Benthic disturbance by fishing gear in the Irish Sea: a comparison of beam trawling and scallop dredging

1. The distribution of effort for the most frequently used mobile demersal gears in the Irish Sea was examined and their potential to disturb different benthic communities calculated. Fishing effort data, expressed as the number of days fished, was collated for all fleets operating in the Irish Sea in 1994. For each gear, the percentage of the seabed swept by those parts of the gear that penetrate the seabed was calculated. 2. For all gears, the majority of fishing effort was concentrated in the northern Irish Sea. Effort was concentrated in three main locations: on the muddy sediments between Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man (otter and Nephrops trawling); off the north Wales, Lancashire and Cumbrian coast (beam trawling); the area surrounding the Isle of Man (scallop dredging). 3. In some areas, e.g. between Anglesey and the Isle of Man, the use of scallop dredges and beam trawls was coincident. A comparative experimental study revealed that scallop dredges caught much less by-catch than beam trawls. Multivariate analysis revealed that both gears modified the benthic community in a similar manner, causing a reduction in the abundance of most epifaunal species. 4. Although beam trawling disturbed the greatest area of seabed in 1994, the majority of effort occurred on grounds which supported communities that are exposed to high levels of natural disturbance. Scallop dredging, Nephrops and otter trawling were concentrated in areas that either have long-lived or poorly studied communities. The latter highlights the need for more detailed knowledge of the distribution of sublittoral communities that are vulnerable to fishing disturbance. ©British Crown Copyright 1996.     

Response of benthic fauna to experimental bottom fishing: A global meta‐analysis

Bottom‐contact fishing gears are globally the most widespread anthropogenic sources of direct disturbance to the seabed and associated biota. Managing these fishing disturbances requires quantification of gear impacts on biota and the rate of recovery following disturbance. We undertook a systematic review and meta‐analysis of 122 experiments on the effects‐of‐bottom fishing to quantify the removal of benthos in the path of the fishing gear and to estimate rates of recovery following disturbance. A gear pass reduced benthic invertebrate abundance by 26% and species richness by 19%. The effect was strongly gear‐specific, with gears that penetrate deeper into the sediment having a significantly larger impact than those that penetrate less. Sediment composition (% mud and presence of biogenic habitat) and the history of fishing disturbance prior to an experimental fishing event were also important predictors of depletion, with communities in areas that were not previously fished, predominantly muddy or biogenic habitats being more strongly affected by fishing. Sessile and low mobility biota with longer life‐spans such as sponges, soft corals and bivalves took much longer to recover after fishing (>3 year) than mobile biota with shorter life‐spans such as polychaetes and malacostracans (<1 year). This meta‐analysis provides insights into the dynamics of recovery. Our estimates of depletion along with estimates of recovery rates and large‐scale, high‐resolution maps of fishing frequency and habitat will support more rigorous assessment of the environmental impacts of bottom‐contact gears, thus supporting better informed choices in trade‐offs between environmental impacts and fish production.     

Indirect effects of bottom fishing on the productivity of marine fish

One quarter of marine fish production is caught with bottom trawls and dredges on continental shelves around the world. Towed bottom‐fishing gears typically kill 20–50 per cent of the benthic invertebrates in their path, depending on gear type, substrate and vulnerability of particular taxa. Particularly vulnerable are epifaunal species, which stabilize the sediment and provide habitat for benthic invertebrates. To identify the habitats, fisheries or target species most likely to be affected, we review evidence of the indirect effects of bottom fishing on fish production. Recent studies have found differences in the diets of certain species in relation to bottom fishing intensity, thereby linking demersal fish to their benthic habitats at spatial scales of ~10 km. Bottom fishing affects diet composition and prey quality rather than the amount of prey consumed; scavenging of discarded by‐catch makes only a small contribution to yearly food intake. Flatfish may benefit from light trawling levels on sandy seabeds, while higher‐intensity trawling on more vulnerable habitats has a negative effect. Models suggest that reduction in the carrying capacity of habitats by bottom fishing could lead to lower equilibrium yield and a lower level of fishing mortality to obtain maximum yield. Trawling effort is patchily distributed – small fractions of fishing grounds are heavily fished, while large fractions are lightly fished or unfished. This patchiness, coupled with the foraging behaviour of demersal fish, may mitigate the indirect effects of bottom fishing on fish productivity. Current research attempts to scale up these localized effects to the population level.     

