Footprints of fixed-gear fisheries in relation to rising whale entanglements on the U.S. West Coast

On the U.S. West Coast, reports of whales entangled in fishing gear increased dramatically in 2014. In this study, a time series of fishing activity maps was developed from 2009 to 2016 for the four fixed-gear fisheries most commonly implicated in entanglements. Maps were generated using vessel monitoring system (VMS) data linked to port-level landings databases, which were related to entangled whale reports over the same time period and with modelled distributions of humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae Borowski. Over the full study period, neither marked increases in fishing activity nor changes in fisheries footprints within regions with high whale densities were detected. By contrast, a delayed fishery opening in California due to a harmful algal bloom in spring of 2016 led to ~5–7 times average levels of Dungeness crab Metacarcinus magister (Dana) fishing activity, which was consistent with a high rate of entanglement in that year. These results are consistent with current hypotheses that habitat compression caused by a marine heatwave increased the overlap of whales with fishing activity, despite minimal changes in the fisheries themselves. This study adds to literature on bycatch of protected species in otherwise sustainable fisheries, highlighting the value of using VMS data for reducing human–wildlife conflict in the ocean.     

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.     

Voluntary institutions and behaviours as alternatives to formal regulations in recreational fisheries management

Traditional regulatory options (formal institutions) imposed by government agencies such as harvest and gear restrictions represent the standard in recreational fisheries management, at least in developed countries. However, there exist a number of alternatives including the use of angler education programmes that attempt to evoke voluntary changes in angler behaviour, resulting in the emergence of voluntarily motivated resource‐conserving informal institutions. These ‘softer’ approaches to aquatic stewardship and fisheries management can be developed in cooperation with stakeholders and in many cases are led by avid anglers and angling groups. Examples of such measures include voluntary sanctuaries, informally enforced seasonal closures, personal daily bag limits, self‐imposed constraints on gear, development of entirely live‐release fisheries, and adoption of fish and aquatic ecosystem conservation‐oriented gears and release practices. Education efforts that provide anglers with knowledge on best practices and empower them to modify their behaviour hold great promise to meet formal management goals and objectives, but seem to be underutilized relative to formal regulations. This article highlights the benefits and challenges of relying on informal institutions as alternatives to traditional regulatory options. Informal institutions that protect resources and help overfished stocks recover hold great promise in both developed and developing countries, particularly when there is a single stakeholder group or when the capacity to enforce traditional regulations or to invest in stock assessments is limited. Informal institutions may help make formal institutions more effective or can even be alternatives to costly institutions that depend on enforcement to be effective.     

Evolution of marine fisheries management in China from 1949 to 2019: How did China get here and where does China go next?

China is the world’s biggest fishing nation and a major player in the global seafood trade. Its fisheries development can decisively influence the global seafood trade, food security and marine conservation. In recent years, significant changes have taken place in China’s fisheries management priorities, policies and regulations. In this paper, we review the evolving fisheries management practices in China to delineate changes in the management policies, methods and their performances from 1949 to 2019. We determined that the following issues impede the development, implementation and enforcement of fisheries policies and regulations, namely the large size of the fishing fleet, large and poorly organized fisheries population, the “hidden” fishing capacity, uniform management approaches that sometimes fail to account for local conditions, lack of clearly defined and allocated fishing rights, limited data quality and availability, insufficient fisheries monitoring programmes, absence of a robust scientific input framework and insufficient stakeholder involvement. Combining those problems with China’s current management initiatives, we propose recommendations for China’s future fisheries reforms. We hope this paper can inform China’s marine fisheries policies and provide valuable references for further researches related to China’s sustainable fisheries management.     

当代海洋捕捞的发展现状和展望

海洋捕捞事关国际粮食安全和海洋生态系统健康。得益于科学技术的进步, 当代海洋捕捞发展迅速, 但依然面临着渔业资源衰退、海洋底栖环境破坏、兼捕与抛弃、废弃渔具引起的幽灵捕捞和塑料污染、气候变化、区域发展不平横等系列问题。本文综述了国内外为缓解上述问题在海洋捕捞管理、技术创新、最佳实践探索等方面的工作进展, 并提出了如下发展建议: (1) 应进一步加强生态友好型渔具渔法、高效节能技术、废弃渔具回收利用技术、生物可降解材料等方面的基础和应用研究; (2) 开展减少兼捕、降低底拖网对底栖环境的影响、海洋捕捞高效节能、减少废弃渔具流向海洋等方面最佳实践的探索; (3) 加强激励机制的研究和应用, 加强对废弃渔具回收产业的政策扶持, 完善海洋捕捞管理体系和废弃渔具管理体系建设, 增强治理能力; (4) 加强国家或地区间渔业合作, 分享管理知识, 促进区域间平衡发展。(5) 加强气候变化应对策略的探索研究。立足长远、多措并举, 促进海洋捕捞可持续发展。     

