The Icelandic debate on the case for a fishing fee: a non-technical introduction

Research by J.D. Sachs and A.M. Warner, indicates that resource-rich countries are less successful in terms of economic growth than are resource-poor countries. The question of what measures Icelanders need to take to prevent their fishery wealth from limiting economic growth is posed. The main body of the essay discusses arguments for a fishing fee. The principal arguments for a fishing fee are listed. One type of argument concerns flexibility, with a view to possibly introducing other forms of management or altering the distribution of profit in the future. Another type of argument concerns equity and fairness, contending that having a fishing fee makes it easier to ensure that the entire nation enjoys the benefit of the resource. A third type of argument is connected to risk-management, maintaining that, if properly arranged, a fishing fee would make it possible to offer vessel operators an indirect insurance policy which otherwise would not be available to them. The fourth type of argument concerns counter-cyclical policy and the problem of co-habitation of the fishery industry and other export industries and refers to the possibility of wage earners and/or taxpayers being forced (or tempted) to apply general policy instruments to secure a portion of the fishery rent. The general measures available to obtain a piece of the fishery rent share a common failing: their use unavoidably increases costs for other sectors of industry and thus limits possibilities for growth in those sectors and links their performance to fisheries performance. Then there are arguments for neutrality, based on the idea that the so-called resource rent taxes should not affect the use of the factors of production. Finally, there are economic growth arguments, which can be linked to theories of rent-seeking and Dutch disease.     

Measures of fishing fleet diversity in the New England groundfish fishery

After 16 years under a limited access program with effort controls, the New England groundfish fishery transitioned to a catch share management system in 2010. For much of its earlier management history, issues related to fishing capacity were paramount as effort controls were increasingly restrictive to meet biological objectives. As the size of the active fleet declined from over 1000 vessels from 1994 to 2001 to less than 400 vessels in 2012, the management concern shifted to fleet diversity. Fleet diversity has been cast in terms of vessels based on characteristics such as size, gear, and region rather than their share in landings or economic value. Measuring fleet diversity with indices commonly used in the biodiversity literature such as richness, effective diversity based on the Shannon index, and evenness appears appropriate for this context. In this paper these indices were applied to measure changes in diversity of the active New England groundfish fleet from 1996 to 2012. Fleet diversity as measured by the Shannon Index has declined by approximately 35% from 1996 to 2012, but has remained relatively stable since 2007. Forty vessel types were present in all 17 years, which accounted for about 85% of active groundfish vessels and over 90% of total groundfish landings in all years. Even though the fleet size and overall diversity have declined the “core” groundfish fleet remains stable.     

Comparative advantage and distant water fishing fleets: The Australian east coast tuna longline fishery

A coastal state benefits from importing the services of a distant water fishing nation (DWFN) fleet if the DWFN has a comparative advantage in exploiting the fishery, based on factors such as market access, costs or technology. The paper compares the activities of the Australian and Japanese vessels in the east coast tuna longline fishery and finds the Australian vessels receive higher prices, have higher costs and use a different technology from the Japanese fleet. These differences suggest a pattern of comparative advantage which can lead to Australia benefitting from importing the services of the Japanese fleet.     

Ghost fishing in European waters: Impacts and management responses

In this paper we review levels of net loss, what happens to the gear once it has been lost, and the resulting levels of ‘ghost catches’ made in passive net fisheries in the EU. We also consider ghost catches resulting from lost gear in other types of fisheries, and the extent to which the value of ghost catches has been quantified. We consider why fishing gear is lost, and profile common management responses. We present a cost benefit model to assess the relative cost effectiveness of different management measures, and suggest that gear retrieval programmes may provide less value for money than other management responses.     

Autonomous video camera system for monitoring impacts to benthic habitats from demersal fishing gear, including longlines

Studies of the interactions of demersal fishing gear with the benthic environment are needed in order to manage conservation of benthic habitats. There has been limited direct assessment of these interactions through deployment of cameras on commercial fishing gear especially on demersal longlines. A compact, autonomous deep-sea video system was designed and constructed by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) for deployment on commercial fishing gear to observe interactions with benthos in the Southern Ocean finfish fisheries (targeting toothfish, Dissostichus spp). The Benthic Impacts Camera System (BICS) is capable of withstanding depths to 2500 m, has been successfully fitted to both longline and demersal trawl fishing gear, and is suitable for routine deployment by non-experts such as fisheries observers or crew. The system is entirely autonomous, robust, compact, easy to operate, and has minimal effect on the performance of the fishing gear it is attached to. To date, the system has successfully captured footage that demonstrates the interactions between demersal fishing gear and the benthos during routine commercial operations. It provides the first footage demonstrating the nature of the interaction between demersal longlines and benthic habitats in the Southern Ocean, as well as showing potential as a tool for rapidly assessing habitat types and presence of mobile biota such as krill (Euphausia superba).     