Origins of the bottom trawling controversy in the British Isles: 19th century witness testimonies reveal evidence of early fishery declines

Bottom trawling (nets towed along the seabed) spread around the British Isles from the 1820s, yet the collection of national fisheries statistics did not begin until 1886. Consequently, analysis of the impacts of trawling on fish stocks and habitats during this early period is difficult, yet without this information, we risk underestimating the extent of changes that have occurred as a result of trawling activities. We examined witness testimonies recorded during two Royal Commissions of Enquiry (1863–66 and 1883–85). These enquiries interviewed hundreds of fishers about the early effects of sail trawling and the changes they were witnessing to fish stocks, habitats and fishing practises during this time. We converted all quantitative statements of perceived change in fish stocks and fishing practices to relative change. Witnesses from the north‐east of England interviewed during 1863 revealed an average perceived decline in whitefish of 64% during their careers, which many blamed upon trawling. Between 1867 and 1892, trawl‐landing records from the same location suggest that this trajectory continued, with fish availability declining by 66% during the period. Fishers adapted to these declines by increasing distances travelled to fishing grounds and increasing gear size and quantity. However, inshore declines continued and by the early 1880s even trawl owners were calling for closures of territorial waters to trawling in order to protect fish nursery and spawning grounds. Until now, these testimonies have been largely forgotten, yet they reveal that alterations to near‐shore habitats as a result of trawling began long before official data collection was initiated.     

Food web feedbacks drive the response of benthic macrofauna to bottom trawling

Bottom trawl fisheries have significant effects on benthic habitats and communities, and these effects have been studied intensively in the last decades. Most of these studies have related the changes in benthic community composition to direct effect of trawl gears on benthos, through imposed mortality. This line of argumentation ignores the fact that benthic organisms themselves form a complex food web and that bottom trawling may trigger secondary effects through this food web. We studied the potential consequences of such food web effects using a model of benthic predators, filter feeders, deposit feeders and fish. Our analysis shows how inclusion of ecological interactions complicates the relationship between bottom trawling intensity and the state of the benthic community and causes a non‐linear and non‐monotonic response of the benthic community to trawling. This shows that indirect food web effects can fundamentally alter the response of a benthic ecosystem to bottom trawling, compared to the direct effects of mortality. In light of our results, we argue that indicators of fishing impact on benthos need to account for positive as well as negative effects of bottom trawling, in order to accurately quantify the impact. Our findings highlight that understanding the food web ecology of the benthic ecosystem is crucial for understanding and predicting the effects of trawling on the seafloor. Work that promotes such understanding of the food web ecology seems a more productive research strategy than conducting ever more empirical trawling effect measurements.     

离底拖网的游泳动物群落特征——以兄弟岛渔场为例

为探究离底拖网对游泳动物的群落结构以及捕捞量的影响,于2019年9月和2020年9月在福建海域兄弟岛渔场开展了36网次的底拖网专项试验,通过调整曳纲长度控制底拖网作业过程中的网位变动,分别保持底拖网作业在贴底或离底1 m的状态,以物种组成、渔获量对数均值、优势度、多度谱、多样性等参数,分析和比较了贴底拖和离底拖的游泳动物群落结构变化。结果显示:贴底拖和离底拖游泳动物的种类数分别为126种和79种,贴底拖游泳动物的总尾数和总体质量均为离底拖的3倍,贴底拖的渔获量对数均值比离底拖要高0.36,表明贴底拖网的渔获物以栖息于底层的游泳动物为主;贴底拖的游泳动物多样性、均匀度和丰富度分别为2.81、0.65和10.01,均高于离底拖(2.29、0.60和8.13),经济幼鱼的比例更高,说明贴底拖会对游泳动物的多样性以及幼鱼造成更大的损害;离底拖游泳动物的优势度指数为0.41,高于贴底拖的0.29,其多度谱曲线更陡,说明近底层游泳动物群落优势种分布更集中、数量分布不均匀。研究结果可以为底拖网渔业的科学管理提供依据。     

Biological and socioeconomic implications of recreational boat fishing for the management of fishery resources in the marine reserve of Cap de Creus (NW Mediterranean)

