Own-price elasticity of open access supply as a long-run measure of fish stock abundance

Extensive criticisms of the management of marine fisheries periodically arise for a variety of reasons. While the complexity of the US fisheries management process is partially to blame, these reasons manifest themselves in statements that include a perceived decline in living marine resource abundance levels, a proposed change in the regulatory infrastructure, or improvements in stock abundance that some feel should allow for new entrants. Following these criticisms are calls to end the federal management process or at the very least the replacement of the fishery management agency leadership. These demands driven by rent seeking behavior use short-term declines in abundance as justification when the long-run abundance measures would have indicated improvements in stock abundance and achievement of management objectives. Empirical, long-run, stock abundance indices are estimated using synthetic demand methodology, based on bioeconomic fishery theory, applied in a general and partial equilibrium theory framework to determine if maximum sustainable yield (MSY) management targets have been achieved and maintained for four fisheries considered to be successfully managed and one characterized as a socio-economic disaster. The abundance of a fish stock is more influence by extra-market and extra-fishery forces than by fisheries managers who base allocation decisions solely on single species stock assessments.     

Malaysian fisheries policy : Search for new grounds

Past fisheries development policies in Malaysia are assessed and new grounds for managing the Malaysian fisheries are explored. Some incompatibility in the goals for fishery development are discerned, especially those of increasing domestic landings through mechanization and resource conservation. Future management efforts should be based on a fuller understanding of the fishery stock and regional management of fish stocks. Aquaculture is often seen as a plausible alternative in order to augment supplies from the capture fisheries. A comprehensive multidisciplinary approach is needed to transform and commercialize traditional, experience-dependent culture systems into technology-packaged systems based on scientific methods. There is also substantial potential for the development of recreational fisheries.     

山东海洋渔业资源问题分析及其可持续发展策略

着重分析了山东海洋渔业资源状况及其存在的问题,提出了未来海洋渔业资源的发展对策。渔业生态环境恶化,过度捕捞,养殖种质退化,使渔业资源严重衰退;海产品加工技术落后,缺乏高附加值产品,渔业资源利用率低。开展海洋渔业资源相关基础研究,运用海洋生物技术等高新技术,重点进行海洋环境与渔业资源保护,发展生态渔业,科学、合理地开发利用渔业资源,是实现渔业资源可持续利用和长久发展的可行策略。     

Saltwater sport fishing for food or income in the Northeastern US: Statistical estimates and policy implications

In the Northeast US fishery managers have attempted to control marine recreational fishing mortality through annual adjustments to the number and/or size of fish that can be kept. These measures, with a few exceptions, have generally failed to prevent recreational fishing mortality rates from exceeding annual target levels. In this study, we show that one of the reasons why keep limits may have failed is that a substantial number of anglers obtain little value from being able to keep self-caught fish. Our findings are based on a telephone survey administered to marine anglers in all of the coastal counties in the Northeast US in 2004/2005. To evaluate the importance of keeping self-caught fish, we provide estimates of the size of the marine angling population in the Northeast US that keeps fish for food or income and also for those that fish primarily for recreation and place little or no value on keeping fish. Demographic characteristics of the two groups of anglers are compared statistically and differences related to consumption of self-caught marine resources and to health warning advisories are discussed. We also estimate the size of the Northeast US angling population that relies on their self-caught marine resources as a cost-saving food source or as a supplement to household income. This information could improve the effectiveness of fisheries regulations and the ability of policy analysts to predict how anglers might be affected by proposed fishery management actions.     

Ocean robotics in support of fisheries research and management

South Africa’s small-pelagic fishery is a socio-economically important component of the country’s commercial fisheries sector, second in value only to the demersal trawl fishery. Management of this sector relies on infrequent hydro-acoustic surveys, which provide measures of anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus and sardine Sardinops sagax biomass used in the assessments of stock status and in the development of management plans for the sustainable utilisation of these resources. We demonstrate how technological capabilities in ocean robotics at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) could augment the current resource-intensive hydro-acoustic ship-based survey programme and create opportunities for expanding its spatial and temporal resolution. We successfully implement and demonstrate an autonomous wave glider, fitted with a hydro-acoustic sensor and compare the data to a collocated ‘traditional’ ship-based acoustics survey. In the future these autonomous systems approaches could be seen as a means to lessen the cost burden of the ship-based survey, while at the same time with the added advantage of continuous collection over much wider spatial and temporal domains. This could enable a more reflexive stock management approach taking into account the seasonal characteristics of the fishery and its ecosystem. Gliders thus have potential to increase dramatically the quantity of information available to fisheries managers, thereby reducing uncertainty and contributing to improved management of valuable fish resources. They are likely to contribute to improved knowledge of the ecology of small pelagic fish species off the coast of South Africa in a changing climate and should potentially also permit the collection of biomass data for other marine resources currently not routinely monitored.     

