International fisheries agreement: Review of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas: Case study—Shark management

To properly manage world fisheries, especially highly migratory species, there are numerous treaties that have been implemented by specialized international fishery commissions. One of the oldest organizations is the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). The main focus of this review was to summarize the history, roles and responsibilities of ICCAT, and to evaluate ICCAT's management of sharks in general and specifically for shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) shark. This review found that the Convention was established 40 years ago, but it was not until 2004 that the commission conducted its first population assessment on pelagic sharks.     

Measures of the Fishing Capacity of Chinese Marine Fleets and Discussion of the Methods

The peak-to-peak (PTP) and data envelopment analyses (DEA) methods were used in a quantitative study of the marine fishing capacity in China. The results showed that: the better input index in the PTP methodology is total power rather than number of ships when measuring the Chinese marine fishing capacity. urther analyses made it clearer that the excess of marine fishing capacity in China is primarily an excess of total power of fishing ships. This paper then suggests that the number of ships should be reduced by 35.2 percent, the gross tonnage should be reduced by 29.8 percent and the total power by 37.3 percent in China, if the current marine catch stays at the 1999 base line level. The discussion proposes the idea of supplement peak year. We also discovered that the PTP methodology is suitable for market economics and is better as a longitudinal analysis in time arrays, but the DEA approach is useful for the transverse comparison of fishing capacity in a given time period. The analyses also showed that the capacity, which has been based on the practical catch, is commonly underestimated. Therefore the fishing capacity reduction required in practice is generally larger than the value given by calculation.     

The precautionary principle in fisheries management

The precautionary principle has become a reference rule for public actions and policies. Two conceptions coexist under this principle. The first one, based on the strengthening of the concept of environmental protection, aims to promote a prevention proportional to the potential risks. The second one looks for the eradication of risks and it may even require the “proof demand” of innocuousness. The application of the precautionary principle in the fishing sector became established as a reaction in view of the state of resources and the lack of efficacy to guarantee the sustainability of the exploitations. This document tries to stress the application of the precautionary principle in the framework of fisheries. First, it examines the concept of precaution, then it evaluates the concepts applied in the community policy, and thirdly, it concludes by pointing out the problems derived from its implementation.     

Conflict over flying fish: The dispute between Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados

This paper explains the ongoing conflict between Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados over the right to catch flying fish off the coast of Tobago. The aim of the paper is to present the different scenarios arising from the conflict and to determine the best outcome for managing the flying fish. The history and current situation of the conflict is presented. The possible outcomes are evaluated with a framework developed in the paper. It is concluded that a negotiated agreement between the two countries gives the best result. Future negotiations should focus on developing a limited access program like Individual Transferable Quotas.     

Evaluation of cross curves of fishing vessels at the preliminary design stage

The prediction of ship stability during the early stages of the design process is very important from the point of a vessel's safety. Hence, in this study, a formula is presented to estimate cross curves of fishing vessels to predict initial stability at the preliminary design stage. For this purpose, 175 fishing vessel forms have been generated from Doust trawler hull series. The predictive technique is established by regression analysis of systematically varied fishing vessel series data. The mathematical model is constructed as a function of main design parameters such as length to beam ratio L_WL/B_WL, beam to draft ratio B_WL/T, moulded depth to draft ratio D/T and block coefficient C_B. This prediction is also used to determine the effect of specific hull form parameters and load conditions on the stability of the fishing vessel. Some basic considerations on how the proposed method can be applied to a new fishing vessel are presented.     

通过主机轴功率的测试判断船体,主机,螺旋桨三者的匹配状况

渔船主机是渔船的心脏，其技术状况的好坏直接影响到船舶的性能，而船体，主机，螺旋桨三者的匹配情况对船舶的航速，拖力以及经济效率都具有重要的影响。     

The EU restrictive trade measures against IUU fishing

The opportunities for operators to increase their revenue when illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing catches are converted to currency through the market encourage the persistence and growth of this activity. It is often the same market that is targeted for the legal trade of fish. Thus, paradoxically, the market demand creates and incites it, at least from an economic point of view. To deter IUU fishing activities, some fish and fishery products importing countries have started to enact or implement additional regulatory measures, the goal of which is to tackle the problem from a new trade-related perspective. This contribution provides an analysis of various aspects of the market state competence. Within the framework of the European Union (rights and markets) the study analyses the emergence of regional trade-related measures and explore how they are linked to the international trade law regime especially the World Trade Organization rules. Finally, the paper draws implications for the market state measures and considers their limits and potential in combatting IUU fishing.     

High trophic level and low diversity: Would Madeira benefit from fishing down?

This study offers a brief overview of the historical development of fisheries in Madeira since 1938. Changes in food web structure in the waters around Madeira archipelago were evaluated using the mean trophic level of landings (TL_m) coupled with the Fishing-in-Balance (FiB) index for the period 1979–2014. These indices were also calculated for the taxonomically aggregated data since 1938 in order to provide a rough assessment of the trophic changes and fisheries expansion in the region. The trophic level of landings has been increasing since 1938, but increased more steeply in the transition from the 1980s to the 1990s, remaining relatively stable at a high level since then. Likewise, the FiB index also increased steeply during the same time period, indicating an expansion of the fishery. Due to its oceanic and oligotrophic environment, fisheries in Madeira have become increasingly dependent on a very small number of high trophic level, migratory species, a situation which is ecologically unsustainable. A more balanced exploitation pattern, focused on a better utilization of locally available small pelagic fish, would increase sustainability of fisheries in the region, but is at present conditioned by economic constraints.