A survey of coastal recreational boat fishing was conducted in summer 2006 in the marine reserve of Cap de Creus (NW Mediterranean) to assess the biological and socioeconomic implications of this leisure activity. Recreational boat fishers employ four different fishing techniques: bottom fishing rod, fluixa, trolling and surface fishing rod. Although the targeted species depend on the fishing method used, a total of 33 fish species were identified in the catch (8 were pelagic or benthopelagic and the rest were demersal). Fishing effort was high since fishers fished an average of 4 h/day, 8 days/month and nearly 6 months/year. Apart from the highly varied exploitation of the fauna, recreational fishing in Cap de Creus has a large economic effect on the local economy since the majority of fishers were visitors who were spending holidays in one of the villages belonging to the Park, where most of expenditures related to angling activities were made. Overall, results highlight the pressure that recreational boat fishing exerts on fish communities, particularly on littoral, demersal ones. Considering these biological and socioeconomic implications, the competition between recreational and artisanal fishers for littoral resources and the low level of compliance with the current sport fishing regulations, the implementation of a comprehensive management strategy in Mediterranean costal areas is needed.     

Distribution and intensity of bottom trawl fisheries in the Patagonian Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem and its relationship with marine fronts

Trawling is a major concern worldwide and there is considerable debate about its impact on marine ecosystems. The Patagonian Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem (PSLME) is an important fishing area in the Southwest Atlantic where bottom trawling is the dominant fishing method. We investigated the distribution of bottom trawl fishing within this region, defining the areas of highest trawling intensity (hotspots) and evaluating their relationship with marine fronts. We focused on the three main oceanographic fronts, the shelf‐break front, the southern Patagonia front and the mid‐shelf front. To estimate fishing effort and trawled areas, we used VMS data from 2006 to 2012. Despite being almost a fully trawlable shelf, we found that the spatial distribution of trawling activity is patchy and trawling hotspots were small, comprising annually <5% of the shelf extension or <7% of the total trawlable area. Contrary to what is believed worldwide, our findings suggest that over the PSLME the magnitude of habitat effects as a result of bottom trawling is relatively small. Regarding the three frontal systems studied, only the shelf‐break front showed a positive relationship with trawl fishing activity. Although trawling hotspots did not overlap with marine fronts, the shelf‐break front receives more trawling effort than expected. We hypothesize that this pattern is due to aggregation of species near or at the front taking advantage of the opportunities provided by this area.     

Fishing impacts and the degradation or loss of habitat structure

The wider effects of fishing on marine ecosystems have become the focus of growing concern among scientists, fisheries managers and the fishing industry. The present review examines the role of habitat structure and habitat heterogeneity in marine ecosystems, and the effects of fishing (i.e. trawling and dredging) on these two components of habitat complexity. Three examples from New Zealand and Australia are considered, where available evidence suggests that fishing has been associated with the degradation or loss of habitat structure through the removal of large epibenthic organisms, with concomitant effects on fish species which occupy these habitats. With ever-increasing demands on fish-stocks and the need for sustainable use of fisheries resources, new approaches to fisheries management are needed. Fisheries management needs to address the sustainability of fish-stocks while minimizing the direct and indirect impacts of fishing on other components of the ecosystem. Two long-term management tools for mitigating degradation or loss of habitat structure while maintaining healthy sustainable fisheries which are increasingly considered by fisheries scientists and managers are: (1) protective habitat management, which involves the designation of protected marine and coastal areas which are afforded some level of protection from fishing; and (2) habitat restoration, whereby important habitat and ecological functions are restored following the loss of habitat and/or resources. Nevertheless, the protection of marine and coastal areas, and habitat restoration should not be seen as solutions replacing conventional management approaches, but need to be components of an integrated programme of coastal zone and fisheries management. A number of recent international fisheries agreements have specifically identified the need to provide for habitat protection and restoration to ensure long-term sustainability of fisheries. The protection and restoration of habitat are also common components of fisheries management programs under national fisheries law and policy.     