区域渔业管理组织对脆弱海洋生态系统的保护浅析

21世纪以来底拖网渔业的快速发展给脆弱海洋生态系统（VME）带来极大威胁,导致公海深海渔业发展不可持续以及海洋生物多样性降低。为更好地实现养护海洋渔业资源和保护海洋生物多样性的目标,同时为我国在保护VME以及管理公海深海渔业方面提供参考,文章分析八大区域渔业管理组织（RFMO）针对VME保护采取的系列措施及其保护VME的可行性,针对存在的问题提出对策建议,并对我国在RFMO中保护VME进行展望。研究结果表明：《公海深海渔业管理国际准则》在RFMO保护VME的实践中发挥重要的指导作用;RFMO采取的措施限制深海渔业活动,但为保护VME和养护海洋渔业资源提供重要基础和保障;未来RFMO应加强信息共享和技术合作,发展VME分布预测技术,同时在保护海洋生物多样性方面积极开展双边和多边合作;我国应进一步研究和实践基于生态系统的渔业管理方法,平衡保护与开发利用的关系,积极参与国际渔业管理和VME保护并促进合作,加强南极海域海洋保护区综合治理。     

基于生态适宜性评价的海洋生态系统管理——以温州市洞头区为例

海洋为人类生存和社会经济发展提供了重要的资源和环境条件,海洋生态适宜性研究能够评定海域的固有属性对生态保护和开发利用的适宜等级和潜力-限制因素.本研究以典型的海岛区洞头为例,构建了海洋生态适宜性评价的空间分析模型,计算得到其空间分布,进而开展了生态适宜度的功能分区;据此划分了洞头区的生态管控空间,判断了未来海域资源保护和开发利用管理的主导方向,提出了各管控区发展的资源优势及限制性因素.结果表明,洞头海域按照生态适宜度值的高低可以清晰地划分为重点保护区、一般保护区、适度开发区和优化开发区等4类功能区,分别占区域总面积的23%、50%、18%和9%;前两者为生态保护及恢复的重要区域,后两者是未来海洋资源开发利用的主要区域; 4类区域可以归并为生态保护、农渔业养殖、城镇开发3类管控功能区.本研究对开展海洋生态功能区划、协调海洋资源开发与区域生态保护的关系、构建基于生态系统的海洋综合管理模式具有重要意义.     

渔业资源评估在渔业管理中的作用

资源评估是应用各种统计和数学方法量化地于业种群形态对渔业管理选择的反应。资源评估不仅仅是预测静止的最佳捕捞努力量和持续产量，而是评估鱼类和渔民对管理决策和其它变化的动态反应。在动态的渔业系统中帮助管理者进行决策是一个困难的任务，资源评估生物学家要配合管理者和决策者提出适当的问题，和思考渔业对变化的动态反应。     

The Magnuson-Stevens act (1976) and its reauthorizations: Failure or success for the implementation of fishery sustainability and management in the US?

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (1976), opened a new era of federal fishery management in the United States. It was enacted primarily to establish a system for conserving and managing fisheries in the new 200-mile (EEZ). The US assumed exclusive authority for managing all fisheries within the EEZ, except for highly migratory species such as tunas and billfishes. Within the framework of the Act, eight Regional Fishery Management Councils (Regional Councils) were created, which are responsible for preparing Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) in federal waters under their jurisdiction. Each FMP must meet a series of National Standards (NSs) for conservation and management. The Act was reauthorized in 1996 with the passage of the Sustainable Fisheries Act (SFA), which aimed at fine tuning the fishery regulatory apparatus that was established under the original Act. This "fine tuning" involved increased attention to biological concerns, and removal of ambiguities within it. The Act was reauthorized again in 2007, mainly to provide for more clear directives and regulations to end overfishing. After more than thirty years since the Act was passed into law, the debate among conservationists, commercial and recreational fishery representatives, and politicians on the effectiveness of the Act in achieving its purported goals it still continues. Is the Act delivering on its promises? Do NSs reflect the most important priorities for the US fishery resources, conservation and sustainable exploitation? Do the Regional Councils represent all parties that should be involved in the fisheries resources management? The aim of this paper is to provide a critical analysis to answer these questions. This paper begins with a review of the Act and its background, followed by discussion and analysis of the Act's benefits and flaws. Finally, suggestions for the implementation of its structure and future directions in fishery management strategies are made.     

