Future Fisheries Management Research Articles

Toward “climate-driven”: innovation on legislation of modern marine fisheries law under era of blue carbon

Abstract Over the past decade, there has been increasing interest in the blue carbon project, which uses marine activities and organisms to take up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in ocean. Important question in contemporary and future fisheries management is how to coordinate the relationship among the offshore fishery, the fisheries resource conservation and blue carbon projects. Through comparative studies and normative analysis, this study explores the legislative aims of some representative international and national fisheries legislation and their creative reforms in recent years. The legislative purpose of fisheries laws has traditionally been to keep fishery resources above the Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) standard, while marine carbon sink resource protection is marginally inadequate. Given that the blue carbon project is inseparable from future fisheries industry development, the protection of marine carbon sink resources needs to be incorporated into the legislative aim of fisheries law in the future.

Exploring changes in epibenthic food web structure after implementation of a water-sediment regulation scheme

The water-sediment regulation scheme (WSRS) in the Yellow River is a large-scale initiative to artificially regulate the flow of sediment to the sea, thereby increasing the flood-carrying capacity of the riverbed and reservoirs. Currently, systematic studies on ecological impacts of WSRS at ecosystem-level are still insufficient. This limitation hampers the pursuit of a ‘green’, healthy, ecosystem and sustainable fisheries. This study constructed the topological structure of food webs in the Yellow River Estuary (YRE) before, during, and after implementation of the WSRS, analyzing changes in food web complexity and key species based on fishery independent data collected in June, July, and August 2023. The results showed decreases from 59 to 52 in the number of trophic species, and from 539 to 395 in the number of feeding relationships after WSRS implementation. Increased node density, decreased link density, and decreased structural complexity index also indicated a simplification of the YRE food web structure after WSRS implementation. The relatively low value of the characteristic path length indicated that the YRE food web has high connectivity with short path lengths of trophic interaction. Based on the ranking of various topological indices, Japanese seabass (Lateolabrax japonicas) and mantis shrimp (Oratosquilla oratoria) persisted as the key species. Our research revealed limited potential ecological effects that WSRS may have on the YRE food web over a short period. The effects did not persist, and omnivorous key species were identified as being critical in contributing to overall system resilience. These omnivores with high complexity, connectivity and low path lengths allowed the food web to quickly dissipate the exogenous disruption from the WSRS. This provides a theoretical basis for assessing the future ecological health and scientific management of YRE fisheries and similar large estuaries for which sediment transport mitigation is under consideration.

A Study on the Automation of Fish Species Recognition and Body Length Measurement System

The rapid depletion of fishery resources has led to the global implementation of Total Allowable Catch (TAC) systems. However, the current manual survey methods employed by land-based inspectors show limitations in accuracy and efficiency. This study proposes an automated system for fish species recognition and body length measurement, utilizing the RT-DETR (Real-Time Detection Transformer) model and ARCore technology to address these issues. The proposed system employs smartphone Time of Flight (ToF) functionality to measure object distance and automatically calculates the weight of 11 TAC-managed fish species by measuring their body length and height. Experimental results reveal that the RT-DETR-x model outperformed the YOLOv8x model by achieving an average mAP50 value 2.3% higher, with a mean recognition accuracy of 96.5% across the 11 species. Furthermore, the ARCore-based length measurement technique exhibited over 95% accuracy for all species. This system is expected to minimize data omissions and streamline labor-intensive processes, thereby contributing to the efficient operation of the TAC system and sustainable management of fishery resources. The study presents an innovative approach that significantly enhances the accuracy and efficiency of fishery resource management, providing a crucial technological foundation for the advancement of future fisheries management policies.

Using Fin Ray Elemental Signatures and Growth Zone Width to Estimate Onset of Sexually Maturity in Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens)

Characterizing inter- and intra-population levels of variability in age at sexual maturation for long-lived fishes provides insight into year-class strength and recruitment dynamics, allowing for more effective management practices. Here we analyzed the ontogenetic chronology of pectoral fin ray annuli trace elemental concentration profiles as well as changes in annuli growth in Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) to determine onset of sexual maturity (OSM). Elemental concentrations and growth-zone width were used to build a random forest classification model to discriminate year-specific signatures to before or after OSM from 98 individual fin rays from both sexes across multiple populations and watersheds. The model demonstrated an overall accuracy of 98.8%. Ba was the most important variable related to OSM discrimination success followed by zone width, Pb, Mn, Mg, Zn, Cu, and Sr. Fin ray elemental concentrations began to increase at approximately age 24 (± 4.7) in females and 15 (± 3.1) in males while zone width decreased. This study implies that new applications for fin ray microchemistry are possible and could benefit future fisheries management strategies specifically by adding nonlethal or less invasive sampling techniques for evaluating OSM in sturgeon.