Spatially explicit trophic modelling of a harvested benthic ecosystem in Tongoy Bay (central northern Chile)

• 1. A dynamical and spatial simulation model of a harvested benthic ecosystem of central northern Chile (Tongoy Bay) was constructed using the ECOSPACE software package.
• 2. In this system the red alga (Chondrocanthus chamissoi), the scallop (Argopecten pupuratus), the gastropod (Xanthochorus cassidiformis) and the crab (Cancer polyodon) are harvested intensively. The impacts of harvesting these resources exclusively in the seagrass, sand‐gravel, and in the sand habitats, as well as, in the seagrass and sand‐gravel and in all habitats were assessed. The goal was to explore policies of sustainable exploitation of the benthic systems.
• 3. The most important findings were: (a) Fishing exclusively in either the seagrass or sand habitats produces a population increase in the sea star Luidia magallanica, in the seagrass Heterozostera tasmanica, and in the crab Paraxanthus barbiger. (b) Exclusive fishing in the sand‐gravel habitat causes only small effects on the species and groups, which suggests that this habitat is the most resistant to harvest. (c) The simultaneous fishing on two or three habitats would produce the largest negative effect on the entire system. Therefore, a habitat rotation fishery is recommended.
• 4. Our study suggests that trophic‐spatially explicit models offer great possibilities for the screening and planning of effective interventions or manipulations of natural systems.

Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A conservation trade‐off? Interspecific differences in seahorse responses to experimental changes in fishing effort

• 1. A 2‐year experimental seining programme and underwater visual censuses were undertaken to quantify the direct effects of active demersal fishing on the population structure and relative abundance of two sympatric seahorse species of conservation concern: the European long‐snouted seahorse, Hippocampus guttulatus Cuvier 1829 and the short‐snouted seahorse, Hippocampus hippocampus L. The influence of habitat preference on population‐level responses to changes in habitat structure following a reduction in fishing effort was also investigated.
• 2. It was predicted that the benthic habitat would be more structurally complex after fishing ceased and that seahorse densities would increase in response to reduced fishing mortality. Furthermore, it was predicted that the magnitude of the increase in density would be greater for H. guttulatus than for H. hippocampus, because the former species prefers complex vegetated habitats while the latter species uses sparsely vegetated habitats.
• 3. As predicted, the amount of habitat cover increased significantly when seining ceased, primarily through increases in the abundance of drifting macroalgae and unattached invertebrates. Despite similarities in life histories, the two seahorse species responded differently in terms of magnitude and direction to reduced fishing effort: the abundance of H. guttulatus increased significantly while H. hippocampus decreased in abundance.
• 4. Results suggest that active demersal fishing may influence the magnitude and direction of the responses of benthic marine fishes to exploitation through its impacts on habitat structure. An increase in habitat cover appeared to favour higher densities of H. guttulatus when seining effort was reduced. By contrast, repeated seining, which maintained less complex habitats, appeared to favour greater abundances of H. hippocampus.
• 5. Given differences in habitat preference among benthic marine fishes subject to incidental capture in fisheries, simultaneous attempts to manage populations of sympatric species may require complementary strategies that support the persistence of diverse habitat types.

Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial distribution of fishing effort in relation to seafloor habitats in the Kattegat,a GIS analysis

• 1. High‐resolution fishing effort data from the Kattegat, an important fishing ground for Swedish and Danish fishermen, was analysed in a Geographical Information System (GIS). Data were based on position data for individual tows reported by Swedish fishermen during 2001–2003.
• 2. Gear dimension and towing speed data were used to calculate an index for area swept per hour for each main gear type in use in the area. These indexes were multiplied by fishing effort and a grid theme of fishing intensity was created after GIS analysis.
• 3. Around 44% of the entire area was affected by Swedish fisheries during the study period, hence 56% was not affected.
• 4. Effort was highly concentrated in certain areas and 10% of the total area was covered more than twice per year.
• 5. Overlaying the effort data set with habitat maps classified according to the European Nature Information System (EUNIS) showed that the fishing pressure differed between habitats. For deep rocky and muddy habitats, almost the entire area was affected by fisheries during the study period, while both intensity and proportion affected were lower in sandy sediments and gravels.
• 6. Around 55% of the deep rocky habitats were trawled more than twice per year. Of the muddy seafloor areas, 41% were covered more than twice per year and 4% more than once a month by trawls.
• 7. The biological effects of the fishing intensities found were analysed using a database (MarLIN) containing assessments of marine habitat recoverability. All habitats except muds are probably in a nearly or fully recovered condition (as defined by MarLIN). A considerable part of the muddy habitats are in a permanently altered condition owing to fishing disturbance taking place more frequently than the indicated recovery time.
• 8. Danish fishermen report more fishing effort in the area than do Swedes. Owing to differences in reporting fishing positions, Danish fisheries could not be included in the present study. Scaling up the results to include Danish fisheries is discussed.
• 9. The results of the present study could be used to target habitat management goals more precisely, while minimizing the negative impact of restrictions on the fishing sector.
• 10. A prerequisite for performing similar studies is the availability of high‐resolution fishing effort data and high‐resolution benthic habitat maps.

Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于高精度声学图像的海洋牧场海床类型识别

人工鱼礁作为海洋牧场建设的基础生态工程,在海洋生态环境修复和渔业资源增殖方面起着重要作用。随着人工鱼礁的大量投放,海洋牧场海床逐步转变为高度异质性的底栖生境,底栖生态变化会直接影响到底栖及底层生物的栖息与繁衍。针对传统调查方法在海洋牧场中的局限性,聚焦天津海洋牧场,基于侧扫声纳后散射数据和多波束测深数据,从侧扫图像亮度、图像纹理及地形起伏度等3个维度,探索了天津海洋牧场海床类型识别、分类和面积量化的新方法。研究表明,天津海洋牧场共发现人工鱼礁、牡蛎类、淤泥类、蛤仔泥混类、牡蛎泥混类及碎贝泥混类等6种海床类型,基于声学图像特征的海床类型识别方法准确率达90%,可满足海洋牧场底栖生态研究的需求;通过对比分析,天津海洋牧场本底淤泥类海床消退为58.19%,贝类海床增至7.96%,贝类资源增殖效果明显;人工鱼礁周边新生牡蛎礁0.246 km2,并伴有0.303 km2的牡蛎泥混海床待发育为牡蛎礁,海洋牧场建设对牡蛎礁具有重要的修复作用。本研究探索了适宜于海洋牧场的海床声学分类方法,探讨了声学技术对传统底栖调查方法的补充与完善作用,明确了海床类型与声学图像特征的紧密联系,验证了海洋牧场对牡蛎礁的修复作用,成果可有效应用于近岸海域生境修复、贝类资源量精准评估及牡蛎礁演化机理等领域的研究。     

Changes in the distribution of epifaunal reefs and oysters during 130 years of dredging for oysters in Foveaux Strait,southern New Zealand

1. Foveaux Strait, a narrow seaway that is exposed to heavy wave action and strong tidal currents, has been the subject of an oyster fishery for over 130 years. Before the oyster fishery commenced the seafloor was extensively covered by epifaunal reefs that were tidally‐oriented, linear aggregations of patch reefs. 2. Patch reefs are formed by the bryozoan Cinctipora elegans cemented by encrusting bryozoa, ascidians, sponges, and polychaetes. The molluscan epifauna is dominated by the oyster, Tiostrea chilensis and bysally attached bivalves. Mortality of oysters is probably lower and recruitment and growth may be higher within the reef habitat. 3. Fishers found commercial densities of oysters occurred only on epifaunal reefs. Fishers exploited local groups of reefs. These groups form the patchily distributed oyster beds characteristic of this fishery. 4. Dredging for oysters progressively modified reefs until oysters were the only epifauna remaining. Dredges caught oysters more efficiently after the catch bag no longer became saturated with other epifauna. This heightened efficiency allowed fishers to rapidly reduce oyster density to commercial extinction. Oyster density has not rebuilt on oyster beds abandoned by fishers. 5. The rate of modification of epifaunal reefs was slower during the early years of the fishery but has accelerated, especially over the last 37 years. Frequency of disturbance increased as the numbers of vessels fishing grew and fishers developed speedier dredging methods. Intensity of disturbance also increased as heavier dredges were introduced and allowed focused fishing of reefs. 6. Oysters became reduced to low densities in the eastern and central areas that fishers then abandoned. The commercially exploited area subsequently expanded to the limits of Foveaux Strait. 7. With accelerated modification of oyster habitat, disease mortality has become more important. 8. Attempting to rebuild the fishery by oyster enhancement may be more successful conjoined with habitat restoration. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fishing profiles of Danish seiners and bottom trawlers in relation to current EU management regulations

Danish seines and bottom trawls operate differently and have different catching processes. Both gears belong to the same legislative category in European fisheries, but different management strategies in other countries and criticism by fishers on grouping Danish seines and trawls together indicate disagreement on current gear classification. This study compared both gears in terms of their fishing characteristics and catches of commercial species based on 16 years of observer data. Danish seining is a specialised fishing method that targeted few species but with higher total catch rates than bottom trawlers. Bottom trawling is a more all‐purpose fishing method that targets a larger number of species, and bottom trawlers use larger engines than Danish seiners. A generalised additive mixed model indicated that catch rates of flatfish are generally higher for Danish seines, and catch rates of roundfish species are higher for trawlers. The results do not directly suggest a separation of the gears in terms of legislation as the quantities of fish below current minimum size were similar, but for example future survival studies may reach different conclusions. Additional factors were found to be important in determining catches of both gears.     