Ecosystem-based fisheries management in small-scale tropical marine fisheries: Emerging models of governance arrangements in the Philippines

There has been a gradual evolution in fisheries management over the past decades from a focus on sustainability of a single species or stock and resources to a focus on marine ecosystems. Among the issues to be addressed for effective implementation of ecosystem based fisheries management (EBFM) are the appropriate governance arrangements and scale for management. The purpose of this paper is to examine these issues of governance and scale as related to EBFM in tropical developing countries through an analysis of approaches being taken in the Philippines to manage fisheries on a multi-jurisdictional level. The management of fisheries and coastal resources in a number of bays and gulfs, which represent marine ecosystems, is presented. The opportunities and constraints to ecosystem based fisheries management in the Philippines are discussed and lessons for broader application of these governance structures in tropical developing country marine ecosystems are presented.     

A spatio-temporal ecosystem model to simulate fishing management plans: A case of study in the Gulf of Gabes (Tunisia)

The Gulf of Gabes located in southern Tunisia is one of the most productive ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea. Despite its ecological importance, it is subject to high fishing pressure affecting the different components of the ecosystem. Given the multispecies, multigear nature of the fishery, there is a need to manage trade-offs between environmental and economic objectives. In this study, an Ecospace model was developed based on the previously constructed Ecopath model of the Gulf of Gabes and calibrated for the period 1995–2008 to investigate the response of the ecosystem to a set of alternative spatial management scenarios. These scenarios were derived from the current fishery regulation owing the important interest expressed by local fishery managers to assess new management measures. The results showed for each management scenario how bottom trawling and coastal fishing impact the different trophic groups and the complexity of interaction between these two fishing activities. Furthermore, spatially explicit simulations were performed to identify regions where the management measures are effective. Results suggested that for some trophic groups, these regions are well-defined which would be interesting to propose more accurate spatial measures. Finally, several indicators were calculated to evaluate the proposed management plans and provide managers with a straightforward set of decision rules to describe the potential trade-offs and fulfill both fisheries and conservation management objectives in the context of an ecosystem approach. The decision rules were based on observed trends to reduce uncertainty relative to the model complexity and provide consistent advice to decision-makers.     

Prioritising range-wide scientific monitoring of the Cape fur seal in southern Africa

The range of the Cape fur seal Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus population largely coincides with the region of the cold, nutrient-rich Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem (BCLME) adjoining the west coast of South Africa, Namibia and Angola. Range-wide scientific monitoring of the seal population was initiated in the 1970s to inform on population management questions related to commercial seal harvesting and seal–fishery interactions. Since the 1970s, seal-related management goals have changed, especially in South Africa where seal harvesting ceased in 1990 and government has conformed to scientific advice against the culling of seals for the intended benefit of fisheries. However, renewed impetus has been provided to seal research and monitoring through the expansion of the ‘ecosystem-based management’ concept in the region, as well as improved international cooperation in the management of marine resources. Together with wide-scale ecosystem changes in the marine environment, and forecast effects of global climate changes, this has justified the continuation and improvement of range-wide scientific monitoring of Cape fur seals. We prioritised seal monitoring based on cost, effort, and relevance to monitoring objectives that have been identified for the region, with consideration given to the conservation status of top predators, interspecific and predator-fishery interactions and the potential use of Cape fur seals as indicators of ecosystem health. An integrated approach incorporating a suite of life-history attributes of seals is recommended, useful monitoring tools are discussed and the need for coordinated monitoring effort and standardisation of sampling techniques is emphasised.     