Biological and environmental covariates of juvenile sockeye salmon distribution and abundance in the southeastern Bering Sea, 2002-2018.

Climate change is altering the distribution and abundance of marine species, especially in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. In the eastern Bering Sea, home of the world's largest run of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), juvenile sockeye salmon abundance has increased and their migration path shifted north with warming, 2002-2018. The reasons for these changes are poorly understood. For these sockeye salmon, we quantify environmental and biological covariate effects within spatio-temporal species distribution models. Spatio-temporally, with respect to juvenile sockeye salmon densities: (1) sea surface temperature had a nonlinear effect, (2) large copepod, Calanus, a minor prey item, had no effect, (3) age-0 pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus), a major prey item during warm years, had a positive linear effect, and (4) juvenile pink salmon (O. gorbuscha) had a positive linear effect. Temporally, annual biomass of juvenile sockeye salmon was nonlinearly related to sea temperature and positively related to age-0 pollock and juvenile pink salmon abundance. Results indicate that sockeye salmon distributed with and increased in abundance with increases in prey, and reached a threshold for optimal temperatures in the eastern Bering Sea. Changes in population dynamics and distribution of sockeye salmon in response to environmental variability have potential implications for projecting specific future food securities and management of fisheries in Arctic waters.

Happy families? Insight into the coexistence between the curled octopus (Eledone cirrhosa) and common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) in waters around the UK

AbstractThis case study investigated the co‐occurrence of the curled octopus (Eledone cirrhosa) and common octopus (Octopus vulgaris), in waters around the United Kingdom. The findings suggest that coexistence may be maintained because of the lack of competition for E. cirrhosa against the seemingly declining O. vulgaris populations, and that habitat and temporal partitioning are the likely mechanisms. It is contemplated whether species misidentification may an important factor in masking the accuracy of population dynamics of co‐occurring octopus species, and, as such, potential uncertainty in octopus coexistence and any future fishery management decisions. It is confidently suggested that, currently, only two octopus species are resident to UK waters. Now, further studies should include diet partitioning to determine whether diet partitioning is a mechanism for E. cirrhosa and O. vulgaris coexistence, and monitoring may make us understand their population dynamics.

“I am a Fisher”: Identity and livelihood diversification in Lake Tanganyika Fisheries, Tanzania

Human-environmental interaction is central to natural resources management. This interaction determines how the resource is utilized in a given cultural context. In Lake Tanganyika, evidence indicates a decline in fish catches. Despite this decline, fishers have demonstrated little motivation to leave fishing or diversify. A qualitative study was conducted to explore how identity influenced the phenomenon. Interviews, focus group discussions, and observation were employed to generate data. The findings of this study indicated that interactions between the fishing communities and the Lake generated identity, in which fishers came to identify themselves with the Lake. This identity shaped the fishing practices and influenced the motivation to not leave fishing or diversify. Strong attachment to the Lake and fishing activities contributed to little motivation to leave fishing or engage in other sources of livelihood, especially for old fishers. This was also the case for some young fishers in rural areas of the studied communities. This study concludes that considering how fishers identify with the resource is vital for developing future strategies to improve fisheries management. This may include options to expand. Highlights Identity shapes and influences fishing practices How fishers identify themselves with fisheries resources influences their likelihood to diversify or leave fishing activity It is necessary to consider the role of identity in designing future fisheries management strategies

Severe reduction in spawning days and larval abundance of walleye pollock under future warming in the western East/Japan Sea

