Managing catch of marine megafauna: Guidelines for setting limit reference points

Limit reference points (LRPs) for catch, which correspond to thresholds to undesirable population or ecosystem states, offer a consistent, objective approach to management evaluation and prioritization across fisheries, species, and jurisdictions. LRPs have been applied successfully to manage catch of some marine megafauna (elasmobranchs, marine reptiles, seabirds, and marine mammals) in some jurisdictions, such as the use of Potential Biological Removal (PBR) to manage incidental mortality of marine mammals under the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act. However, implementation of ecosystem-based management is still in its infancy globally, and LRPs have not yet been widely adopted for marine megafauna, particularly for incidental catch. Here, guidelines are proposed for estimating catch LRPs for marine megafauna, with particular attention to resolving common technical and political challenges, including (1) identifying management units, population thresholds, and risk tolerances that align with common conservation goals and best practices, (2) choosing catch LRP estimators, (3) estimating input parameters such as abundance and productivity, (4) handling uncertainty, and (5) dealing with mismatches between management jurisdictions and population boundaries. The problem of cumulative impacts across sectors is briefly addressed. These guidelines, grounded in marine policy, science, precedent, and lessons learned, should facilitate wider application of catch LRPs in evaluation and management of fisheries impacts on marine megafauna, in support of global commitments to conserve biodiversity and manage fisheries responsibly.     

区域渔业管理组织中的鲨鱼养护管理问题研究

目前鲨鱼养护管理问题已引起国际社会的广泛关注,《鲨鱼养护管理国际行动计划》和《濒危野生动植物种国际贸易公约》等国际文件从生态系统保护和贸易管控角度对鲨鱼问题做出规定。为了顺应国际社会加强鲨鱼养护管理的趋势,RFMOs出台了一系列决议和措施。对此,作为远洋渔业大国的我国应针对目前履行RFMOs管理规定中存在的问题,尽早做好各项准备,以彰显我国渔业大国的负责任态度,更好地维护我国远洋渔业合法权益。第一,对外加大宣传,树立我国远洋渔业的正面形象;第二,加强远洋渔业从业人员培训,强化远洋渔船监管;第三,加强国际渔业法律科学人才队伍建设,提升在国际渔业管理中的话语权和主导权;第四,转变我国渔业法规指导理念,确立以养护为主的渔业管理基本方针。