Fisheries Management Measures Research Articles

Seasonal-Spatial Distribution Variations and Predictions of Loliolus beka and Loliolus uyii in the East China Sea Region: Implications from Climate Change Scenarios

Global climate change profoundly impacts the East China Sea ecosystem and poses a major challenge to fishery management in this region. In addition, closely related species with low catches are often not distinguished in fishery production and relevant data are commonly merged in statistics and fishing logbooks, making it challenging to accurately predict their habitat distribution range. Here, merged fisheries-independent data of the closely related squid Loliolus beka (Sasaki, 1929) and Loliolus uyii (Wakiya and Ishikawa, 1921) were used to explore the construction and prediction performance of species distribution models. Data in 2018 to 2019 from the southern Yellow and East China Seas were used to identify the seasonal–spatial distribution characteristics of both species, revealing a boundary line at 29.00° N for L. uyii during the autumn, with the highest average individual weight occurring during the summer, with both larvae and juveniles occurring during the autumn. Thus, the life history of L. uyii can be divided into winter–spring nursery and summer–autumn spawning periods. L. beka showed a preference for inshore areas (15–60 m) during the summer and offshore areas (32.00–78.00 m) during the winter. High-value areas of both species included inshore areas of the southern Yellow and mid-East China Seas during the autumn, enlarging during the spring to include central areas of the survey region, before significantly decreasing during the summer. Therefore, this study provides both a novel perspective for modeling biological habitat distribution with limited data and a scientific basis for the adjustment of fishery resource management and conservation measures in the context of climate change.

Towards Cross-Border Fisheries Management: An Analysis of Fleet Structures and Species-Specific Regulatory Measures in the Aegean Sea

Intrinsic differences in the applied management measures of shared stocks in transboundary waters inhibit the ability of either state to benefit from such measures, as one state may benefit in lieu of the other, thus reducing the efficacy of both. This study compares for the first time the fleet structure, specific management measures applied to species-specific regulations for commercial fishing, species listed in official monitoring schemes, and protected taxa between Greece and Türkiye for the Aegean Sea. A comparative analysis utilizing the official data was sourced from both countries. Large-scale Greek and Turkish fishing fleets have been modernized within the last 30 years (1991-2021). Greek and Turkish large-scale fishing fleets included smaller trawlers with lower tonnage and slightly higher engine horsepower, while purse seines of both states included larger vessels with higher horsepower and tonnage. This indicates that the fishing pressure on the demersal resources in the Aegean Sea has partially decreased, but the fishing pressure on pelagic resources has increased despite the decrease in the number of vessels. Only 11 out of 74 minimum conservation reference sizes (MCRS) are sufficiently set above the Lm50 sizes they should be based on, whereas 18 species need reproductive studies, and 22 are set below the Lm50, and could benefit from an increase. The application of specific closed seasons for commercial species was used by both states with the intent to protect the reproductive periods of some stocks. However, several of these closure periods did not fully or even partially cover the spawning periods of the respective species. Species-specific closures were applied to 13 species in Greece and 23 species in Türkiye, with only two fish species (Xiphias gladius and Thunnus thynnus) listed for both countries. Only 14 species (out of 34 protected by Greece and 46 by Türkiye) are protected by both states, most of which are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). Harmonization of fisheries management measures currently does not align between the two neighbouring states, and the General Fisheries Commission of the Mediterranean is the competent authority that would be able to restructure such measures, especially as Türkiye has been aligning their measures with that of the EU for the accession process. This contribution highlights the clear differences between Greece and Türkiye, and provides advice for developing a unified management regime for the Aegean Sea.