The collapse of walleye pollock catch in the Korean fishing region during the late 1980s remains unresolved despite enormous efforts to recover its stock. To investigate the future fate of walleye pollock in the western East/Japan Sea (EJS) in the late 21st century, we implemented a dynamical downscaling approach by developing high-resolution regional ocean climate models (1/20°) with the selected Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 6 (CMIP6) global climate models. We analyzed the changes in the spawning days and larval distribution of walleye pollock in the western EJS. Under the SSP5–8.5 global warming scenario, the suitable spawning period ratio of walleye pollock was drastically reduced by 76%. The severe reduction in spawning days in the western EJS was mainly attributed to ocean warming caused by a decrease in atmospheric surface cooling. Moreover, our particle tracking experiment showed substantial loss of eggsand larvae south of 38° N. Our study projected a drastic collapse of walleye pollock in the western EJS and proposed a variety of collapse patterns based on local circulation under future warming conditions. These findings can help the local fishing industry adapt and assist neighboring governments in planning future fisheries management strategies.

Broad-scale genetic population connectivity in the Moreton Bay Bug (Thenus australiensis) on Australia’s east coast

Understanding population connectivity helps inform resource and conservation managers about appropriate boundaries for management units. However, for many species facing recent increases in fishing or environmental pressure, accurate information on population structure is lacking. Reef Bugs (Thenus australiensis), commonly known as Moreton Bay Bugs, are iconic shovel-nosed lobsters in northern Australia and an increasingly important fisheries resource. Around 80% of landings occur in the Queensland East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery (ECOTF) where the first stock assessment of the species is underway. However, knowledge about population structure to inform stock assessment is lacking. We used genome complexity reduction-based sequencing to characterise high-quality Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) used to evaluate population structure among three management zones of the ECOTF. Post-filtering, a total of 3,031 SNPs were used to infer no genetic differences among locations indicating strong genetic population connectivity. The presence of a single panmictic population was further supported by cluster and kinship analyses. Broad-scale genetic connectivity likely results from pelagic larval dispersal due to limited adult movements. Findings of high gene flow among connected populations indicate a single biological stock of T. australiensis on Australia’s east coast and will inform future fisheries management initiatives.

An ichthyofaunal amendment with the length-weight relations and condition factors of some endemic and invasive freshwater fishes from Western Anatolia

In the scope of this study, fish fauna of Küçük Menderes River and its tributaries, updated with the comparison of the recent ichthyofaunal studies, as well as the length-weight relations (LWR) and condition factors (CF) were estimated for 7 freshwater fish species belonging to six families from the river basin: endemic Oxynoemacheilus eliasi, Cobitis fahireae; invasive, Carassius gibelio, Atherina boyeri, transloce Perca fluviatilis and the native Squalius fellowesii, Cyprinus carpio. The fish samples were collected with various fishnets and DC electro-fishing devices from six stations in 2018 and 2019. The LWR of the fishes was studied based on 379 specimens. The estimated values of parameter b ranged from 2.884 (A. boyeri) to 3.176 (C. fahireae). The coefficient of determination (R2) was changed between 0.792 to 0.980 for all sampling localities. In the study, Fulton’s condition factor ranged between 0.391 (S. fellowesii) to 3.080 (S. fellowesii); the relative condition factor ranged between 0.346 (O. eliasi) to 2.746 (S. fellowesii), respectively. This research is anticipated to contribute valuable insights for the conservation of the species, while also furnishing essential data to inform future fisheries management studies in the region.

Perception of marine fisheries resources in Tanzania from past to present: Evidence through local knowledge

How communities interact with natural resources is a critical topic of discussion around the world. In this study, we approach the phenomenon from the fishers’ perspective. This study aims to explore the perception and knowledge of local fishers regarding fishing practices. With the help of interviews and focus group discussions with residents of three fishing communities located along the Indian Ocean coast in Tanzania, the research discovered that these local fishers are not just engaged in catching fish; they also possess a valuable understanding of the ocean and fishing practices. The study concludes that incorporating the perception and knowledge of these local fishermen into future fisheries management initiatives could be highly beneficial. Highlights Fishers do not merely fish; they possess rich and valuable knowledge regarding marine resources The knowledge is vital for improved fisheries management Fisheries managers need to consider fishers as knowers, not merely exploiters of fisheries resources Integration of local knowledge and scientific knowledge in fisheries management would yield better fruits

Acanthopagrus latus migration patterns and habitat use in Wanshan Islands, Pearl River Estuary, determined using otolith microchemical analysis

