Communicating climate change: Climate change risk perceptions and rock lobster fishers, Tasmania

World fisheries, already vulnerable, are under increasing pressure from the impacts of climate change. Using the Tasmanian rock lobster industry as a case study, we considered the efficacy of risk perception as a tool to inform how to communicate the science of climate change and suggestions for management in relation to development of adaptation strategies for fisheries. Fishers surveyed in this study operate in a fishery that is expected to undergo large changes as a consequence of climate change. Fishers also reported observations of similar large changes in the marine environment and lobster fishery consistent with climate change; yet most fishers surveyed expressed doubts about whether climate change was a real process. The important point for adaption of the industry to climate change is that fisher perceptions of risk tended to create barriers to acceptance of climate change as an issue. This means that there is a barrier to communication and awareness about climate change and thus a barrier to future action on the issue. Improving acceptance of climate change and thus ability to adapt will require the development of communications that are culturally appropriate and palatable to fishers. We argue that the application of social learning principles in communications about climate change may be one constructive way forward.     

A cautious fisheries management policy in South Africa: the fisheries for rock lobster

In South Africa, political emancipation has resulted in a new fisheries policy which is embodied in the Marine Living Resources Act of 1998. The pillars of the new policy are sustainability, equity and stability within the industry. We look particularly at a suite of mainly accessible species, the rock lobsters (truly spiny lobsters), at their management, at control measures, at realities of resource status and harvesting, at naturally occurring ecosystem stimuli, and investigate whether the policy can achieve what it aims to do, to provide more for more South Africans at levels at least equal to what they do today. Put simply, are the political aims and the sustainability aims of the new policy mutually achievable?     

The effects of fisheries management on the Icelandic demersal fish value chain

Iceland׳s fishing industry has outperformed fishing industries in neighboring countries in recent years. This paper identifies key factors in market structure in recent decades that contribute to long run profitability of the Icelandic fishing (and fish processing) industry using semi-structured interviews with industry participants, and compares those with similar results from Norway. Further, the development of profitability in the Icelandic and Norwegian demersal fishing industries is used to assess the long run effects of different management systems on quality, product focus and profitability. The results indicate that three key changes in Icelandic regulation during the 1980s were important to the development of long run profitability within the fishing industry: the abolition of export barriers, the introduction of an individual transferable quota (ITQ) system and the establishment of fish auctions. A large and growing literature supports the role of ITQs in ensuring long run profitability. The importance of market structure for profitability has only recently been identified, affecting the ability of value chains to become market oriented and supply homogenous product flow from heterogeneous raw material. Comparison with Norway indicates that while individual transferable quota management does improve profitability in fishing to a certain extent, management systems must facilitate a strong market connection from consumers, through the stages of retail and processing, to fishers for the full realization of profit potential in the fishing industry.     

Marine protected areas in Australia: Towards a coordinated rock lobster industry position

Plans by government to accelerate the establishment of a national representative system of marine protected areas (NRSMPAs) in Australia have caused increasing disquiet within the fishing industry. Rock lobster fishers have raised concerns regarding plans to establish large “multiple‐use” MPAs that may or may not contain a substantial no‐take component in the continental shelf waters adjacent to the coast. Key industry concerns including the potential impacts on present and future harvest rates are examined. The industry response to government MPA policy in each of the major jurisdictions is outlined. An industry position developed at the National Rock Lobster Congress in Perth, Western Australia (September 2003) is put forward. The position advocates the need for an adjustment scheme to account for displaced effort, the need for government commitment to the development of management plans that include the long‐term monitoring of all MPAs, and the need for a thorough risk assessment process to be conducted before the establishment of an MPA. The issues raised in this paper should be relevant to the establishment of MPAs in an international context.     