公海深海底层渔业国际管理进展

以底拖网为代表的深海底层渔业对深海脆弱海洋生态系统的危害受到国际社会的热切关注。2003年以来联合国大会多次通过决议,呼吁各国各自并通过RFMO/As采取行动,根据预防性原则,采用基于生态系统的管理方法,评估深海底层渔业对脆弱海洋生态系统的影响,若评估表明确有重大不利影响,则应采取有效措施限制深海底层渔业以降低这种影响;FAO主要从技术角度制定了《公海深海渔业管理国际指南》,为管理公海深海渔业和保护脆弱海洋生态系统提出了技术标准和管理框架;RFMO承担着具体执行深海底层渔业管理措施和监督管理的责任,在北大西洋、地中海、南太平洋的公海和南极水域,相关RFMO已采取了暂停部分区域底拖网渔业活动、收集数据、评估底拖网对脆弱海洋生态系统的影响等措施,在北太平洋,新成立的北太平洋渔业管理委员会将公海底层渔业管理作为首要目标。环保非政府组织和部分科学家呼吁禁止公海深海底层渔业,但各国对此的立场尚不一致,产业界大多持反对立场。近期来看,尚难以全面禁止公海的深海底层渔业。中国正在发展公海大洋渔业,需对此密切关注,加强跟踪研究以支撑决策,并应发展和使用选择性渔具和对生态环境无害的作业方式,防止对脆弱海洋生态系统产生损害性影响。     

《联合国海洋法公约》生效对公海渔业的影响

在归纳世界大多数沿海国家执行联合国海洋法公约，主要实施公海制度的实践，以及分析公约有关条款的基础上，指出今后渔业管理制度将朝着有利于沿海国的方向发展，远洋渔业国只有与沿海国密切合作，承担公约所规定的养护生物资源的义务，才能确保远洋渔业生产的持续稳定发展。根据我国渔业的实际状况，分析了海洋法公约生效对我国公海渔业生产产生的一些不利影响，并提出对海洋渔业发展的一些看法     

Co-management without involvement: the plight of fishing communities

This paper discusses the role of fishing communities in the stewardship of their adjacent fish resources, and the benefits associated with community participation in co‐management. Contrary to the view of most fisheries management agencies, local communities are able to design institutions that can successfully restore equity and limit access to the fishery. The dismissal of local concerns may be at the root of biological and social crises in fisheries, and the privatization of common fishing rights world‐wide through individual transferable quotas (ITQs) is contributing to these problems. Community involvement that is embedded into a network of management at larger spatial scales would allow fishing communities to regain some control over their livelihoods. Meaningful co‐management arrangements must go beyond consultation by redirecting the flow of social and economic benefits from the fishery back into communities. Unless geographically defined communities are allowed to share power and responsibility with government fisheries managers, both fish stocks and fishing as a way of life are in danger of vanishing.     

Understanding fisheries credit systems: potentials and pitfalls of managing catch efficiency

Following implementation in a range of other resource sectors, a number of credit‐like systems have been proposed for fisheries. But confusion exists over what constitutes these nascent ‘fisheries credit’ systems and how they operate. Based on a review of credit systems in other sectors, this study fills this gap by defining how credit systems function and what credits add to prevailing fisheries management. In doing so, we distinguish ‘mitigation’ and ‘behavioural’ fishery credits. Mitigation credits require resource users to compensate for unsustainable catches of target species, by‐catch species or damaging practices on the marine environment by investing in conservation in a biologically equivalent habitat or resource. Behavioural credit systems incentivize fishers to gradually change their fishing behaviour to more sustainable fishing methods by rewarding them with, for instance, extra fishing effort to compensate for less efficient but more sustainable fishing methods. The choice of credit system largely depends on the characteristics of specific fisheries and the management goals agreed upon by managers, scientists and the fishing industry. The study concludes that fisheries credit systems are different but complimentary to other forms of management by focusing on ‘catchability’ or gear efficiency in addition to effort or catch quota, affecting overall economic efficiency by setting specific goals as to how fish are caught. Credit systems therefore incentivize specific management interventions that can directly improve stock sustainability, conserve habitat and endangered species, or decrease by‐catch.     