Spatial structure and distribution of ribbonfish Trichiurus lepturus Linnaeus, 1758 along the eastern Arabian Sea

Ribbonfish Trichiurus lepturus is one of the most important pelagic fish resources in India.The west coast of India (WCI) is considered to be the major region where the species isabundant and forms a sizeable fishery. Determining the spatio-temporal abundance of fishis a key requirement for sustainable resource harvest. This paper illustrates the spatialstructure and distribution of ribbonfish along the WCI using the geostatistical technique,semi-variogram modelling. The spatio-temporal distribution map was generated by kriginginterpolation using the global neighbourhood in the study area. The results show that theareas of higher abundance of ribbonfish shifted between seasons, abundance along thenorthern region was high during the post-monsoon, while later shifting southward up to17°N, peaking between 18°N and 19°N. Furthermore, summertime peak abundance tendedto be more coastal in the Mumbai region. Ribbonfish abundance was relatively lower alongthe southern region i.e., below 15°N year-round. This finding provides additional informationto fishery managers and policymakers which will help improve the sustainability of fisheriescoupled with traditional fisheries management measures Keywords:Arabian Sea, GIS, Geo-statistics, Species distributionmodelling, Spatiotemporal management

Fifteen years of elasmobranchs trade unveiled by DNA tools: Lessons for enhanced monitoring and conservation actions

The trade of elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) in Brazil threatens the country's rich endemic biodiversity. The present study explored the use of DNA-based tools to monitor the Brazilian elasmobranch trade, focusing on their role in identifying processed products and supporting conservation efforts. A systematic search of literature was conducted and included 35 peer-reviewed papers published between 2008 and 2023. A shift from the development of DNA-based tools to direct trade applications has been observed since 2015. Molecular identification challenges, including costly sequencing and limited resources in national databases, were identified along with proposed solutions, such as protocol optimization and exploration of cost-effective alternatives. Biases in trade analysis papers, particularly the lack of research in the Northeast Region of Brazil, and issues with sample sizes were evident. Species identified using DNA-based tools included the critically endangered Scalloped Hammerhead Shark (Sphyrna lewini), which appeared in 46 % of the evaluated papers, followed by the Blue Shark (Prionace glauca), and several others threatened species, such as the critically endangered and endemic Brazilian Guitarfish (Pseudobatos horkelii) and the recently categorized as vulnerable Sharpnose Shark (Rhizoprionodon porosus). Other species were reassessed by IUCN, including previously non-threatened species that are now at risk, emphasizing the need for fisheries management, trade monitoring and conservation measures. Our findings highlight the importance of continued genetic monitoring to analyze market trends and adjust legislation, encouraging compliance with frequent inspections to enhance wildlife conservation. We also identified gaps in research and recommended strategies for accurate species identification, broader investigation, and effective management.

Mean size at sexual maturity of female Cynoscion reticulatus along the Pacific coast off Mexico

Drums and croakers (Sciaenidae) are important to the species composition of coastal catches in the Gulf of California, Mexico. Among these species, the striped corvina (Cynoscion reticulatus) stands out because of its high fishery potential, high demand, and increased market value. The striped croaker has been under constant fishing pressure over the past 20 years. Still, there needs to be current biological information or reference points to allow the establishment of management measures for fisheries. The objective of the present study was to estimate the mean standard length at sexual maturity (SL50) of females using various models and to suggest a minimum catch size (MCS) for C. reticulatus off the southern coast of Sinaloa. Monthly samplings of coastal fishery landings were done from December 2020 to December 2021 on the south coast of Sinaloa. The SL50 was evaluated based on 3 candidate models (Gompertz, Lysack, and White) through a binomial approach. Confidence intervals for SL50 were estimated using likelihood profiles and contours, and Akaike’s information criterion (AIC) was used to select the best model. A total of 284 individuals were examined, of which 131 were used in calculations. White’s model was the most adequate; however, based on AIC weights, all 3 models performed similarly, and SL50 (24.48 cm; C.I. 95% 12.9–70 36.0 cm) was estimated as their average. As a management measure, we propose a precautionary MCS of 36 cm SL for C. reticulatus off southern Sinaloa.