Characterisation of the recreational fishery for southern rock lobster,Jasus edwardsii,in Tasmania,Australia: Implications for management

Southern rock lobster (Jasus edwardsii) support significant commercial and recreational fisheries in Tasmania, Australia. Since the mid 1990s the number of persons holding recreational lobster licences increased by over 80%, with c. 15 500 persons licensed in 2002/03. Assessment of the recreational fishery has been undertaken periodically since 1996 using a telephone‐diary survey method. The fishery was concentrated off the south‐east and east coasts of Tasmania and characterised by strong seasonality in catch and effort, which peaked markedly early in the fishing year (November‐January). Although pots were the most popular fishing method, daily catch rates by divers were more than double those for pots. Divers selectively harvested larger lobsters than those taken by pots and more frequently attained the daily bag limit of 5 lobsters. The estimated recreational harvest increased significantly since 1996/97 and in 2002/03 effectively reached a management trigger level of 10% of the total allowable commercial catch, flagging a review of recreational management arrangements.     

The effects of spatial targeting of fishing effort on the distribution of the Norway lobster,Nephrops norvegicus,on the Farn Deeps grounds,northeast England

Nephrops norvegicus is an essentially sedentary species of lobster that forms the basis of valuable fisheries in the northwest Atlantic and western Mediterranean. Fishers exploiting a sedentary stock are likely to visit the most profitable (highest catch rate) areas first. Such spatial targeting of fishing effort is likely to have important consequences for stock monitoring and assessment. We used underwater television surveys of Nephrops burrow densities on the Farn Deeps grounds, northeast England, to describe changes in abundance and distribution between the beginning and end of a winter fishing season. Above a threshold of c. 0.6 burrows m^–2, overwinter depletion increased with burrow density, consistent with fishing effort being targeted at the highest densities. A simple simulation model showed that this pattern of mortality is an expected consequence of spatially targeted fishing behaviour. The model also predicted that there is decreased spatial variability in density after fishing. An overall decrease in variability was not evident from the survey data, but geostatistical analysis indicated that there was “flattening” of the density profile along a north‐south axis, consistent with the dominant direction of commercial trawling. We concluded that Nephrops fishers are able to find and exploit the highest densities of their target species. A potential consequence is that catch per unit effort (CPUE) data used to monitor trends in this stock potentially could mask declines in stock abundance. CPUE might be more effective if analysed at finer spatial scales, but this is not currently possible. In the absence of these fine scale commercial data, fishery‐independent surveys (e.g., underwater television) are an important source of information on trends in stock abundance.     

Management strategy evaluation for rock lobster,Jasus edwardsii,off Victoria,Australia: Accounting for uncertainty in stock structure

The management strategy evaluation (MSE) approach was used to evaluate management strategies based on the current method of stock assessment for rock lobster (Jasus edwardsii) off Victoria, Australia, and decision rules inferred from the management plan for Victorian rock lobster and past practice when selecting total allowable catches, TACs. The results are expressed in terms of whether it is possible to keep stocks above limit reference points with high probability and recover over‐exploited stocks to the target level. Three categories of management strategy were examined using the MSE, which differed in whether assessments were conducted, and TACs set, by management zone or by region within management zone. A management strategy based on conducting assessments and setting TACs by management zone is most similar to the way assessments are currently conducted and management regulations implemented for rock lobster off Victoria. However, this management strategy performed poorest in recovering stocks to target levels. Alternative management strategies which involved conducting assessments and setting TACs by region performed better, but may have practical limitations. The assessment method was found to be generally relatively accurate and precise, although estimation performance was poor/imprecise on occasion.     

Impacts of unconstrained effort: Lessons from a rock lobster (Jasus edwardsii) fishery decline in the northern zone management region of South Australia

