Emerging fisheries,emerging fishery interactions with sea turtles: A case study of the large-mesh gillnet fishery for flounder in Pamlico Sound,North Carolina,USA

Emerging fisheries and changes in fishery practices are not always readily apparent, nor are their impacts on non-target species such as seabirds, sea turtles, and marine mammals. Data from several different sources led managers to discover high rates of sea turtle bycatch in an inshore large-mesh gillnet fishery in North Carolina, USA, particularly the emerging deep-water gillnet fishery. This paper reviews the history of how increased numbers of observed stranded sea turtles in 1999 led to the discovery that turtles were becoming entangled in the large-mesh gillnet fishery in Pamlico Sound, North Carolina. It also demonstrates how a variety of data sets from fisheries observers, aerial surveys, and fisheries statistics programs contributed to shaping management of the large-mesh gillnet fishery in Pamlico Sound to decrease turtle bycatch and now point towards the need of additional assessment of gillnet bycatch in other parts of North Carolina. Finally, potential approaches are discussed for a more timely detection of future fishery conflicts and development of a plan to reduce otherwise inevitable bycatch and disruptions to fishing effort.     

Harvest patterns and effort dynamics of indigenous and non-indigenous commercial sectors of the eastern Torres Strait reef line fishery

The reef line fishery (RLF) in eastern Torres Strait (ETS) is unique in that it has both a commercial indigenous sector and a commercial non-indigenous sector. Recently, concerns have been expressed by all stakeholders about the long-term sustainability of the fishery. These concerns have been exacerbated by the lack of detailed catch and effort information from both sectors, which has precluded any formal assessment of the fishery. In this paper, we characterise the harvest patterns and effort dynamics of the indigenous and non-indigenous commercial sectors of the ETS RLF using a range of data sources including commercial logbooks, community freezer records, voluntary logbooks and observer surveys. We demonstrate that bycatch is a significant component of the catch for both sectors and identify substantial differences in harvest patterns and effort dynamics between the sectors. Differences between sectors were observed in species composition and spatial and temporal patterns in catch, effort and catch per unit effort. These results highlight the inherent variation in catch and effort dynamics between the two commercial sectors of the ETS RLF and provide valuable information for the development of future assessments and appropriate management strategies for the fishery. The more reliable estimates of harvest patterns and effort dynamics for both sectors obtained from observer surveys will also assist in resolving issues relating to allocation of reef fish resources in Torres Strait.     

A requiem for the IFQ in US fisheries?

Despite their apparent economic benefits to harvesters, individual fishing quotas (IFQs) have only been adopted in three US fisheries: Mid-Atlantic surf clam and ocean quahog; South Atlantic wreckfish; and, North Pacific halibut and sablefish. During the 1996 reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, Congress temporarily blocked implementation of additional IFQ programs in US fisheries. In this paper, we argue that because of the emergence of an alternative, the cooperative, it is unlikely that new IFQs will be adopted in federally managed US fisheries. From an economic perspective, cooperatives offer the advantage of eliminating production externalities that may remain under an IFQ program with relatively large owner classes. More significantly, development of IFQ programs appears to be increasingly overwhelmed by the proliferation of both equity concerns and seemingly interminable rent-seeking behavior — both issues that can effectively block adoption of IFQs. Ironically (and paradoxically?), by reducing the scope of the equity issues acknowledged, the cooperative alternative narrows the pool of claimants and modifies the behavior of the remainder, making implementation more likely. A further irony exists in that IFQs are widely thought to be best designed at the local/regional level while part of the appeal of the cooperative model is that it appears to shortcut the often protracted nature of the local/regional political process by relying on direct intervention from Washington, DC, in the form of actions by Congress or the Justice Department.     