Climate change, traditional ecological knowledge, and riverine biodiversity conservation: a case in Aklan, Central Philippines

AbstractWe framed climate change (CC) discourse through its disruptions to local culture and livelihood in a subsistence riverine fishing community in Central Philippines. Our main goal was contextualizing how local communities' traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) related to climate, fisheries, and taboos can strengthen freshwater fisheries management and biodiversity conservation. We adopted a mixed-method purposive sampling of the 126 fishing households in the Nabaoy River Watershed in the municipality of Malay in Aklan province. The high CC awareness was associated with the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme climatological events and erratic weather patterns. These CC-driven perturbations were primarily attributed to the ballooning human population and deforestation. These threats, in turn, were linked to the diminishing state of the Nabaoy River, heralded by the perceived marked decline of frog and dragonfly populations believed to be indicators of river health. Riverine biodiversity was also perceived as dwindling, with fish catch and their sizes shrinking. Furthermore, the observed fishing taboos guiding local informal (de facto) institutions corroborated formal (de jure) temporal and spatial fisheries management measures. Indeed, local communities have relevant long-term knowledge of management (e.g., TEK) and development-oriented structures and systems (e.g., informal institutions). These invaluable social capital assets are crucial in building resilient governance systems to address local conservation issues and concerns, particularly in data-deficient areas or lacking formal management contexts. Hence, formal management interventions should integrate TEK and the informal institution in which it is embedded and engage local TEK holders as partners in freshwater conservation efforts.

Use of Space-Time Cube Model and Spatiotemporal Hot Spot Analyses in Fisheries—A Case Study of Tuna Purse Seine

Katsuwonus pelamis, or skipjack, is a vital resource in purse seine fishing across the Central and Western Pacific. Identifying skipjack distribution hotspots and coldspots is crucial for effective resource management, but the dynamic nature of fish behavior means these spots are not constant. We used Chinese fishing logbook data from 2010 to 2019 to analyze skipjack resource hotspots and coldspots in a space-time cube. The study revealed 13 spatiotemporal patterns in skipjack Catch per Unit Effort (CPUE). Hotspots (36.53%) were concentrated in the central area, predominantly showing oscillating hotspots (21.25%). The significant effect of the eastern oscillating hotspot continues to be enhanced and extends to the east. Coldspots constituted 63.47% of the distribution, mainly represented by intensifying coldspots (25.07%). The no-pattern-detected type (10.53%) is distributed between coldspots and hotspots. The fishing grounds exhibited longitudinal oscillations of 3°–6° and latitudinal oscillations of 1°–2°. The spatial autocorrelation of cold and hot spot distribution was strong, and the spatiotemporal dynamic changes in skipjack resources were closely related to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon. Notably, during 2011–2016, hotspots exhibited an eastward expansion trend, which continued from 2017–2019 due to the influence of fishery management measures, such as the Vessel Day Scheme (VDS) system.

Rapid changes in age structure, mortality, and escapement accompanied stock recovery of the estuarine Red Drum population of Texas

AbstractObjectiveWe analyzed a fishery‐independent catch time series in the context of predicted historical age structure of Red Drum Sciaenops ocellatus for the years 1980–2019. This time series roughly coincided with closure of the commercial fishery in Texas (in 1981) and federal waters (in 1987). Changes in size and age were used to estimate changes in mortality and offshore escapement.MethodsOtoliths collected from Red Drum between 1997 and 2015 in Texas were used to create seasonal length‐at‐age growth functions, which were then used to estimate ages (based on total length) of all Red Drum encountered in fishery‐independent gill‐net samples collected by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department during 1980–2019 (total n = 311,150). Temporal changes in observed body size and overall catch were used to predict annualized changes in mean age, mortality, and offshore escapement of the estuarine population.ResultThe initial 14‐year period (1980–1993) was characterized by rapid increases in mean catch per hour and mean total length (mm) in fishery‐independent samples, followed by relative stability for the remainder of the time series. There was a 55% increase in estimated mean age of Red Drum when comparing 1980 (mean age = 0.84 year) to 2019 (1.30 years). There were also rapid and significant declines in total mortality (Z; estimated via catch curves) and increases in offshore escapement (estimated indirectly from mortality) in the initial recovery period.ConclusionThe current estuarine population of Red Drum in Texas is significantly larger and older than it was at the onset of fishery management measures, and offshore escapement is annually well above the current target level of 30% set by the federal fisheries management plan. These findings suggest that regulations put into effect starting in the 1980s have succeeded in recovering the estuarine Red Drum population in Texas.

