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.     

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.     

东海区拖网新伏季休渔渔业生态和资源增殖效果的分析

为了更好地养护和合理利用海洋渔业资源,中国政府于2009年开始实施新的伏季休渔制度,其中从6月1日~9月15日在东海区禁止拖网作业,较原3个月的伏季休渔期提前增加半个月。本研究依据2006~2008年每年6月上半月拖网监测资料,从渔业生态和资源增殖的角度,着重分析研究拖网在6月上半月这一时段休渔的渔业生态效果和资源增殖效果。结果表明,6月上半月禁止拖网作业,主要养护了带鱼、小黄鱼和日本鲭等资源群体,并在一定程度上保护了带鱼的产卵亲体繁殖,对带鱼资源数量的补充起到了增殖作用,同时在较大程度上养护了带鱼和日本鲭幼鱼的自然生长,起到了资源增重作用,但对分布在拖网渔场外的小黄鱼幼鱼保护作用甚微。应用R icher动态综合模型估算,以带鱼为代表种,提前增加半个月伏季休渔期其资源增殖效果较以往3个月伏季休渔期可使年平均资源量增加11.86%,渔获量增加8.06%,平均渔获体重增加9.33%。东海区以拖网占捕捞主导地位的伏季休渔时间的延长,可进一步改善繁殖群体栖息地生态环境。     

Bottom shrimp trawling impacts on species distribution and fishery dynamics; Ungwana Bay fishery Kenya before and after the 2006 trawl ban

The Malindi–Ungwana Bay fishery Kenya is one of the most important marine fisheries of the Western Indian Ocean. There are two fishing grounds: Formosa and Malindi, with a designated 5-nM no-trawl zone offshore. However, the fishery was faced with numerous resource use conflicts and a decline in catches, culminating in a trawl ban in 2006. This study analyses catches and fishery dynamics before and after the 2006 trawl ban. Results show that artisanal landings declined before the ban, but rapidly recovered within 2 years after the ban was imposed. However, shrimp landings in the artisanal fishery remain low. Commercial shrimp landings gradually declined before the ban: ~550 t in 2001 to 250 t in 2006, and the shrimp: fish bycatch ratio was 1:1.5 compared to early reports of 1:7 in 1999. SIMPER analyses shows that 6 and 16 families (groups) accounted for 91.0 and 90.2% of the similarity in catch within the Formosa and Malindi fishing grounds, respectively. Formosa was important for Claridae, Cichlidae and Protopteridae, while Malindi recorded Carangidae, Siganidae, Carcharhinidae and Lethrinidae as the main families. Future studies should therefore embark on analyses of the factors driving the spatio-temporal distributions of the species and assess the impacts of bottom trawling on fishery dynamics before the trawl ban can be lifted.     

Multi‐decadal climate and fishing predictors of abundance for U.S. South Atlantic coastal fishes and invertebrates

Abundance of marine stocks fluctuates in response to both internal processes (e.g., density dependence) and exogenous drivers, including the physical environment, fishing, and trophodynamic interactions. In the United States, research investigating ecosystem drivers has been focused in data‐rich systems, primarily in the North Atlantic and North Pacific. To develop a more holistic understanding of important ecosystem drivers in the Southeast U.S. continental shelf Large Marine Ecosystem, we applied generalized linear and dynamic linear modeling to investigate the effects of climate and fishing covariates on the relative abundance trends of 71 demersal fish and invertebrate species sampled by a coastal trawl survey during 1990–2013. For the assemblage as a whole, fishing effects predominated over climate effects. In particular, changes in trawling effort within the penaeid shrimp fishery governed abundance trends of bony fishes, invertebrates, and elasmobranchs, a likely result of temporal changes in bycatch mortality. Changes in trawling intensity induced changes in overall community composition and appear to have altered trophic interactions among particular species. Among climate indices investigated, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and the Western Bermuda High Index were most prevalent in well‐supported dynamic linear models. Observed annual abundance trends were synchronous among some taxonomically related species, highlighting similar responses to exogenous influences based on life history. This study strengthens the foundation for generating hypotheses and advancing ecosystem‐based fisheries research within the region.     

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.     

