Small-scale Fleet Research Articles

Characterizing the fishing strategies and the temporal dynamics of the small-scale fleet operating in the Cíes Islands (NW Spain)

Characterizing the fishing strategies and the temporal dynamics of the small-scale fleet operating in the Cíes Islands (NW Spain)

Small scale fisheries in Europe: A comparative analysis based on a selection of case studies

Small-scale fisheries have traditionally received less research effort than large-scale fisheries and are generally under-studied in Europe. In spite of their comparatively low volume of catches and economic importance, small-scale fisheries are socially important and an integral part of the European coastal zone. Considering the high heterogeneity of situations and the paucity of quantitative data, we used an analytical methodology based on the comparative method. We carried out an analysis of small-scale fisheries (SSFs) in Europe based on a selection of nine case studies. Our objective was to obtain a comprehensive description of small-scale fleets covering different areas/fisheries/species, encompassing the diversity and specific conditions under which SSFs operate, in order to demonstrate the ecological and social sustainability of this often overlooked fisheries segment. A common approach formulated so that the case studies could be compared with the case histories of other competing users, required that for each set of criteria – technical, biological, socio-economic, and institutional – a set of relevant items and indicators was established. An analysis of characteristics common to the selected case studies is conducted and an attempt made to extend our comparisons to the whole of the European Union. Our results show that (as compared with large-scale fleets, their main competitor) small-scale fleets: (i) are composed of smaller vessels and, consequently, travel lower distances to fishing grounds, and are more reliant on coastal areas; (ii) have smaller crews (although the global employment figure is similar to that of large-scale fleets in Europe); (iii) use mostly, but not exclusively, passive gears; (iv) use multi-purpose fishing approaches, and can change the fish species they target during the year; (v) have lower extraction rates; (vi) have lower total capital investments (including fishing rights), turnover and costs; and (vii) have lower fuel consumption, making them less sensitive to changing oil prices. Dependence on subsidies is lower (viii). Involvement in fisheries management is variable, conservation and access regulation measures are largely local in origin. For the selected case studies, the most significant competitors are large-scale fleets, and recreational fisheries, but other sources of interaction (water quality, invasive species, etc.) cannot be ignored.

Importance of male gafftopsail catfish, Bagre marinus (Pisces: Ariidae), in the reproductive process

The objective of this research was to analyze the role of male gafftopsail catfish, Bagre marinus, in the reproductive process. Twelve monthly samples of male B. marinus were obtained from the small-scale longline fleet operating out of the port of San Pedro in Tabasco, Mexico. Mouthbrooding males were also obtained from the illegal purse seine fishery targeting shoals of B. marinus at the mouth of the Grijalva River. Maximum reproductive activity in B. marinus (July to August) was evinced by the high gonadosomatic index values in June (0.16 ± 0.04, CI 95%), July (0.31 ± 0.03), and August (0.19 ± 0.02), by the high frequency of mature males (more than 40%) caught by the bottom-longline fleet between June and August, and by the presence of shoals of mouthbrooding males at the mouth of the Grijalva River from June to August. The eggs incubated by male B. marinus ranged from 1.4 to 1.9 cm in diameter, 1.9 cm being the most frequent (64.8%). Mouthbrooding males ranged from 36.2 to 44.0 cm total length and could carry from 17 to 40 eggs of 1.9 cm diameter. The reproductive strategy of mouthbrooding gives B. marinus survival advantages in a marine-estuarine environment; however, this strategy also represents a severe risk because shoals of mouthbrooding males are traceable by fishermen, resulting in high mortalities and, consequently, a high loss of eggs and embryos.

Reproductive parameters of the southern stingray Dasyatis Americana in southern gulf of Mexico

The southern stingray Dasyatis americana (Hildebrand & Schroeder, 1928) is the most landed elasmobranch by small-scale fleets in southern gulf of Mexico. However, little is known of its life history parameters in this region. In this study, a total of 900 specimens were collected from February 2006 to December 2008 to determine the reproductive parameters needed for population assessments by means of ecological risk assessments or demographic analysis. Results suggested that females of D. americana reproduce annually, with a gestation of 7-8 months. The reproductive cycle of females is asynchronous, with ovulation and parturition occurring throughout the year. Females and males matured at 764 and 517 mm disc width (DW50) respectively. D. americana has one of the highest fecundity among dasyatids, from 2 to 7 embryos, with a sex ratio of embryos of 1:1. A linear relationship between maternal DW and fecundity was estimated, the larger females contain more embryos. The status of the population of D. americana is a cause of concern in the southern gulf of Mexico due to its high frequency of capture in artisanal fisheries and its apparently low biological productivity.

Pragmatism before prescription for managing global fisheries

We applaud DR Griffith (Front Ecol Environ 2008; 6[4]: 191–98) for addressing important fisheries management issues, but question the applicability of his solution (individual fishing quotas, IFQs) to the majority of the world’s fishing effort. Griffith’s IFQ success stories poorly represent the artisanal (small-scale) fleets that take 28–58% of global catch and employ 99% of the world’s ~51 million fishers (Berkes et al. 2001).

Small-Scale Fisheries Bycatch Jeopardizes Endangered Pacific Loggerhead Turtles

BackgroundAlthough bycatch of industrial-scale fisheries can cause declines in migratory megafauna including seabirds, marine mammals, and sea turtles, the impacts of small-scale fisheries have been largely overlooked. Small-scale fisheries occur in coastal waters worldwide, employing over 99% of the world's 51 million fishers. New telemetry data reveal that migratory megafauna frequent coastal habitats well within the range of small-scale fisheries, potentially producing high bycatch. These fisheries occur primarily in developing nations, and their documentation and management are limited or non-existent, precluding evaluation of their impacts on non-target megafauna.Principal Findings/Methodology30 North Pacific loggerhead turtles that we satellite-tracked from 1996–2005 ranged oceanwide, but juveniles spent 70% of their time at a high use area coincident with small-scale fisheries in Baja California Sur, Mexico (BCS). We assessed loggerhead bycatch mortality in this area by partnering with local fishers to 1) observe two small-scale fleets that operated closest to the high use area and 2) through shoreline surveys for discarded carcasses. Minimum annual bycatch mortality in just these two fleets at the high use area exceeded 1000 loggerheads year−1, rivaling that of oceanwide industrial-scale fisheries, and threatening the persistence of this critically endangered population. As a result of fisher participation in this study and a bycatch awareness campaign, a consortium of local fishers and other citizens are working to eliminate their bycatch and to establish a national loggerhead refuge.Conclusions/SignificanceBecause of the overlap of ubiquitous small-scale fisheries with newly documented high-use areas in coastal waters worldwide, our case study suggests that small-scale fisheries may be among the greatest current threats to non-target megafauna. Future research is urgently needed to quantify small-scale fisheries bycatch worldwide. Localizing coastal high use areas and mitigating bycatch in partnership with small-scale fishers may provide a crucial solution toward ensuring the persistence of vulnerable megafauna.