Seabed habitat mapping in the Kent Group of islands and its role in Marine protected area planning

• 1. Mapping of seabed habitats is increasingly being used to identify the distribution and structure of marine ecosystems and as surrogate measures of biodiversity for marine protected area (MPA) planning. In this study, the distribution of seabed habitats to the 3 nmi limit around the Kent Group of islands, south‐eastern Australia were mapped using video ground‐truthed single‐beam acoustics at the mesoscale level (10 m to 1 km) as part of an MPA planning process.
• 2. Six distinct seabed habitat types (continuous reef, patchy reef, sand, hard sand, sparse sponge, and seagrass) were identified based primarily on visual differences in the first and second echo and a further four (low, medium and high profile reef, and sand hills) on variations in seabed profile identified in the echogram. Extensive acoustic and video transects allowed an estimate of the broad‐scale spatial distribution of seabed habitats defined at several hierarchical levels and provided information on the cover of the dominant benthic species or assemblages.
• 3. The island group supports a range of consolidated habitats, including rocky reefs of varying profile dominated by the macroalgae Phyllospora comosa and Ecklonia radiata in depths down to around 45 m, adjacent to deeper sponge‐dominated reefs containing encrusting, erect and branching forms. Unconsolidated habitats occurred broadly through the island group, with the offshore region dominated by hard sand (sand with scallop shells and/or shell grit) and sparse sponge‐habitats (sand interspersed with low cover of sponge‐dominated assemblages). The sheltered coves were dominated by sand and seagrass habitats consisting of beds of the seagrasses Halophila australis, Zostera tasmanica and Posidonia australis, with variations in species composition, patchiness and percentage cover evident within and between coves.
• 4. In February 2004 the Kent Group MPA was announced, covering all waters out to the 3 nmi limit containing two areas defined as a Sanctuary Zone (‘no take’) and a Habitat Protection Zone (‘restricted take’). Overall, seabed habitat mapping generated a capability to define the boundary and size of potential MPA zones within the Kent Group of islands and was an essential component of the planning process to improve the likelihood that the MPA was comprehensive, adequate and representative (CAR).
• 5. The need to define habitats at multiple scales within a hierarchical classification scheme that are meaningful in terms of biodiversity and CAR principles and identifiable using mapping techniques is discussed.

Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

First attempts towards the restoration of gorgonian populations on the Mediterranean continental shelf

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Are fishers poor? Getting to the bottom of marine fisheries income statistics

Fishers’ economic status is hard to assess because fisheries socio‐economic data, including earnings, are often not centrally available, standardized or accessible in a form that allows scaled‐up or comparative analyses. The lack of fishing income data impedes sound management and allows biased perceptions about fishers’ status to persist. We compile data from intergovernmental and regional data sets, as well as case‐studies, on income earned from marine wild‐capture fisheries. We explore the level and distribution of fishers’ income across fisheries sectors and geographical regions, and highlight challenges in data collection and reporting. We find that fishers generally are not the poorest of the poor based on average fishing income from 89 countries, but income levels vary widely. Fishing income in the large‐scale sector is higher than the small‐scale sector by about 2.2 times, and in high‐income versus low‐income countries by almost 9 times. Boat owners and captains earned more than double that of crew and owner‐operators, while income from fisheries is greater than that from agricultural work in 63% of countries in this study. Nonetheless, incomes are below national poverty lines in 34% of the countries with data. More detailed fishing income statistics is needed for quantitative scientific research and for supporting socio‐economic policies. Key gaps to address include the lack of a centralized database for fisheries income statistics and the coarse resolution at which economic statistics are reported internationally. A first step to close the gap is to integrate socio‐economic monitoring and reporting in fisheries management.     

Complex habitat generated by marine bryozoans: a review of its distribution,structure, diversity,threats and conservation

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