Modification of marine habitats by trawling activities: prognosis and solutions

Fishing affects the seabed habitat worldwide on the continental shelf. These impacts are patchily distributed according to the spatial and temporal variation in fishing effort that results from fishers' behaviour. As a consequence, the frequency and intensity of fishing disturbance varies among different habitat types. Different fishing methodologies vary in the degree to which they affect the seabed. Structurally complex habitats (e.g. seagrass meadows, biogenic reefs) and those that are relatively undisturbed by natural perturbations (e.g. deep‐water mud substrata) are more adversely affected by fishing than unconsolidated sediment habitats that occur in shallow coastal waters. These habitats also have the longest recovery trajectories in terms of the recolonization of the habitat by the associated fauna. Comparative studies of areas of the seabed that have experienced different levels of fishing activity demonstrate that chronic fishing disturbance leads to the removal of high‐biomass species that are composed mostly of emergent seabed organisms. Contrary to the belief of fishers that fishing enhances seabed production and generates food for target fish species, productivity is actually lowered as fishing intensity increases and high‐biomass species are removed from the benthic habitat. These organisms also increase the topographic complexity of the seabed which has been shown to provide shelter for juvenile fishes, reducing their vulnerability to predation. Conversely, scavengers and small‐bodied organisms, such as polychaete worms, dominate heavily fished areas. Major changes in habitat can lead to changes in the composition of the resident fish fauna. Fishing has indirect effects on habitat through the removal of predators that control bio‐engineering organisms such as algal‐grazing urchins. Fishing gear resuspend the upper layers of sedimentary seabed habitats and hence remobilize contaminants and fine particulate matter into the water column. The ecological significance of these fishing effects has not yet been determined but could have implications for eutrophication and biogeochemical cycling. Simulation results suggest that the effects of low levels of trawling disturbance will be similar to those of natural bioturbators. In contrast, high levels of trawling disturbance cause sediment systems to become unstable due to large carbon fluxes between oxic and anoxic carbon compartments. In low energy habitats, intensive trawling disturbance may destabilize benthic system chemical fluxes, which has the potential to propagate more widely through the marine ecosystem. Management regimes that aim to incorporate both fisheries and habitat conservation objectives can be achieved through the appropriate use of a number of approaches, including total and partial exclusion of towed bottom fishing gears, and seasonal and rotational closure techniques. However, the inappropriate use of closed areas may displace fishing activities into habitats that are more vulnerable to disturbance than those currently trawled by fishers. In many cases, the behaviour of fishers constrains the extent of the impact of their fishing activities. Management actions that force them to redistribute their effort may be more damaging in the longer term.     

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。     

Strategies for improving fuel efficiency in the Portuguese trawl fishery

The recent rise in oil prices has brought renewed attention to energy savings in the fishing industry, and particularly in trawling. Coastal trawlers spend most of their time on fishing grounds near the coast. In such cases, the most successful energy-saving modifications ought to result from changes in the fishing gear and towing conditions. The purpose of this study was to identify the energy-economy potential for Portuguese fish trawlers after altering a vessel's operating conditions and improving its trawl gear performance. Two trawlers, named Tricana de Aveiro and João Macedo were selected as subjects in this project. Both vessels work with gear of similar design and size. Experimental sea trials were carried out to elucidate the actual vessel and gear performance. A model trawl was then built and tested in a flume tank, which provided the basis for improving the gear design. Full-scale trials were then carried out with both vessels using the modified trawls in order to assess changes in gear performance. The new trawls maintained their previous ability to catch species of different ecological groups and consumed less fuel at the same commercial trawling speed. An economic study showed potential increases in the net cash flow (NCF) of up to 27% over the range of operational navigation and trawling speeds. Having demonstrated the performance of the new trawls, the skippers of both vessels subsequently adopted the new design for commercial fishing.     

Choosing best practices for managing impacts of trawl fishing on seabed habitats and biota

Bottom trawling accounts for almost one quarter of global fish landings but may also have significant and unwanted impacts on seabed habitats and biota. Management measures and voluntary industry actions can reduce these impacts, helping to meet sustainability objectives for fisheries, conservation and environmental management. These include changes in gear design and operation of trawls, spatial controls, impact quotas and effort controls. We review nine different measures and actions and use published studies and a simple conceptual model to evaluate and compare their performance. The risks and benefits of these management measures depend on the extent to which the fishery is already achieving management objectives for target stocks and the characteristics of the management system that is already in place. We offer guidance on identifying best practices for trawl‐fisheries management and show that best practices and their likelihood of reducing trawling impacts depend on local, national and regional management objectives and priorities, societal values and resources for implementation. There is no universal best practice, and multiple management measures and industry actions are required to meet sustainability objectives and improve trade‐offs between food production and environmental protection.     