诱鱼灯光场计算及其对光诱鱿鱼浮拖网作业的影响

本文运用诱鱼灯光照度的有关公式,计算了光诱鱿鱼浮拖网作业中的光场分布及变化,结合鱿鱼趋光行为习性,分析现有渔具渔法的适应性。结果表明;使用１６盏铊铟灯水上灯,诱鱼最大水平距离比仅使用水下灯增加约６８０倍,但水上灯从１６盏增加到４０盏地,从经济角度分析不很理想;在集鱼过程中,关闭最后一组水上灯后,应有白炽灯经过降压后再地渡到水下灯集鱼;导鱼灯在向网口移动的过程中应继续降低低电压;     

基于BiLSTM模型的远洋渔船类型识别研究

船舶自动识别系统(Automatic identification system,AIS)为渔业资源和渔船捕捞活动管理和研究提供了可能.明确船舶作业类型是开展AIS信息渔业研究应用前提,为渔业研究和管理提供渔船捕捞类型基础数据支撑,保障渔船作业安全和监督非法捕捞渔业活动,作者通过搜集整理3000多艘已知类型船舶信息,从...     

Artisanal fishing in Andalusia: A statistical study of the fleet

Andalusia is a region of Spain with an area of some 90,000 km² and almost 900 km length of coastline. It has an important tradition in the fishing industry that makes it one of the areas of the European Union where fisheries policies have a great significance for the population. The present statistical study deals comprehensively with the so-called “artisanal fleet”, especially in respect of data on the typology of vessels (construction particulars) and on the extractive effort made (distances and depths where they fish, duration of fishing voyages, the fishing gear used and target species), with the aim of presenting a new approach in the policies for regulating this important fisheries sector.     

Implications of Arctic industrial growth and strategies to mitigate future vessel and fishing gear impacts on bowhead whales

The objective of this paper was to investigate and illustrate how insights gained from experience managing human activities in order to protect North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) along the heavily industrialized east coast of North America might be applied in the Arctic, where bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) face some of the same risks as right whales. The reduced extent and thickness of sea ice and the resultant longer open-water season have major, complex implications for the Arctic marine ecosystem. Increased maritime ship traffic and commercial fishing in the Arctic are bound to affect bowheads and Native (indigenous) hunting communities who depend on whales for subsistence and cultural identity. Bowheads and right whales were greatly depleted by commercial whaling in the 19th and early 20th centuries. While the Western Arctic bowhead population has been recovering steadily in recent decades, North Atlantic right whales remain highly endangered because of persistent lethal and sublethal vessel strikes and frequent entanglement in commercial fishing gear. Entanglement can be transitory or persistent, with debilitation lasting for months before the animal finally succumbs. Vessel strike and fishing gear trauma has been documented in bowheads, but at a much lower rate than in right whales. Initiatives intended to mitigate the impacts of ship traffic on North Atlantic right whales have included speed limits and routing changes. Those meant to reduce the incidence and severity of entanglements include the modification of gear design and gear deployment practices. Management measures need to be considered in advance in the Arctic in order to minimize the risks to bowhead whales as shipping and industrial fishing expand in the Arctic with ice retreat.     

Whale interactions with Alaskan sablefish and Pacific halibut fisheries: Surveying fishermen perception,changing fishing practices and mitigation

Whale depredation occurs when whales steal fish, damage fish or damage fishing gear. In Alaska, killer whales (Orcinus orca) and sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) primarily depredate on demersal sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) and Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) longline fisheries. Quantitative data on whale depredation in Alaska is limited due to low fishery observer coverage and minimal depredation evidence left on longline fishing gear. This study utilized semidirected interviews (n=70) and written questionnaires (n=95) with longline fishermen to examine: (1) perceptions and experiences of whale–fishery interactions in Alaska, (2) effects of depredation on fishing practices, and (3) potential depredation mitigation measures. Eighty-seven percent of fishermen surveyed agreed that whale depredation became worse between 1990 and 2010. Respondents reported changing their fishing practices in response to depredating whales in several ways, including: traveling up to 50 nautical miles and ceasing hauling operations up to 24 h until the whales left the fishing grounds. Respondents fishing in western Alaska, primarily encountering killer whales, were forced to wait longer and travel greater distances than fishermen operating in central and southeast Alaska, regions more affected by sperm whales. Deterrent research, gear modifications and real-time tracking of depredating whales were solutions favored by study participants. Survey respondent answers varied based on areas fished, quota owned, years involved in the fishery and vessel size. This study presents the first statewide evaluation of fishermen's perception and knowledge of whale interactions with the Alaskan longline fleet and is a critical step toward developing baseline data and feasible depredation mitigation strategies.     