The Northern Zone rock lobster fishery of South Australia is expansive, covering an area of ∼207,000 km². From 1970 to 2002 it was managed under input controls that relied heavily on restrictions to days-at-sea and size limits. In 2003, output controls in the form of individual transferable quotas with a total allowable commercial catch were also introduced. Fishery performance from 1980 to 2007 was analysed based on catch data and model outputs. Trends in catch and effort increased through the 1980s and 1990s while nominal catch rate remained relatively stable. However, from 1999 to 2003 catch decreased by 49% from 1001 to 503 ton and has remained at <500 ton since. Importantly, nominal effort did not decline comparatively, decreasing by only 12% from 1999 to 2007. Consequently, nominal catch rate decreased by 47.5% from 1.43 to 0.75 kg/potlift, over the same period. Logbook data revealed strong evidence of spatial expansion through the 1980s and 1990s which is likely to have masked declining lobster abundance and contributed to a “hyperstability” scenario in catch rates. It is suggested that increasing effective effort, driven by advances in fishing technology and vessel design, fuelled this expansion. Model outputs, which account for increases in effective effort, indicate that biomass has decreased by ∼68% since the 1980s. The results highlight the limitations associated with input controls in controlling effort during periods of spatial expansion. Further evidence from puerulus settlement data stresses the importance of conservative quotas for lobster fisheries where annual recruitment is low or highly sporadic.     

Measuring depth of settlement in the red rock lobster,Jasus edwardsii

Settlement of the puerulus stage of Jasus edwardsii (Decapoda: Palinuridae) near the shore takes place over a wide depth range. It occurs intertidally, and, as determined by crevice collectors, also takes place down to depths of at least 50 m. At sites along the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand, depth of greatest settlement found on collectors varied with locality and time, but was within the upper 11.5 m. Surface‐buoyed collectors caught fewer animals than did collectors at greater depths. Settlement levels generally increased with depth to about 10–12 m, then decreased with increasing depth and distance from shore. The ability of/, edwardsii to settle over a wide depth range may improve its chances of recruitment. A device (closing crevice collector) for measuring puerulus settlement of J. edwardsii at depth is described.     

Movement patterns of individual migrating western rock lobster,Panulirus cygnus,in Western Australia

Abstract

Migrating and pre‐migrating western rock lobster Panulirus cygnus were tagged with datastorage tags that recorded temperature and pressure, which was converted to depth (Pressure (kPa) — surface pressure (kPa)/10)) at Dongara and Jurien Bay in Western Australia between December 2005 and December 2007. All lobsters were fitted with tag flotation devices, and returns were made by either commercial fishers or beachcombers who located detached tags. A total of 135 lobsters were released with “backpack” flotation tags, but only 84 (62.2%) of the backpacks carried data‐storage tags. Depths of release ranged from 5 to 113 m. Of the tagged lobsters released, commercial fishers recaptured 52 (38.5%), whereas 11 tags (8.1%) were found by beachcombers. At least 33%, and possibly up to 63%, of animals identified by their pale coloration as pre‐migrating individuals, failed to migrate. Those that did migrate (n = 11) were at liberty from 1 to 94 days and showed generally similar movement patterns in that they migrated only at night from darkness (after 2000 h) until after moonrise. However, their movement patterns were less constrained by the rising of the moon in deep water. Only 27% migrated nightly, compared with 73% that skipped migrating on one or more nights, to restart some days later. This latter proportion would likely have been considerably greater, but some migrating animals were only at large for short periods before recapture, and therefore had little time to show any variation to the nocturnal migration pattern. Individual speeds of migration during periods of activity were estimated for nine lobsters as 0.20 to 0.68 km h^?1, with a mean speed of 0.44 km h^?1, or 7.4 m min^?1. Improved knowledge of daily movement patterns resulting from this study provides a potentially important input into technological improvements in bait and pot design.     

Flexible management of fishing rights and a sustainable fisheries industry in Europe

Although overexploitation of commercial fish stocks in European waters has been in the public debate now for more than 20 years, the European Union has so far failed to implement sustainable fisheries management. Millions in subsidies paid to the fishing industry have led to significant excess capacity in the fishing fleet. Various feeble attempts to stop overexploitation of marine resources have failed. The cause is that fishing policy is highly dominated by short-term socioeconomic interests. There is an urgent need for a new fisheries management system in Europe that supports reductions in the fishing fleet, increases responsibility among fishers and guarantees long-term conservation of natural marine resources.Transferable rights to fish have proved a reliable and effective means of creating incentives to conserve marine resources. By strengthening individual fishing rights under flexible quota management systems, the EU Member States could, within the Common Fisheries Policy, make a significant contribution to conserving fish stocks, to reducing excess capacity and to raising the profitability of the fisheries industry. A closer look at existing reservations against a flexible management system shows most of the objections to be overstated or capable of resolution.     