Seabird‐trawling interactions: factors affecting species‐specific to regional community utilisation of fisheries waste

Bottom trawl fishing provides substantial amounts of normally unavailable demersal prey to seabirds (e.g., discards), affecting their life‐history traits and population dynamics, as well as community structure. Within this framework, we studied seabird‐trawling interactions throughout the annual cycle in a poorly studied ecosystem in the Mediterranean, the Balearic archipelago, on a both species‐specific and a community level. Whereas the species‐specific approach showed a significant influence of season (phenology) on shaping seabird’s trawling attendance patterns, the spatio‐temporal coupling of regional community was a result of a complex interaction between fishery‐related variables. The most frequent and abundant species were the yellow‐legged gull Larus michahellis and Cory’s shearwater Calonectris diomedea, the latter attending vessels in higher numbers than expected from local population figures. Conversely, the remaining breeding species occurred in lower numbers than expected according to their local breeding populations, suggesting that discards were of relatively little importance. Discarding activity took place over the entire shelf and continental slope surrounding Mallorca, but especially in the southwest, adjacent to the breeding grounds of approximately 12% of the Balearic total seabird breeding population, including 13% the Balearic shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus world population. Overall discards corresponded to 0.74 of landings (range: 0.09–6.00) and consisted primarily of fish followed by crustaceans and molluscs (approximately 80, 15, and 5%, respectively). Seabird‐trawling interactions should be taken into account in the frame of an ecosystem‐based approach to fisheries management, and particular attention should be devoted to the critically endangered Balearic shearwater.     

Identifying historical baseline at the onset of exploitation to improve understanding of fishing impacts

1. Marine communities have long been impacted by human activities, but the quantification of human‐driven changes often relies on recent data. This is because historical data on fish populations are lacking and are challenging to include in contemporary stock and ecological assessments. As a result, the impacts of early fishing pressure on marine communities are generally poorly documented worldwide.
2. Marine communities of Southeast Australia have a relatively short history of exploitation compared with other temperate systems and were sampled before and after the onset of commercial fishing. As such, they provide a rare opportunity to identify historical baselines and to understand ecological changes after the onset of commercial exploitation.
3. This study compares survey data collected around Tasmania, Southeast Australia, in 1909–1910 with data from the 1980s. The period considered precedes the establishment of a trawl fishery in Southeast Australia in 1915, of other important commercial fisheries in Tasmania, and of a fisheries data collection programme in 1984. Nominal catch rates are used to examine changes across all families of demersal fish recorded in catches and generalized linear models are used to estimate and compare standardized indices of abundance between the 1909–1910 and 1980s data for key commercial families.
4. Results show significant, and thus far unreported, fishing‐induced changes in marine communities after the establishment of commercial fishing in the region. Changes mostly relate to shifts in catch composition and steep declines in the abundance of the main commercial families.
5. This study illustrates a method for analysing low‐quality historical catch data and provides estimates of pre‐commercial fishing abundance that can be included in stock and ecological assessments. More broadly, this study demonstrates the significant role of early fishing in shaping marine communities and increases our understanding about general patterns of exploitation that have been difficult to identify with longer but less detailed fishing histories.

     

Vulnerability of marine resources to small‐scale fishing in a tropical area: The example of Sunda Strait in Indonesia

Although small‐scale fisheries (SSF) play an important socio‐economic role in developing nations, overfishing seems to be increasing the risk of stock vulnerability. This study aims to quantify the pressure of SSF on fish stocks in Sunda Strait (Indonesia) using several biological indicators that are important in quantifying fishing pressure. Data on these indicators were collected monthly for three years (2012–2014) in one of the main fishing ports of the area. The results provide evidence that, although SSF would appear to be the most environmentally sustainable of all the fishing techniques being used today in the coastal waters of Indonesia, the impact of SSF fishing on juvenile fishes in certain areas such as the Sunda Strait must not be underestimated. The results also show the need to protect immature fish of species that are not only commercialised but are also important in subsistence fisheries. Although further studies are needed to assess the impact of SSF on fish stocks in the area, it is suggested management recommendations that include the implementation of marine‐protected areas in nursery grounds and establishing minimum landing sizes well above the size‐at‐maturity for each species, are needed.     

南极磷虾中层拖网捕捞参数对CPUE变动的影响

根据中国在南极海洋生物资源养护委员会(CCAMLR)48.1亚区和48.2亚区内2010—2014年南极磷虾拖网渔船的捕捞数据,采用广义可加模型(generalized additive model, GAM)分析各拖网捕捞参数(因子)对南极磷虾汛期单位捕捞努力量渔获量(catch per unit effort, CPUE )的影响。结果表明:2010—2014年我国南极磷虾作业渔场主要位于南极半岛等岛屿的周边海域,CPUE 值月变化明显,2—5月为捕捞高峰期。 CPUE 最高值为2014年,最低值为2012年,年平均CPUE呈略上升趋势。从月变化来看,除6月外,标准化 CPUE 均大于名义 CPUE;且最大值出现在4月或5月,最小值均出现在10月。GAM分析表明各捕捞参数对 CPUE 的影响由大到小依次为:拖网速度、网口高度、网口水平扩张、拖曳水深、曳纲长度;各因子的偏差解释率分别为22.8%、14.5%、12.7%、6.0%、1.6%,所有因子对 CPUE 的总体偏差解释率为57.6%。研究认为,我国南极磷虾捕捞作业中最适拖网速度范围2.6~3.1 kn;最适网口高度范围22~30 m;最适网口水平扩张范围20~25 m;最适曳纲长度范围100~200 m;最适拖曳水深范围0~40 m。     