Recommendations for developing and applying genetic tools to assess and manage biological invasions in marine ecosystems

The European Union’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) aims to adopt integrated ecosystem management approaches to achieve or maintain “Good Environmental Status” for marine waters, habitats and resources, including mitigation of the negative effects of non-indigenous species (NIS). The Directive further seeks to promote broadly standardized monitoring efforts and assessment of temporal trends in marine ecosystem condition, incorporating metrics describing the distribution and impacts of NIS. Accomplishing these goals will require application of advanced tools for NIS surveillance and risk assessment, particularly given known challenges associated with surveying and monitoring with traditional methods. In the past decade, a host of methods based on nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) analysis have been developed or advanced that promise to dramatically enhance capacity in assessing and managing NIS. However, ensuring that these rapidly evolving approaches remain accessible and responsive to the needs of resource managers remains a challenge. This paper provides recommendations for future development of these genetic tools for assessment and management of NIS in marine systems, within the context of the explicit requirements of the MSFD. Issues considered include technological innovation, methodological standardization, data sharing and collaboration, and the critical importance of shared foundational resources, particularly integrated taxonomic expertise. Though the recommendations offered here are not exhaustive, they provide a basis for future intentional (and international) collaborative development of a genetic toolkit for NIS research, capable of fulfilling the immediate and long term goals of marine ecosystem and resource conservation.     

The structure and evolution of the coastal migrant fishery of Kenya

The current study was carried out over a period of one year to characterise the coastal migrant fishery of Kenya. The study looked at gears and vessels used, and ownership, demographic factors including ages of the fishers and family sizes, migrant activity and resource conservation at two main fishing villages in Kenya; Vanga and Mayungu in the south and north coasts, straddling at 4.663°S and 39.215°E and 3.214°S and 40.135°E respectively. Further, the fishers were categorised with regard to fishing, gear and vessel operation and trade, and evolution upon entry into the fishery was also assessed in order to define fisher-stake in the fishery for resource management and conservation planning. Structured questionnaires were used to interview the fishers, and data and information recorded from 1018 fishers during the survey. Migrants accounted for over 63% of the fishers in the two study sites, with majority of the fishers lying in the 15–45 year age bracket. Dependence level averages at 4–6 person families per fisher. Entry to the fishery was mainly at seamen level, progressing to fishermen and finally to fish dealers (tajiris), with the latter holding >62% capital in the fishery. Resource management in the fishery was low and only 10% of the fishers were active participants in marine conservation and community beach management issues. Fisher migrations were mainly monsoon season-linked (>58%) although social factors such as family location determined to a great extent the expanse of the migrations. The revival of fisheries cooperatives and active participation in community resource management and conservation groups is envisaged as the key to the sustainability of both the marine resources and the economies associated with this high mobility, cross-border fishery.     

A clash of values and approaches: A case study of marine protected area planning in Mozambique

Many developing countries are expanding their network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to meet ambitious marine conservation targets set globally and to develop tourism nationally. This study explores the human dimensions of MPA planning in Mozambique by engaging local resource users in a series of structured discussions about marine resource use, pressures on marine resources, ways to address such pressures, and the potential positive and negative impacts of MPAs on the management of marine resources and livelihoods, from a community perspective. Findings show that the groups and communities interviewed are at best ambivalent towards MPAs while at the same time supporting increased government regulation, including conventional fisheries management measures. The study suggests that without significant community involvement in the choice of marine conservation tools, the drive to establish MPAs to achieve biodiversity conservation and tourism development goals may be counterproductive, at least in terms of poverty alleviation and sustainable resource use. It argues that a wider range of marine conservation approaches and tools needs to be considered in addition to MPAs, taking into consideration local views and institutional capacities.     

An indicator-based adaptive management framework and its development for data-limited fisheries in Belize

Decisions regarding the selection and implementation of management strategies that constrain fishing pressure can be among the most difficult choices that fisheries managers and stakeholders must make. These types of decisions often need to be confronted in a data-limited context, where few if any management measures are currently in place or fisheries are managed independent of adequate scientific advice. This situation can sometimes create a high risk of overfishing and potential loss of economic and social benefits. To address this situation, simple model-free indicator-based frameworks have the potential to be effective decision-making platforms for fisheries where quantitative estimates of biomass and fishing mortality based reference points are lacking. In this paper, a multi-indicator framework is developed that enables decision-makers to proceed with management decisions in data-limited situations. Model-free indicators are calculated using trends in observed data, rather than stock assessment derived estimates of biomass and fishing mortality. The framework developed is adaptive so that adjustments to catch or effort are recursive and can respond to changing environments, socioeconomic conditions, and fishing practices. Using stakeholder-defined objectives as a foundation, indicators and reference points of fishery performance are chosen that can be evaluated easily by undertaking analyses of available data. Indicators from multiple data streams are used so that uncertainty in one indicator can be hedged through careful interpretation and corroboration of information from alternative indicators. During the adaptive management cycle, managers and stakeholders evaluate each indicator against the associated reference points to determine performance measures, interpret the results using scientific and local knowledge, and adjust fishery management tactics accordingly using pre-defined harvest control rules. The framework facilitates the interpretation of situations in which performance measures suggest divergent stock abundance or productivity levels. A case study is presented on this framework's development for conch and lobster fisheries of Belize.     