Opportunities for agent‐based modelling in human dimensions of fisheries

Models of human dimensions of fisheries are important to understanding and predicting how fishing industries respond to changes in marine ecosystems and management institutions. Advances in computation have made it possible to construct agent‐based models (ABMs)—which explicitly describe the behaviour of individual people, firms or vessels in order to understand and predict their aggregate behaviours. ABMs are widely used for both academic and applied purposes in many settings including finance, urban planning and the military, but are not yet mainstream in fisheries science and management, despite a growing literature. ABMs are well suited to understanding emergent consequences of fisher interactions, heterogeneity and bounded rationality, especially in complex ecological, social and institutional contexts. For these reasons, we argue that ABMs of human behaviour can contribute significantly to human dimensions of fisheries in three areas: (a) understanding interactions between multiple management institutions; (b) incorporating cognitive and behavioural sciences into fisheries science and practice; and (c) understanding and projecting the social consequences of management institutions. We provide simple examples illustrating the potential for ABMs in each of these areas, using conceptual (“toy”) versions of the POSEIDON model. We argue that salient strategic advances in these areas could pave the way for increased tactical use of ABMs in fishery management settings. We review common ABM development and application challenges, with the aim of providing guidance to beginning ABM developers and users studying human dimensions of fisheries.     

Factors influencing the scope and quality of science and management decisions

The lecture traces the historical path to overfishing of the world's fish and shellfish stocks, and provides an assessment of marine fish resources in the later half of the 1990s. The basis of overfishing as noted by various fishery scientists is reviewed. Four factors, including institutional paralysis, the rapidity of technological developments, uncertainty of science, and the inability to monitor and enforce regulations are identified as the major problems leading to overfishing. The failure of the world community to deal with extensive overfishing, appears to have motivated managers and scientists to promote a new fishery management paradigm that focuses on a broader set of problems resulting from fishing, and establishes a more conservative decision‐making process founded on precautionary principle and uncertainty. The author feels that the evolving paradigm will result in the rebuilding of a number of stocks in the United States, but is less certain of its adoption on a global scale, and whether or not science will play a more useful role in fisheries management. It is noted that the support for fisheries science and the status of fisheries have followed opposite courses. Over the past half century marine science has boomed, diversified and become intellectually and materially enriched, while the number of overfished stocks and ecological disasters has increased. Looking ahead it is expected that fisheries management will move into a more conservative era. The focus of fisheries has moved from full use of ocean resources to establishing yields that take into account the impacts of fisheries on target and non‐target species and the ecosystem in general. Although there has been wide‐spread abuse in the use of the world's fishery resources and condemnation of the fishing industries, the author feels that the government institutions must bear the primary responsibility for the historical course of fishery management and its failure.     

Regional fisheries management organizations and the new biodiversity agreement: Challenge or opportunity?

In 2018, the international community began formal intergovernmental negotiations over a new legally binding instrument for the protection of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction. Protecting marine biodiversity is imperative for a sustainable future, and all the different organizations and agreements will have to work together to achieve this common goal. One of the first key principles to be agreed was to “not undermine” the existing legal instruments or mandates of regional and sectoral marine governance organizations. While fisheries are not being discussed during the negotiations, a marine biodiversity agreement is likely to still impact regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs), due to overlapping areas of interest. This article aims to firstly, assess the potential constraints posed by the commitment to “not undermine”; secondly, consider how aspects of the biodiversity agreement, such as area‐based management and environmental impact assessments, might enhance RFMOs; and thirdly, suggest meaningful ways to ensure cooperation between RFMOs and the marine biodiversity agreement.     

论地方渔民协会在我国海洋渔业可持续发展中的作用——来自海安老坝港镇捕捞协会的启示

近年来海洋渔业面临资源衰退、渔场减少、因渔民众多而监管成本高等问题，严重阻碍了我国海洋渔业经济的可持续发展。文章首先从交易成本的视觉对渔民协会在实现海洋渔业经济可持续发展中的作用进行了理论分析，然后以江苏海安县老坝港镇捕捞协会为对象，对理论推演的结论进行了实证检验。研究表明，老坝港捕捞渔民协会的成立，一方面能够在保证转业者福利不低于捕捞业的情况下，协助转业者寻找替代性就业机会，从而有利于降低捕捞业的劳动力人数，减轻对渔业资源的压力；另一方面能使政府在市场经济条件下提高管理效率、降低政府和渔民的交易成本，有利于促进海洋捕捞渔业的可持续发展。     

Keeping watch on the unwatchable: technological solutions for the problems generated by ecosystem-based management

Ecosystem‐based management is an emerging paradigm influencing the management of commercial fisheries. Increasingly, developed nations are adopting explicit legislation and policy governing the assessment and management of their fisheries against criteria of ecological sustainability. Yet the ability to evaluate ecosystem impacts of fisheries is compromised by a general lack of understanding of marine ecosystem function (beyond the population level) and a lack of robust and practical indicators for ecosystem health and management. Recent technological advances can assist in developing criteria, including structural analyses of seafloor communities potentially impacted by fishing gears (e.g. demersal trawling). Similarly, advances in fishing gear technology, including improved selectivity and the development of gears which have a more benign environmental impact, can mitigate some of the ecological impacts of fishing. Such technological advances are summarized in the context of contemporary fisheries management.     