2007-2008年云南高原湖泊鱼类多样性与资源现状

为了解云南高原湖泊鱼类资源及多样性现状,于2007-2008年对云南高原11个大型湖泊进行了2次调查.共鉴定鱼类39种,隶属于7目13科33属,鲤形目鱼类最多,占65.0%.其中共调查到土著鱼类14种,外来鱼类25种.在种数上,外来鱼类已经成为各湖泊的主体.在鱼类区系上,由高原鱼类区系向长江中下游鱼类区系演变.主要经济鱼类年龄结构以0+和1+鱼为主.分析表明,土著鱼类多样性与海拔和湖泊面积密切相关.土著鱼类物种数在中等海拔(1700-1800m)处最高,并与湖泊面积呈显著正相关.最后根据调查结果,提出了一些保护建议.     

漳江口红树林国家级自然保护区海产品产量产值研究

2006年全年对福建漳江口红树林国家级自然保护区红树林主要分布地竹塔村辖区内的海产品类型、产量和价格进行了逐日统计。结果表明:2006年竹塔村滩涂海产品总产量为529956kg(1589.9kg/hm2),远高于一般的红树林。其中缢蛏苗和缢蛏成品的产量最高,分别为312468kg(937.4kg/hm2)和123376kg(370.1kg/hm2),占总产量的59.0%和23.3%。泥蚶、锯缘青蟹成品和泥螺分别占总产量的12.2%、2.3%和2.0%。缢蛏苗以冬季(1月和12月)的产量最高;锯缘青蟹苗年产量为2.59尾/m2,高峰期出现在6月至11月。2006年竹塔村红树林滩涂海产品总产值为1388.0万元(4.17万元/hm2)。研究结果可为红树林生态系统服务功能的评价和红树林的科学管理提供基础数据。     

Local ecological knowledge demonstrates shifting baselines and the large-scale decline of sawfishes (Pristidae) in Tanzania

Sawfishes are coastally distributed rays that grow to very large sizes. All five species are assessed as Endangered or Critically Endangered as a result of population declines caused mainly by entanglements in fishing gear and by habitat degradation. Three species occur in the western Indian Ocean, but their populations are believed to have declined drastically in many areas and little is known about their presence in Tanzania. Fisher interviews were conducted to provide an overview of the status of sawfishes in Tanzania and to highlight where conservation actions should be focused to conserve sawfishes nationally. In total, 386 interviews were conducted: 296 at 31 villages in four regions on Tanzania’s mainland, and 90 interviews at 12 villages in four regions of Pemba Island. Less than half (46%) of the fishers were familiar with sawfishes and could identify one from a photograph. A precipitous decline in sawfish abundance in Tanzania could be inferred from the age-related decline in local knowledge of their existence; all fishers aged between 70 and 80 years were familiar with sawfishes, whereas only 10% of fishers younger than age 20 had ever heard of them. A total of 29 sawfish records were compiled, comprising 16 rostra and 14 catches that occurred between 2002 and 2014 (one record included both a catch and a rostrum). All rostra examined were from the largetooth sawfish Pristis pristis. Since 2002, the sawfish catches occurred in three locations, all on the mainland coast: in the southern Mtwara region, in the vicinity of the Rufiji Delta, and at Bagamoyo on the Zanzibar Channel. Interview data and rostra evidence suggest that the Rufiji Delta may be a largetooth sawfish nursery area, and confirmation of this should be a priority.     

Who's who in the Kenai River Fishery SES: A streamlined method for stakeholder identification and investment analysis

The Kenai River Fishery is a unique social–ecological system (SES) with nearly 50 federal, state, local, and nonprofit groups influencing its political, ecological, and social structure. While ecological data exists for this fishery, the complexity of its stakeholder relationships has not been investigated. Stakeholder interactions can directly influence how science is integrated into management decisions and therefore affect the adaptive capacity of SES, such as the Kenai River Fishery. Drawing from the existing stakeholder literature, this methods identifies and ranks the key SES stakeholders and describes their roles. This study approached the question of which stakeholders should be included in a future SES adaptive capacity study by (1) identifying the key stakeholders within the Kenai River Fishery, (2) ranking each stakeholder’s investment within the fishery using eleven categories of interaction, and (3) using these eleven categories to characterize each stakeholder's role within the SES. The largest number of stakeholders fall into the secondary investment category, showing that a relatively small number of resource managers are interacting with a large number of diverse nonprofit organizations. The top ranking stakeholders in this study will be invited to attend participatory scenarios workshops that will build the foundation for a deeper scenarios-based analysis of SES adaptive capacity.     