An empirical analysis of the economic value of ocean space associated with commercial fishing

Understanding the economic value of ocean space is critical for implementing marine spatial planning (MSP). Empirical data from 1999 to 2008 are compiled on the economic values arising from commercial fishing in the Gulf of Maine and adjacent areas. The data are analyzed to characterize factors affecting the spatial and temporal distribution of measures of economic productivity and fishing effort. The analysis consisted of four components: (1) estimation of net revenue at the 10-min square level by season and gear; (2) assessment of variability for catch revenue and catch per unit effort; (3) mapping net revenue and variability in the study area; and (4) estimation of interactions among catch, effort, season, and gear type. The results indicated that, at each location, average fishing efforts exhibited a positive response to increases in expected revenues and a negative response to variability in revenues. Most of the variability in catch revenue can be explained by changes in fishing effort, implying that the spatial patterns of fishery resources are relatively stable at the 10-min square level. An important conclusion is that a spatial scale of at least the 10-min square is appropriate for undertaking MSP involving allocations of commercial fisheries.     

Spatial and temporal assessment of potential risk to cetaceans from static fishing gears

Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) requires the consideration of potential impacts of a commercial fishery on all components of the ecosystem. Assessment of the impact of commercial fishing on marine mammals generally focuses on species at known risk from bycatch. For cetaceans in particular, inclusion under the Threatened, Endangered and Protected (TEP) species component of Ecological Risk Assessment for the Effects of Fishing (ERAEF) can seem redundant if a species is already known to be at risk or is not thought to interact with the fishery with consequences for its conservation. A spatially and temporally explicit Productivity Susceptibility Analysis (PSA) procedure was developed for inclusion under ERAEF to allow cetacean species to be screened for risk. The technique is demonstrated by assessing the potential risk to harbour porpoise and minke whales from a number of static gear fisheries. The results demonstrate that although a fishery might pose high risk to a species, low or moderate risk areas can exist within the range of the fishery, enabling management measures to focus on areas of greatest risk. Designed to complement and support existing methods of bycatch assessment, this approach is a repeatable and standardised assessment, the outputs of which can be used to systematically document the level of risk posed to different species in a transparent way to aid the inclusion of cetaceans in ERAEF and EBFM both now and in the future.     

Removing derelict fishing gear from the deep seabed of the East Sea

The East Sea, with an average depth of 1700 m, has long been subject to heavy fishing pressure, resulting in derelict fishing gear. Most derelict fishing gears, such as fishing nets, fishing ropes, and crab pots, sink to the seabed and do not degrade. This gear results in “ghost fishing,” which has adverse impacts on deep benthic habitats. Recently, the Korean government has started to remove derelict fishing gears from the deep seabed of the East Sea by bottom trawling with heavy hooks (50–80 kg) and ropes. A total of 207.8 and 252.2 tons of marine debris in 2009 and 2010, respectively, were removed from the seabed, most of which were derelict fishing gears. Contrary to monitoring surveys and clean-up in shallow waters, removal of marine debris from remote deep habitats is much more difficult and dangerous for removal crews.     

Demersal fishing disturbance increases predation risk for whelks (Buccinum undatum L.)

Field observations by divers indicated that a high rate of predation of whelks (Buccinum undatum) by starfish (Asterias rubens) occurred in an area disturbed by scallop dredging, although these whelks mostly appeared to be alive and externally undamaged. The ability of whelks to escape from starfish was tested in the laboratory after they were dropped or rolled to simulate direct physical contact with bottom fishing gear. Dropping whelks did not significantly affect their escape behaviour, but whelks which had been rolled took significantly longer to right themselves and were significantly less likely to perform an escape response than whelks that had not experienced this treatment. This study suggests that demersal fishing may indirectly increase whelk mortality by increasing their risk of predation.     

Spatial patterns and environmental risks of ringnet fishing along the Kenyan coast

Ringnet fishing began in the early 20th century and is practised worldwide, mainly to target nearshore pelagic species. The method was introduced to Kenya’s coastal waters by migrant fishers from Tanzania. However, the impacts of this fishing gear remain poorly assessed. We assessed the spatial distribution of ringnet fishing effort and its possible effects on ecosystem components, such as coral reefs, marine megafauna and marine protected areas, on the south coast of Kenya. We tracked 89 ringnet fishing trips made from December 2015 to January 2016 and used spatial multicriteria analysis to determine hotspots of possible environmental risks. The results showed that habitat type and bathymetric profile influenced the spatial distribution of ringnet fishing effort. Mixed seagrass and coral habitats had the highest concentration of the effort. Most of the habitats in the study area were moderately exposed to the impacts of the ringnet fishery. The study identifies high-risk areas that require spatial measures to minimise possible environmental risks of the gear both to habitats and to endangered sea turtles.     