IntroductionThe waters surrounding the Wanshan Islands are important traditional fishing grounds in China, with rich habitat types. Acanthopagrus latus is an economically important species in this area; however, the distribution of its spawning grounds and habitat use patterns remain unknown.MethodsThus 100 otolith samples of A. latus were collected from three geographic areas (MW: Qi’ao Island Mangrove Water Habitat; OW: Yamen Estuary Oyster Farm Water Habitat; RW: Dong’ao-Guishan Island Reef Water Habitat), and the concentrations of Sr and Ca along the shortest axis of the vertical otolith annual or lunar rings were measured to span the entire life cycle of A. latus, with the core and edge areas corresponding to environmental characteristics at birth and capture, respectively.Results and discussionAnalysis of covariance (ANCOVA) revealed that the ratios of Sr/Ca in otolith edges of RW samples are significantly higher than those of OW and MW samples; however, both the values of Sr/Ca ratio in otolith cores collected from OW and MW are comparable with those of RW samples. Cluster analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS) indicated that at the juvenile stage, RW and MW individuals in the two main clusters belonged to the same cluster. There was no significant difference between the cores of the RW samples and the edges of the MW and OW samples. Therefore, the spawning area of A. latus in the Wanshan Islands is thought to have originated from low to medium-salinity waters with mangroves and oyster farm habitats in the Pearl River Estuary. A. latus from RW was found to have three distinct habitat-use patterns: 1) Marine Resident (7.2% of sampled fish) fish that remain in marine habitats for life; 2) Marine Migrant (16.4% of sampled fish) juveniles inhabit low to moderate salinity habitats and migrate to marine habitats as they grow; 3) Estuarine Visitor (76.4% of sampled fish) repeated migration between low to moderate salinity and marine habitats. This suggests widespread migration between estuarine and marine habitats throughout the ontogeny. The plasticity of this habitat use and the protection of spawning grounds should be considered in future fisheries management because A. Latus in this area has been the victim of the overexploitation of resources.

Genomic analyses indicate resilience of a commercially and culturally important marine gastropod snail to climate change.

Genomic vulnerability analyses are being increasingly used to assess the adaptability of species to climate change and provide an opportunity for proactive management of harvested marine species in changing oceans. Southeastern Australia is a climate change hotspot where many marine species are shifting poleward. The turban snail, Turbo militaris is a commercially and culturally harvested marine gastropod snail from eastern Australia. The species has exhibited a climate-driven poleward range shift over the last two decades presenting an ongoing challenge for sustainable fisheries management. We investigate the impact of future climate change on T. militaris using genotype-by-sequencing to project patterns of gene flow and local adaptation across its range under climate change scenarios. A single admixed, and potentially panmictic, demographic unit was revealed with no evidence of genetic subdivision across the species range. Significant genotype associations with heterogeneous habitat features were observed, including associations with sea surface temperature, ocean currents, and nutrients, indicating possible adaptive genetic differentiation. These findings suggest that standing genetic variation may be available for selection to counter future environmental change, assisted by widespread gene flow, high fecundity and short generation time in this species. We discuss the findings of this study in the content of future fisheries management and conservation.

A will-o’-the wisp? On the utility of voluntary contributions of data and knowledge from the fishing industry to marine science

For future sustainable management of fisheries, we anticipate deeper and more diverse information will be needed. Future needs include not only biological data, but also information that can only come from fishers, such as real-time ‘early warning’ indicators of changes at sea, socio-economic data and fishing strategies. The fishing industry, in our experience, shows clear willingness to voluntarily contribute data and experiential knowledge, but there is little evidence that current institutional frameworks for science and management are receptive and equipped to accommodate such contributions. Current approaches to producing knowledge in support of fisheries management need critical re-evaluation, including the contributions that industry can make. Using examples from well-developed advisory systems in Europe, United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, we investigate evidence for three interrelated issues inhibiting systematic integration of voluntary industry contributions to science: (1) concerns about data quality; (2) beliefs about limitations in useability of unique fishers’ knowledge; and (3) perceptions about the impact of industry contributions on the integrity of science. We show that whilst these issues are real, they can be addressed. Entrenching effective science-industry research collaboration (SIRC) calls for action in three specific areas; (i) a move towards alternative modes of knowledge production; (ii) establishing appropriate quality assurance frameworks; and (iii) transitioning to facilitating governance structures. Attention must also be paid to the science-policy-stakeholder interface. Better definition of industry’s role in contributing to science will improve credibility and legitimacy of the scientific process, and of resulting management.