Ecological Assessment of Fishery Communities in an Otter-Trawl-Restricted, Semi-Enclosed Gulf in Greece

A fishery-independent survey with a commercial bottom otter trawl was conducted in the Pagasitikos Gulf, a semi-enclosed, trawl-restricted gulf in Greece. The study aimed to ecologically assess the fishery communities that are experiencing a decline in fishery landings. Twelve hauls of 30 min duration each were conducted in the eastern, western, and central parts of the gulf at depths between 62 and 97 m. In total, 57 species were captured, with the highest species number recorded in the west (35 species), followed by the center (32 species) and east (29 species). The highest numerical abundance was recorded at the center, followed by the east and west, with an opposing trend exhibited for biomass; however, GLM detected no significant spatial differences (in area or depth) or interaction. Ecological indices exhibited significantly lower values in the west–east area comparison. Linear Discriminant Analysis, mMDS, and hierarchical clustering indicated the presence of two main groups (east and west), with PERMANOVA showing a significant difference in the demersal communities among the identified groups. The results indicated moderately disturbed demersal communities and an increasing level of disturbance from east to west. Considering the economic value of Pagasitikos to the local fishing community, additional fishery management measures are deemed necessary to protect the fishery resources and mitigate the potential risks of overexploitation.

On the Improvement of Pink Salmon Fishery Management (on the Sakhalin- Kuril Region as an example)

Purpose: Assess the current state of the pink salmon fishery management and determine ways to improve the scientific support of the pink salmon fishing to ensure the rational usage of its stocks. Methods used: Analysis of historical data and methods used to assess the state of pink salmon stocks and develop recommendations for their usage. Results: Over the past decade, discrepancies between expected and actual returns of pink salmon, to the eastern coast of Sakhalin in particular, have averaged more than double. Those inconsistencies are associated both with many uncertainties in the development of forecasts and with the representativeness of the data used. Wrong estimates form the basis of the submitted fishing strategies, which negatively affects operational fishing management. Using the returns of pink salmon in 2021–2022 as an example, it is shown that the accuracy of forecasting could be higher when using standardized primary data, for which it is necessary to restore the corresponding database, the support of which was interrupted in 2015. It is also proposed to focus on strengthening operational forecasting as a basis for the development of fishery management measures. Practical significance: Restoration of the primary database and return to previously well-established methods of fishery management should increase the effectiveness of scientific part in pink salmon fishery of the region.

Impacts of Strong ENSO Events on Fish Communities in an Overexploited Ecosystem in the South China Sea.

To better understand how fish communities respond to environmental changes under extreme climate events, we examine changes in fish communities in Beibu Gulf during strong El Niño and La Niña events. Strong La Niña and El Niño events affect the composition, abundance, and distribution of fish communities in Beibu Gulf. Fish community distribution and composition change before and after La Niña and El Niño events, and dominant species within them change with stable fishing intensity. The abundance and distribution of small pelagic fish such as Japanese jack mackerel (Trachurus japonicus) and Japanese scad (Decapterus maruadsi) are the most affected. Using a generalized additive model (GAM), we explore relationships between the abundance of T. japonicus and D. maruadsi and a suite of environmental variables. The GAM results revealed that sea surface salinity and sea surface temperature best explain changes in catch per unit effort of these two species during a La Niña event; depth, sea surface temperature, and mixed layer depth during an El Niño event. The results obtained in this study will offer support for implementing more-accurate, scientific fisheries management measures.

Sustainable management of a new fishing stock: Bioeconomic approach under biological and market uncertainty

Potential and emerging fisheries create challenges and opportunities for fishery managers who need to decide how to sustainably manage a fishery that does not yet exist. A new Pacific hake stock off the west coast of Mexico has been identified. The Mexican government is interested in assessing the feasibility of a new commercial fishery. This work proposes and analyzes alternative potential fishery management measures for this possible new fishery under biological and market uncertainties. Results indicate that a new fishery could be biologically sustainable and economically profitable under a set of management strategies and control rules. A limited access strategy with low effort is recommended because it is most profitable per vessel and biologically cautious, considering the high uncertainty associated with the exploitation of an unfished stock. Despite the combination of high operating costs and low prices the fishery could still be profitable in the long-term, although there is risk of overexploitation if high fishing effort is allowed. Nevertheless, our results suggest low risk of fishing down the dwarf hake stock if the fishery is managed under low effort levels, allowing for sufficient opportunities for data collection and adaptive management. This work addresses the rare opportunity of assessing a fishery previous to its operation, with all the associated data limitations and uncertainty.