Constraints and solutions for managing Pacific Island sea cucumber fisheries with an ecosystem approach

The ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) is a holistic paradigm that considers stocks of exploitable species, marine ecosystems and stakeholders. Management agencies must strike a balance between their capacity constraints and the requisites of management measures. Most small-scale sea cucumber fisheries of Pacific Islands have been plundered while others are being opened to commercial exploitation. Data from fishery managers and a regional workshop were used to assess the current problems, institutional constraints and solutions to the management of sea cucumber fisheries in 13 Pacific Island countries (PICs). Technical capacity was often strong for some management actions such as developing marine reserves but weak for others, such as enforcement. Using multi-disciplinary indicators, half of the fisheries were diagnosed by their managers as being overfished or depleted, despite evidence of optimistic bias. Fishery governance varied greatly among the PICs, and co-management frameworks were not typical of any cultural region. Management objectives were prioritised differently among managers but most highly ranked was to protect ecological resilience. The fishery managers proposed different sets of regulatory measures and various management actions, such as surveys to collect socio-economic and fishery-dependent data, support for local governance and strong enforcement – all widely under-practised. Pacific sea cucumber fisheries exemplify how the transition to an EAF by management institutions must involve reorganisation of their technical and human-resource capacities among management tasks. Levies on exports need to be internalised to fund improved management. Management agencies should consider a shift in resources from developing marine reserves, conducting underwater surveys and aquaculture-based restocking to strengthening enforcement capacity, stakeholder involvement and communication with fishers. In concert with these actions, short fishing seasons, shortlists of allowable species and tighter enforcement at export points may serve to turn the tide on boom-and-bust exploitation and safeguard biodiversity.     

世界海洋捕捞业发展概况、趋势及对我国的启示

由于海洋渔业资源的衰退,目前世界海洋捕捞业进入"零增长"的徘徊期。当前世界海洋捕捞业呈现以下发展趋势:海洋渔业资源争夺日益激烈,海洋捕捞业管理制度日益严格,世界海洋捕捞业产业转移趋势日趋明显,海洋捕捞业技术装备要求越来越高,国际社会越来越重视海洋捕捞业可持续发展。面对世界海洋捕捞业的发展趋势,我国应当继续发展资源养护型海洋渔业,从生态系统角度考虑海洋捕捞业管理措施,积极稳妥发展远洋渔业,参与国际渔业资源的开发,重视海洋捕捞业装备技术水平的提高。     

Coastal poverty and MPA management in mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar

Poverty and resource degradation are persistent features of the lives of a large proportion of the coastal people of Tanzania and Zanzibar. A useful question to raise in preparing poverty reduction and resource management strategies is therefore “how does marine protected area management impact the lives of the poor and reduce poverty?” This paper summarizes selected results of a study on poverty alleviation and marine protected areas (MPAs) in Tanzania and Zanzibar. The data are based on 749 household surveys and 72 focus group meetings in 24 coastal villages conducted in May, June 2003. Unveiling the linkages between poverty and coastal conservation found that poverty is a reality for villagers in the study sites and that it sometimes drives people to break management rules—hence poverty makes it more difficult to reach conservation goals. We conclude that the effectiveness and success of the MPA programs in achieving both conservation and development goals varies, but communities’ perceptions of impacts and progress are most positive in those programs that have had the longest and greatest investment of time and resources.     

Managing overcapacity in small-scale fisheries in Southeast Asia

It is now almost universally accepted that most of the nearshore fisheries in Southeast Asia are overfished. It is also accepted that overcapacity is one of the leading causes of this overfishing. The problem of addressing overcapacity in small-scale fisheries in Southeast Asia is much more complex than that of reducing overcapacity in industrial fleets. In order to manage capacity, managers need to measure and understand how much capacity currently exists in the fishery and what is the desirable level of capacity that best meets the set of management objectives. The only feasible solution to overcapacity may be based on a coordinated and integrated approach involving a mixed strategy of resource management, resource restoration and conservation, livelihoods and economic and community development, and restructured governance arrangements. The reduction of overcapacity implies an increased focus on people-related solutions and on communities.