- tions used to model population abundance trends from pelagic longline catch per unit effort (CPUE) data. Frequency distributions were determined for periods of darkness, daylight and, where possible, twilight. Results were highly variable within the time series for individual fish and among individuals. Assumptions about habitat usage in previous CPUE analyses are clearly inappropriate and may lead to serious errors that can propagate through the fisheries management system.

Catch rates as indicators of ecosystem health and exploitation status in the shrimp fishery in the South China sea

Based on catch and effort data analyses covering the period 1996–2002, time series of catch rates in the trawl fisheries in the South China Sea along the coasts of Bac Lieu and Ca Mau in South East Vietnam were estimated. The indicators include catch rates for total shrimp catch, five major shrimp catch groups and 15 commercial shrimp groups estimated as quarterly averages for trawlers divided into five size groups. The analyses indicated that despite a reduction in catch rates, shrimp is still the principal resource for the trawl fleets in South Vietnam. Seasonality in the shrimp catch rates that might reflect seasonality in shrimp recruitment was found, making this resource potentially suitable for a fishery management system based on closed seasons. Further, the data indicate that the major part of the catches are comprised of low value species belonging to the genera Parapenaeopsis; whereas the most valuable species, i.e. the Penaeus and Metapenaeus catch groups have been significantly depleted during the period investigated. Based on the experiences from the present analysis, recommendations are presented with regard to adjustments of the enumerator data collection programme to fulfil the requirement of a dynamic fishery management system.