Economic and livelihood impacts of the decline in Indian oil sardine landings in Kerala state, India

Kerala state in the south west coast of India is a significant contributor of Indian oil sardine, and also a major consumer of the fish. Indian oil sardine landings in the state declined from 3,22,103 t in 2011 to a meagre 13,154 t in 2020. In the past decade, ring seiners contributed more than 90 per cent of the Indian oil sardine landings in the state, and the livelihoods of small-scale fishers operating ring seiners were largely affected by the decline. In this context, an analysis was carried out to study the economic impact of oil sardine decline on the marine fisheries sector and its impacts on livelihood of small-scale fishers. The economic impacts were assessed in terms of changes in gross value and inflation at landing centre and retail levels during 2011–2020. A survey was conducted at 500 fisher households to assess the livelihood impacts based on loss of employment, income and alternate livelihood options. The gross value of oil sardine declined from ₹12,562 million to ₹1,710 million at the landing centre level and from ₹22,869 million to ₹2,687 million at the retail level during 2011–2020. The annual income earned by the fish workers declined from ₹335,593 to ₹90,260 due to the decline in oil sardine landings. Likert scale analysis of the fisher’s perceptions indicated climate change, over exploitation and marine pollution as the major causes of catch decline. Sixty five per cent of the respondents strongly supported the actions for the protection of fisher’s livelihood and suggested incentive (80% strongly supported) and regulatory (45% strongly supported) based fisheries management measures for sustaining the small-scale fisher’s livelihood.

Re-estimation of juvenile's Isurus oxyrinchus growth in the Mexican Pacific through a multi-model inference approach and verification of growth band periodicity.

An update of the age and growth for juveniles of shortfin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) from the Mexican Pacific is presented, based on the analysis of growth band counts from dorsal vertebrae of 198 individuals (110 females 74-231 cm of total length, TL, and 88 males 72-231 cm TL) caught during 2008-2018. New available information on vertebral growth band periodicity (biannual deposition in juveniles) and the convenience of using vertebrae form the dorsal region over cervical region to count growth bands, as well as a multi-model approach, were used. The von Bertalanffy growth model (VB), Gompertz, logistic and the two parameters of VB were fitted to the length-at-age. Only the ages ≤ 6 years were used for the fitting of the models and their performance was compared with the small-sample bias-corrected form of Akaike information criterion (AICc), their differences and weights . Following a multi-model inference approach, the model averaged asymptotic length , length-at-age 0 and their unconditional standard error , were estimated for each sex scenario using the 3-parameters version of each model.The precision of growth band counts was acceptable for the different methods used and by two different readers. The Centrum edge analysis (CEA) and marginal increment analysis (MIA) did not support the hypothesis of biannual band pair formation for juveniles, likewise for adults the periodicity could not be verified due to the low sample of large animals. Still, age was estimated assuming the formation of two pairs of growth bands per year during the first five years of age and one pair of bands per year afterwards considering direct validation information. The estimated ages ranged from 0-14 for females and 0-6 for males. The Kimura's likelihood ratio test showed no differences in the growth curves of juveniles by sex (P>0.05). According to the AICc, the 2-VB better fitted the length-at-age data for sex combined (Linf = 386.4 cm, k = 0.12 yr-1 , L0 = 70 cm). The model averaged and were 378.3 cm ( = 64.5) and 69.5 cm = 6.3) respectively. The growth parameters determined for juveniles of I. oxyrinchus are similar with those estimated in other regions, showing relatively fast growth rate as previously reported, medium longevity in comparison to other shark species and natural mortality close to those reported in the last stock assessment for the North Pacific Ocean. These life-history parameters should be considered to evaluate the population in the region to develop better fishery management and conservation measures.