The importance of fishing method, gear and origin: The Spanish hake market

Recently, how different attributes influence the price of fish has received increased attention. This is partly due to the perceived impact of different attributes on quality and price, but lately environmental concerns are also playing a part. In contrast to earlier studies that focus on the Ex-Vessel or retail level, this study investigates wholesale data, for hake in Spain. The wholesale data provide information on a wide range of origins as the hake market has increasingly become global. The empirical analysis is conducted by estimating a hedonic price function. The results indicate that while fishing gear and size are important attributes, the origin of the fish is in this case the clearly most important attribute in determining the price. The price more than doubles for fish from the most preferred source, Catalonia, relatively to the fish from the least preferred source, Namibia.     

Assessment of IUU fishing for Southern Bluefin Tuna

Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is recognized as one of the largest threats to the sustainability of the world's fisheries. This paper focuses on IUU fishing in the context of unreported catches by members or co-operating non-members of regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) and their implications for scientific assessments of stock status and management advice. A review of Japanese market statistics was undertaken in 2006 by an independent panel in relation to catches of southern bluefin tuna (SBT). Based on this review, the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT) concluded that very substantial and continuous unreported catches of SBT had been taken by longline vessels since at least the early 1990s. While uncertainty exists about the fleets contributing to these IUU catches, the assumption used within the CCSBT Scientific Committee is that a significant proportion of these were taken by Japanese longliners. Implications of these unreported catches for the stock assessments by RFMOs are discussed in light of the central role that Japanese vessel reported data have in the assessment of the world's tuna and billfish stocks. Results indicate that it is plausible that the unreported catches of SBT stem from the misreporting of catches as other tuna species and/or the location of fishing effort. The magnitude and extended period of the unreported SBT catches highlight the wide-spread risks of relying on fishery dependent logbook data in the absence of verification. An urgent need exists for minimum standards of verification of catch, effort and landing statistics for use in scientific assessments. The fisheries science community needs to be more pro-active in the development of such standards and the implementation of independent monitoring and verification. In addition, there is a need to reform the operation of the scientific bodies of RFMOs in terms of transparency, the treatment of uncertainty and the burden of proof if they are to be effective in providing objective scientific advice consistent with the intent of international agreements.     

Linking fishery management and conservation in a tropical estuarine lagoon: biological and physical effects of an artisanal fishing gear

Information coming from fishery monitoring, surveys and experimental fishing with participation of fishers was employed to determine the impact of an artisanal gear, ‘boliche’, on the biodiversity of the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta (CGSM), an estuarine lagoon on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. Fishery monitoring (catch data) included landings before (1968 and 1978) and after (1994–1996) the introduction of the boliche in the CGSM (1985), whereas surveys were conducted seasonally during 1993–1994. Fishing experiments involved evaluating different mesh sizes and the short-term effect of physical disturbance by the boliche. Monitoring suggested potential trophic effects of this fishing gear: the catch of large, long-lived, carnivorous species declined after the introduction of the boliche in the CGSM, whereas catch rates of smaller, shorter-lived, and lower trophic level species increased. Surveys revealed that the boliche retained 41 species. The by-catch made up 62% of the total catch and the remaining 38% involved the three target species Eugerres plumieri, Mugil incilis and Cathorops spixii. Selectivity experiments showed that 2.5 in. stretched mesh size gill nets caught more species than the 3.0-in. mesh. The smaller mesh also increased the risk of a critical reduction in the spawning stock of target species (notably E. plumieri); a situation that could affect the fish community if mesh sizes lower than 2.5 in. were intensively used. Suspended particulate matter significantly increased after fishing activity, with higher resuspension on mud-shells and mud substrata, whereas dissolved oxygen showed no appreciable changes after fishing operations. Notwithstanding, the activity of the boliche would generate sediment resuspension between 382 and 470 t day⁻¹, which could lead to potential cascade impacts on water quality. We propose a framework of redundancy in management measures in order to simultaneously reach management and conservation goals.     

The definition of marine recreational fishing in Europe

To describe marine recreational fisheries, their socio-economic importance and interactions with other fisheries and the environment, it is necessary to define what is meant by recreational fishing. A review of European Member States’ national legislation revealed considerable variation in ownership and access to coastal waters/fisheries, and in the legal distinction between sport fishing and other recreational uses of marine fisheries and their commercial (catching for sale and profit) counterparts. Together with a re-examination of existing definitions, this has enabled us to suggest definitions that may be used to develop a common approach to evaluate participation and socio-economic value of marine recreational fishing, and guide attempts to legislate for the benefit and development of marine recreational fishing across Europe.