How catch uncertainty and harvest regulations drive anglers’ choice for pike (Esox lucius) fishing in the Baltic Sea

In the brackish lagoons located in coastal inshore areas around the German island of Rügen, pike Esox lucius is a highly sought after target species for recreational fishers. Yet, the pike stock is currently in decline, and conflicts with other user groups (specifically commercial fishers) have emerged. To inform future fisheries management, an improved understanding of the human dimensions of recreational fishers, including their preferences for catch outcomes and regulations, is relevant. Our objective was to better understand how German recreational pike fishers react to different types of harvest regulations in trade-off with risky or ambiguous catch outcomes for pike and other predators in the lagoon fishery. We conducted an online survey including choice experiments for angling experiences that differed in seven attributes. Data were analyzed using a latent class model. We found four distinct angler types differentiating resident and tourists and dependency on pike. Specifically, we identified a highly involved pike tourist (42 % average probability), a consumptive, generalist tourist angler type (18 %), a highly specialized local trophy pike angler type that readily engaged in catch-and-release (12 %), and a local generalist angler that also benefitted from the catch of other predators than pike (18 %). Despite heterogeneity in preferences, all four angler types generally accepted more restrictive regulations for pike removals than currently in place, and dispreferred low catch probabilities compared to catch ambiguity. Most angler types also revealed diminishing marginal utility returns for catch rates, where the first three pike in a day provide utility, while the marginal benefits of catch rate decrease to zero for more than three pike per day. Angler types varied more in their preferences for trophy pike, the general attractiveness of the pike as a target and the utility derived from catching fish other than pike. Particularly the more specialized angler types focused on size rather than catch rate. Despite preference heterogeneity, focusing management attention on maintaining a sufficiently high catch rate and increasing the number of trophy pike in the stock seems to satisfy the expectations of most angler types. To achieve such outcomes, the anglers of all types would overwhelmingly support implementing harvest slots of 50–85 cm that allow both small and large fish to be released (rather than the current minimum-length limit of 50 cm), and accept reductions in the daily bag limit to 1 pike per day (relative to the current of 3 pike per day). Implementing these policy measures would unlikely generate substantial conflict with anglers represented in our survey.

Species diversity of anchovies (Teleostei: Engraulidae) along the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia

Anchovies (Teleostei: Engraulidae) play an important ecological role in tropical coastal ecosystems because of their abundance. In parallel, and for the same reason, they are extensively harvested. Yet, their diversity remains insufficiently documented in many regions. In this study, we surveyed the diversity of anchovies along the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia based on the recently collected material with the objective to update the taxonomic list of common species and to build a database of two mitochondrial DNA markers useful for identifying species, the “barcode” fragment of the cytochrome c oxidase I gene and the whole cytochrome b gene. We first selectively collected, preserved and examined 163 specimens, comprising five genera and 16 species. All species have been described, none is endemic but one of them (Stolephorus tri) is a new record for this region. The genotyping of 74 of these specimens revealed that each species is genetically distinct to others and diagnosable. Comparisons between our list and previous inventory works based on morphology and genetics, within and nearby this region, revealed both similarities and differences. The possible causes of differences are discussed. Although certainly incomplete, our revised list of common species of anchovies along with referenced material are valuable not only to document their diversity along the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia but also to inform future fisheries management studies.

Genome-wide SNPs reveal fine-scale genetic structure in ornate spiny lobster Panulirus ornatus throughout Indo-West Pacific Ocean

Abstract Genome-wide, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) typing can improve the management of valuable marine species by delineating finer scale population structure compared with traditional markers. This approach was applied to the spiny lobster, Panulirus ornatus distributed in the Indo-West Pacific and is one of the most highly valuable seafood products in the world. A total of 3008 SNPs was generated from DArTseq sequencing of 224 lobsters sampled at 13 locations across the Indo-Pacific. SNPs revealed a highly significant genetic structure among samples (analysis of molecular variance FST = 0.046). Pairwise genetic comparison showed significant differences among the majority of sampling locations. Outlier loci (including an outlier SNP mapped to the CASc gene with different allele frequencies among sampling locations) revealed highly significant pairwise differentiation, especially a genetic break between regional populations in northern Australia and South East Asia. Significant pairwise differences in outliers among sampling locations, even over small geographic scales, suggest a possible role of local adaptation on the population structure. Genetic differences identified among samples from northern Australia and South East Asia are sufficient to refute the single-stock hypothesis proposed using conventional genetic markers. The results of genome-level SNPs identify five management units across the species’ range, with significant implications for the future fisheries management and aquaculture development of this species.