Toward shared understandings of ecosystem-based fisheries management among fishery management councils and stakeholders in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic and New England regions

Ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) is often discussed by fisheries managers and stakeholders as a potential goal. EBFM is based on a multi-species approach, which varies significantly from the single species fisheries management (SSFM) approach currently practiced under the U.S. Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSFCMA). EBFM is “holistic” and considers “all factors,” but it is impossible for management to incorporate all factors into EBFM. This study sought to improve understanding of factors contributing to or preventing progress toward EBFM implementation in the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) and New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC), focusing on Council member and stakeholder beliefs, attitudes, and mutual understanding. Objectives included determining mutual understanding between MAFMC and NEFMC members and stakeholders about EBFM and identifying MAFMC and NEFMC member and stakeholder preferences for EBFM definitions, practices, and outcomes, and prioritizing which aspects of EBFM managers and stakeholders find most important. Stakeholders included commercial fishermen, recreational anglers, nongovernmental organization (NGO) leaders, and Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) members. Over 1000 survey responses about EBFM from council members and stakeholders in the Mid-Atlantic (MA) and New England (NE) regions were analyzed. The Coorientation Model was used to characterize understanding between the Council and fisheries-related stakeholder groups. For the MA and NE regions, most stakeholders agreed on definitions, practices, and possible outcomes for EBFM. Results suggest that most Council members and stakeholders in the MA and NE regions support a change from SSFM to EBFM at an incremental, intermediate, or complete, gradual (5–10 years) pace. The application of the Coorientation Model to EBFM and the fishery management councils provided insights into how an improved understanding of the attitudes, beliefs, and mutual comprehension of Council members and stakeholder groups could potentially facilitate the implementation of EBFM. Council members and stakeholders responded similarly to, and Council members correctly predicted stakeholder responses about, EBFM definitions, practices, and outcomes. These findings suggest that Council member and stakeholder agreement and understanding are not barriers to MAFMC and NEFMC adoption of EBFM.     

An ecosystem approach to small-scale fisheries through participatory diagnosis in four tropical countries

Participatory diagnosis is an approach to identify, prioritize and mobilise around factors that constrain or enable effective governance and management in small-scale fisheries. Diagnostic frameworks are mostly designed and used for systematic scientific analysis or impact evaluation. Through participation they also have potential to guide contextually informed improvements to management in practice, including transitions to contemporary forms of governance like the ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF)—the focus of our study. We document and critically reflect on participatory diagnosis processes and outcomes at sites in Indonesia, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Tanzania. These sites were part of an international project on the implementation of the EAF and differed widely in institutional and operational contexts. The Participatory Diagnosis and Adaptive Management framework and the “issue radar” diagnosis map were used to identify, evaluate and address factors associated with navigating management transitions towards the EAF. We found that many challenges and priority actions identified by participants were similar across the four study countries. Participants emphasized habitat restoration, particularly mangrove rehabilitation, and livelihood enhancement. The importance of strengthening governance entities, networks and processes (e.g., harmonization of policies, education and awareness of policies) was also a prominent outcome of the diagnosis. Site-specific factors were also explored together with the differing views among stakeholders. We conclude that diagnosis frameworks are indeed useful tools for guiding management transitions in fisheries, particularly where they enable flexibility in approaches to diagnosing problems and applying solutions to local contexts.     

长吻飞旋海豚的一些生物学测量数据

2003年11月山东省石岛的渔民在黄海水域偶然误捕了一头海豚，经作者鉴定，系长吻飞旋海豚（Stenella longirostris），国家Ⅱ级重点保护动物，是黄海水域的首次记录。其主要鉴别特征：喙细长；背鳍略呈三角形；尾柄很高，具有结缔组织构成扩大的嵴；齿数：右上颌47枚，右下颌50枚，左上颌47枚，左下颌51枚。同时，还对其进行了较详细的观察和测量：此海豚系雄性，体长1．828m。为长吻飞旋海豚的保护以及管理措施的制定提供了基本的参考资料。