长江口渔场拖网渔业资源利用的结构分析

利用长江口渔场20世纪90年代的拖网生产资料,分析该渔场拖网生产的渔业资源种类及优势种的变化状况。结果表明：渔获物以底层鱼类为主,但是中上层鱼类也占有一定的比例;按照资源稳定状况,渔获物分为三种：1、资源状况较稳定的,如带鱼、小黄鱼、银鲳、梅童鱼;2、资源状况波动较大的,如鳓鱼、黄姑鱼、白姑鱼、海鳗、刀鲚、大黄鱼等;3、小型低值鱼,主要代表鱼种为黄鲫和龙头鱼。这些资源的稳定与否除了受高强度的捕捞和环境污染的影响外,在一定程度上与该物种对环境变化和外界压力的调节能力以及生命周期长短等因素有关。     

聚乙烯编织线替代普通聚乙烯捻线对拖网性能的影响

聚乙烯编织网线比普通聚乙烯捻线强度高,用编织线来替代目前的普通捻线,可降低拖网渔具的阻力从而达到节能降耗的目的。本文通过实际取样测试,比较了两种网线的拉伸性能,在不降低原拖网渔具的单线结强力的前提下,用聚乙烯编织线代替原普通捻线,并通过模型试验研究其对拖网渔具性能的影响和节能效果。结果表明:单线结强力相同的两种网线,编织线的直径可比普通网线的直径下降15.17%以上。本试验编织线拖网的平均网线直径比原普通捻线拖网下降16.00%,网具阻力面积(线面积)从304.57 m2下降到256.47 m2,下降了15.79%。同等试验条件下,编织线拖网的阻力比普通捻线拖网下降17.25%左右,而网口高度的变化则不明显。能耗系数的计算结果为编织线拖网过滤同体积的水体所消耗的能量比普通捻线拖网下降16.67%。功率消耗的分析表明,消耗同样的功率,440 kW的双拖渔船使用编织线拖网,拖速可比普通捻线拖网提高8.33%,如采用和普通捻线拖网同样的拖速作业,则去掉起、放网所消耗的时间,以一天正常拖网作业18 h计算,可节约燃油77 L左右。     

中国主要海洋底层鱼类生物学研究的回顾与展望

回顾了中国海洋主要底层经济鱼类资源生物学的研究历史和科研成果,并重点叙述了带鱼、小黄鱼、大黄鱼和绿鳍马面鲀等重要经济鱼类资源生物学研究概况.概述的内容包括地理种群及其产卵群体的鉴别和划分、生活史型的演变、种群和群体结构、种群数量变动、年龄组成和生长特性、摄食习性、性成熟周期、性腺成熟指数(GSI)、产卵群体生殖力、产卵场、索饵场、越冬场及洄游路线、资源量和渔获量、各种作业渔船的调整及其捕捞力量的限制措施等,并展望了中国海洋底层经济鱼类资源生物学研究的前景.     

Essential fish habitats and hotspots of nekto‐benthic diversity and density in the western Mediterranean

相似文献   

Global significance of seagrass fishery activity

Seagrass meadows support fisheries through provision of nursery areas and trophic subsidies to adjacent habitats. As shallow coastal habitats, they also provide key fishing grounds; however, the nature and extent of such exploitation are poorly understood. These productive meadows are being degraded globally at rapid rates. For degradation to cease, there needs to be better appreciation for the value of these habitats in supporting global fisheries. Here, we provide the first global scale study demonstrating the extent, importance and nature of fisheries exploitation of seagrass meadows. Due to a paucity of available data, the study used a global expert survey to demonstrate the widespread significance of seagrass‐based fishing activity. Our study finds that seagrass‐based fisheries are globally important and present virtually wherever seagrass exists, supporting subsistence, commercial and recreational activity. A wide range of fishing methods and gear is used reflecting the spatial distribution patterns of seagrass meadows, and their depth ranges from intertidal (accessible by foot) to relatively deep water (where commercial trawls can operate). Seagrass meadows are multispecies fishing grounds targeted by fishers for any fish or invertebrate species that can be eaten, sold or used as bait. In the coastal communities of developing countries, the importance of the nearshore seagrass fishery for livelihoods and well‐being is irrefutable. In developed countries, the seagrass fishery is often recreational and/or more target species specific. Regardless of location, this study is the first to highlight collectively the indiscriminate nature and global scale of seagrass fisheries and the diversity of exploitative methods employed to extract seagrass‐associated resources. Evidence presented emphasizes the need for targeted management to support continued viability of seagrass meadows as a global ecosystem service provider.