New inland records of the bull shark Carcharhinus leucas from Sumatra, Indonesia

Six new records of the bull shark Carcharhinus leucas from five different river basins of Sumatra, Indonesia, were reported as a result of captures by artisanal and recreational fishers, including records from rivers of northern and western Sumatra for the first time. These findings may higlight the importance of Sumatran river basins for the reproduction of this threatened species in Indonesian waters. Inland records of C. leucas in Southeast Asia and in particular Indonesia are scarce but important for nature conservation purposes and sustainable future fishery management.

Trophic guild structure and dietary patterns of a juvenile-dominated demersal fish community in a tropical mangrove estuarine system

Community-wide understanding of food web dynamics in species-rich tropical estuaries are generally lacking, exacerbating the challenges of managing these valuable coastal habitats. To address this gap, trophic guilds and dietary patterns were elucidated for 39 species of a juvenile-dominated demersal estuarine fish community in the Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve, an Important Marine Mammal Area. Fishes were sampled monthly for a year using otter trawl, and stomach contents were analyzed. Of the seven trophic guilds identified from clustering analysis, the three most speciose ones were shrimp feeders (12 species), zooplanktivores (9), and generalist crustacivores (7). Copepods occurred in diets of 50% of all fish species and were the most important food item volumetrically for specialist zooplanktivores. Diverse shrimp and prawn taxa, including commercially valuable Acetes and juvenile penaeids, showed highest frequency of occurrence in stomachs and supported the shrimp feeder and crustacivore guilds that contained relatively more diet generalists. Biomass-dominant annelidivore guild members are known to be a vital food resource for highly threatened coastal cetaceans. Ontogenetic diet shift, wide intra-guild diet breadth, seasonality in major resource use, and prevalence of detritus in diet were feeding strategies that reduced niche overlap and competition among fish species sharing common food resources. Future fisheries management must consider the bottom-up trophic impacts from excessive removal of valuable prey resources such as shrimps on equally valuable fish consumers that depend on them.

Fisheries governance and associated health implications: Current perspectives from US commercial fishermen

Developing useful regulations that lead to intended effects from originating legislation can be a challenge for those entities that are implementing and responding to those regulations. In the commercial fishing industry, fisheries management regulations are fundamentally designed to conserve and sustain marine resources. Numerous studies have underscored the importance of engaging commercial fishermen in discussions of how to best preserve these resources. By ensuring numerous, diverse perspectives, policies and associated implementing regulations can thus address a broad spectrum of concerns and utilize input from a wide spectrum of knowledgeable informants to make regulations more effective and easier to enforce. The purpose of this manuscript is to share our findings on fishermen’s perceptions of the fisheries governance process and to describe how these perceptions impact their emotional health and willingness to engage in future fisheries management discussions. In sharing these perspectives, we hope to underscore the need for further research on fishermen’s governance experiences and to highlight how prior negative experiences could adversely impact future engagement with the process. The data highlighted in this study was gathered from interviews originally conducted to explore fishermen’s sleep patterns and general health in the Alaska salmon, Oregon Dungeness crab, Northeast scallop and Massachusetts lobster fisheries. However, a primary theme that emerged from these interviews was the impact that fisheries management decisions had on work-related stress. Stressors were largely related to increasing regulatory complexity and the economic impact of management decisions that add to an already challenging commercial enterprise. The governance process was also seen as yet another factor outside of fishermen’s direct control, which when combined with unpredictable weather, access to reliable crew and rapid shifts in market prices, has severe consequences to their overall sense of wellbeing. While increased engagement has been highlighted in the literature as a means for addressing fishermen’s regulatory concerns, our informants believe their input is neither valued nor prioritized, which appears to threaten future engagement in fisheries management discussions.