An approach for assessing and ranking fisheries management scenarios in spatially delimited marine areas

Abstract Spatial restrictions to human activities such as bottom trawling are increasingly used to improve the ecological condition of disturbed habitats. Such management interventions typically have socio-economic consequences, which creates a challenge for those making decisions about which activities should be restricted and where restrictions should apply. We present an approach for predicting the effects of fisheries management scenarios in spatially delimited marine areas and ranking them—using a loss function—according to how well they achieve desired outcomes across a set of ecological and socio-economic indicators. This approach is demonstrated by simulating alternative fishing gear restrictions and zoning options within a hypothetical marine protected area (MPA). Relative benthic status (RBS; an indicator of ecological condition) and relative catch value (RCV; an indicator of potential economic cost) were estimated for the baseline environment and 21 potential management scenarios. The rank order depended on which indicator was prioritized (i.e. whether RBS or RCV was given greater weighting in the loss function), with the top-ranked scenarios in each case involving considerably different management measures. The methods presented can be applied anywhere using locally or strategically relevant indicators to help identify spatial fisheries management measures that minimize ecological and socio-economic trade-offs.

Trade-offs between fisheries, offshore wind farms and marine protected areas in the southern North Sea – Winners, losers and effective spatial management

There is an increasing need for marine spatial planning in the North Sea given the multiple uses with competing objectives. Plans to increase renewable energy production by establishing offshore wind farms (OWFs) are likely to coincide with existing and planned marine protected areas (MPAs), with obvious incompatibilities relating to conservation goals. Both will restrict fishing activities to varying degrees, thus a framework is needed to assess possible trade-offs to differing stakeholders and ecosystem health. Using a spatially-explicit trophic model, ecosystem response to different types of spatial closures to fisheries was evaluated using a variety of indicators relating to ecosystem health and fisheries productivity in the southern part of the North Sea. Additionally, hypothetical MPAs designated with specific ecological objectives in mind were tested. Scenario outcomes suggest that closures may need to be accompanied with additional fisheries management measures to avoid unintended negative impacts outside the closed areas. Furthermore, size and placement of spatial closures are important factors influencing overall benefits and losses in terms of ecological health and fisheries yield. One particular hypothetical large-scale closure, designed with the goal of protecting areas with high biodiversity, performed better in terms of indicators and trade-offs than the more fragmented, currently planned and existing closures. Although model outcomes have to be treated with care, the spatially-explicit food web modeling approach will likely aid in providing a more holistic evaluation of trade-offs between conservation objectives and fishing activities, which should contribute to a more target-oriented framework for the evaluation of closed areas.

Come, tell me how you live: Habitat suitability analysis for Ostrea edulis restoration

Abstract Against the background of the UN decade on ecosystem restoration and the new EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, and in the context of marine spatial planning and complex maritime user conflicts, reliable information on habitat suitability for large‐scale restoration is an important prerequisite for implementing conservation management and for supporting successful, sustainable, and ecologically efficient restoration measures. In this study, habitat suitability was assessed using multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) for the restoration of the European oyster, Ostrea edulis, in marine protected areas (MPAs) of the German Bight in the North Sea: Borkum Reef Ground (Borkum Riffgrund, BRG) and Sylt Outer Reef – Eastern German Bight (Sylter Außenriff, SAR). Based on site selection criteria, exclusion and suitability factors for the MCDA were defined. Results were integrated with the available geodata to produce habitat suitability maps for oyster restoration in the area of interest. Suitable as well as unsuitable habitats have been successfully identified for both MPAs: several hundred square kilometres (≥97.2% of BRG) or several thousand square kilometres (≥74.5% of SAR) were classified as ecologically and logistically suitable for oyster restoration measures in the respective MPAs. As oyster restoration is significantly limited by human activities (e.g. bottom trawl fisheries), the management of fisheries is an important prerequisite for successful oyster restoration in both MPAs. Results show that designated fishery management measures will increase the possibilities for oyster restoration. In BRG, our results correspond to the known historical distribution. In SAR, our results significantly exceed the historically known distribution. The habitat suitability analysis will facilitate decision‐making regarding ocean use, and will reduce restoration costs through targeted management activities in areas of high suitability and expand species recovery by improving the survival of reintroduced individuals. The habitat suitability analysis procedure is easily adaptable for application to other areas, other species, or other habitat restoration projects, or to other conservation management settings. The software applied is open source and the suitability calculation is described in detail to inform wider applications.