我国海洋捕捞业政策变迁、结构特征及优化研究——基于政策文本的量化分析

自20世纪80年代以来,我国出台了众多海洋捕捞相关政策,厘清这些政策变迁规律对海洋捕捞业的健康发展具有重要意义。本文对1986年以来我国海洋捕捞业的政策文本展开量化分析,构建政策时间维度、政策工具维度、政策价值维度三维政策文本分析框架,梳理当前捕捞业政策变迁和结构特征,并深入分析了捕捞业政策与现实的匹配性。研究发现,海洋捕捞业的部分政策目标之间存在一定的冲突和矛盾;政策工具体系全面,但不同政策工具数量分布不均衡;早期政策的经济价值取向突出,社会、生态价值相对不足,需要适时调整政策价值取向。未来应明确政策目标,推动海洋捕捞管理范式由投入控制向产出控制的转变;优化政策工具组合,引导渔民自觉养护海洋渔业资源,提高海洋捕捞业政策的有效性;整合政策价值取向,协调产业发展、资源养护和渔民利益的关系,推动海洋捕捞可持续发展。     

Effect of reproductive state and sex on movement and food consumption of western rock lobster (Panulirus cygnus) in a tank environment

The catchability of western rock lobsters (Panulirus cygnus) during the spawning season (October and November) may be affected by their reproductive state. In this study, movement and food consumption of males and females of different reproductive states held in laboratory tanks were measured as proxies for catchability. Density of lobsters was found to influence both movement and food consumption. Solitary animals and, to a lesser extent, two lobsters per tank, were more sedentary and consumed significantly less food than animals at a density of three or four specimens per tank. Tests using three animals per tank confirmed that mature, unmated, and ovigerous females carrying early stage eggs moved more frequently away from their shelters than males or females carrying late stage eggs (P < 0.0001, d.f. = 3). Further, unmated females and females with early stage eggs recorded significantly higher food consumption (P < 0.0061, d.f. = 3) compared with males or females carrying late stage eggs. The greater time spent away from shelter and also food consumption make unmated females and females with early stage eggs likely to be more catchable than males or females with late stage eggs. As catchability is commonly used to obtain population estimates from survey data, these results have implications for surveys which use catch rates of breeding animals as indicators of egg production.     

Temporal changes in kelp forest benthic communities following an invasion by the rock lobster Jasus lalandii

The rock lobster Jasus lalandii expanded its centre of distribution south-eastwards into an area known as ‘East of Cape Hangklip’ on the south-west coast of South Africa in the early 1990s. Using historical and present data, we analysed differences in the abundance of key species and functional groups between the pre- and post-rock lobster invasion periods at two sites along that coast: Cape Hangklip and Betty's Bay. Pre-1989, lobsters were absent, but after 1995 they reached densities approximating 0.4–0.8 m^?2. Benthic community composition also changed significantly with herbivores being abundant whereas macroalgae and sessile invertebrates were scarce pre-invasion. We attribute the decline of herbivores to the direct effects of lobster predation, in turn indirectly promoting macroalgae. Post-invasion sessile invertebrates and macroalgae increased by 2 600% and 453% respectively, whereas herbivores declined by 99.3%. The virtual elimination of the sea urchin Parechinus angulo-sus by rock lobsters has substantial implications for the commercial harvesting of the abalone Haliotis midae, because its juveniles are intimately associated with this urchin. The lobster invasion has thus not only led to a regime shift of the ecosystem but has also substantial economic consequences, which calls for an ecosystem approach to the management of the pool of commercially exploited resources in this region.     

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.