Primary productivity demands of global fishing fleets

To be sustainable, the extractive process of fishing requires biomass renewal via primary production driven by solar energy. Primary production required (PPR) estimates how much primary production is needed to replace the biomass of fisheries landings removed from marine ecosystems. Here, we examine the historical fishing behaviour of global fishing fleets, which parts of the food web they rely on, which ecosystems they fish and how intensively. Highly mobile European and Asian fleets have moved to ever more distant productive waters since the 1970s, especially once they are faced with the costs of access agreements for exclusive economic zones (EEZs) declared by host countries. We examine fleet PPR demands in the context of large marine ecosystems (LMEs), which are frequently fished with PPR demands well above their average primary productivity (PP). In some cases, this was mitigated by subsequent emigration of fleets or by management intervention. Fleet movements, however, have stressed additional marine areas, including the EEZs of developing countries. This suggests the potential for spatial serial depletion, if fishing capacity is not reduced to more sustainable PP removal levels. Fundamentally, fishing is limited by solar‐powered PP limits. Fishing beyond solar production has occurred, but in the future, marine systems may not be as forgiving, especially if overfishing and climate change compromise their resilience.     

基于双重拔靴法拟合拖网网囊选择性的不确定性

研究拖网网囊选择性对于渔业的科学管理和资源的合理利用都有重要意义。拖网网囊选择性的研究一般先开展捕捞实验, 然后使用选择性模型拟合和处理实验数据, 最后得出选择性参数和选择性曲线。主要的选择性参数包括 50%选择体长(L50)和选择范围(SR)。但是, 仅仅提供选择性参数和曲线是不够的, 还需要拟合它们的不确定性, 并以置信区间的形式展现。双重拔靴法是拟合网囊选择性不确定性的重要方法。本研究在阐述双重拔靴法基本原理的基础上, 选取 2 组实验数据为实例, 用常规方法和双重拔靴法进行拟合, 通过比较拟合结果诠释双重拔靴法的特点和优势。结果表明, 双重拔靴法能够很好地拟合网囊选择性参数 L50、SR 和曲线的不确定性。同时, 本研究还就应用双重拔靴法的重大误区进行了分析和讨论。本研究可为研究人员开展渔具选择性研究提供方法参考。     

印度尼西亚渔业发展概况

印度尼西亚海域辽阔,渔业资源丰富,具有极大的发展潜力。本文在查阅近年来国内外相关文献基础上,着重介绍了印尼的渔业资源状况、管理方式、产品加工和国际合作等。印度尼西亚主要渔业类型为海洋捕捞和水产养殖业,其中金枪鱼渔业是最主要的捕捞业。近年来,水产养殖（如虾类、海藻等）逐渐成为印尼渔业的主要支柱;印尼渔业管理的主要部门为海洋事务与渔业部,地方各级渔业行政机构和渔业协会组织共同参与管理;印尼政府鼓励国外投资渔业,并大力促进海外渔业合作。     

日本资源管理型渔业体系下的典型作业方式管制实践

通过文献研究,对日本资源管理型渔业体系下的典型作业方式管理措施进行梳理,以期对我国典型作业方式准入制度的构建和完善提供参考。对围网、底拖网、刺网和流网、定置网及鱿钓等5种日本渔业主要作业方式的管理措施体系进行了分类和介绍,认为日本的渔业管理通过不同层级的权限许可,根据海洋渔业资源的自然属性差异采取区域化的管理模式,并以恢复渔业资源为目标,逐步推进从总可捕量管理制度向捕捞努力量控制制度的转变。     

Predicting interactions between recolonising marine mammals and fisheries: defining precautionary management

Interactions between fisheries and marine mammals have created costly and unresolved issues throughout the world. This study examines the spatial and resource overlaps between recolonising New Zealand sea lions, Phocarctos hookeri (Grey) (using satellite tracking) and local fisheries (using spatio‐temporal catch database) on the Otago coast, New Zealand. Around Otago, spatial and resource overlaps existed year‐round and it is predicted that incidental deaths in fishing gear and resource competition may arise as the sea lion population increases. Preventive management methods (e.g. marine protected areas) and monitoring studies (e.g. fish stock assessments) are proposed. The use of precautionary management could ensure sustainable profitable fisheries and successful recolonisation by sea lions around Otago, and it could be used as a case study for other areas with recovering marine mammal populations that interact with fisheries.