The unintended consequences of exemptions in conservation and management measures for fisheries management

The duty to recognize the special requirements of developing states, and ensure that conservation and management measures avoid placing a disproportionate burden on them, has been firmly anchored in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement. Coastal developing states, particularly small island developing states (SIDS), are often economically and socially dependent on marine resources, and their development aspirations have been recognized by the international community. Ideally, members of regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) will meet their duty to avoid placing a disproportionate conservation burden on SIDS by designing and agreeing upon conservation and management measures that are equitable in terms of both their ease of implementation and their substantive impact on each participating state, such as through the equitable allocation of fishing opportunities. Where RFMOs are unable to adopt equitable measures, they may rely on the use of exemptions from conservation and management measures for developing states as a second-best alternative. However, exemptions have the potential to threaten the sustainability of the respective target stocks by creating loopholes in catch and effort limits. They can also undermine the scarcity value created by strong catch and effort limits, which can generate higher access fees for SIDS. In this paper, we analysed the conservation and management measures of RFMOs that include exemptions from catch, effort and capacity limits and found that they are used most commonly in the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission. We argue that the use of exemptions due to the failure of RFMOs to adopt equitable allocation frameworks has the potential to negatively impact marine resources and their development opportunities. Instead, alternatives, such as equitable allocations of science-based catch and effort limits, transferability and phased adjustments, should be developed.

Fishery legislative reform towards Japan’s Fukushima nuclear wastewater discharge into the sea—A Chinese perspective

Japan’s discharge of Fukushima nuclear wastewater into the sea will have a profound and far-reaching impact on the marine environment and the fishing industry. Although Japan did not discharge nuclear wastewater directly into China’s waters, the wastewater flowed into the sea and infringed upon China’s rights and interests in pelagic fishing, as the nuclear-contaminated water is fundamentally different from discharges from normal nuclear plants. After the People’s Republic of China was founded, the Central Government and people’s governments of all levels started to manage fishery. However, the fishery management measures at this stage were primarily targeted the fishing industry itself, particularly the marine fishing industry. Several problems of China’s existing fishery legislation do not cope effectively with Japan’s nuclear sewage discharge. China’s fishery legislation keeps pace with the development pace of international laws, but it has not enacted specific regulations on certain types of marine pollution, such as nuclear sewage pollution. The Fisheries Law of the People’s Republic of China needs to produce an extraterritorial effect indirectly through other laws and regulations. China’s existing domestic laws only stipulate the rights of coastal countries. In this context, China’s fishery legislature should find a way forward, including changes in management standards; facilitating the formation of a complete extraterritorial effect by China’s fishery legislation a complete extraterritorial effect; improving supporting administrative legislation system; and facilitating the digitalization of fishing management to monitor Japan’s nuclear sewage discharge and its resultant harm, etc.

Comparative assessment of the U.S. State of Florida’s Marine Life regulations for its commercial marine aquarium fish fishery

Governments in select locales around the world have recently either restricted or closed commercial marine aquarium fisheries, impacting the livelihoods of fishers, traders, and others who depend on them. This paper offers an objective assessment of Florida's commercial marine aquarium fish fishery and its regulatory landscape to inform and guide stakeholders about management strategies for the fishery moving forward, and to highlight successful regulations in place in Florida that merit consideration for adoption in other source locales around the world. The study discovered that the State has a strong regulatory structure for the commercial fishery operated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; practicing co-management with fishers, and utilizing license and permitting requirements, conventional fisheries management measures and technical actions to regulate fishing mortality, and rights-based management approaches. Additionally, both fisheries-independent and dependent surveys have been conducted in recent years to assess the fishery. Consequently, the vast majority of fish species collected commercially for the trade indicate stable or increasing catch trends in Florida waters over 10 + years. Moving forward, the fishery can benefit from an assessment of the economic impacts of the regulatory framework on its fishers, a statewide fisheries management plan specific for the fishery, the further development of a comprehensive program for fisheries data collection and analysis to address data gaps, an assessment of resources at hand and those needed to implement these recommendations, and the elevation of marine aquarium fisheries for support at the national level to support state-level management.