Fishing agreements in the lower Amazon: for gain and restraint

Abstract  Co-management agreements, whereby community rules for the management of local floodplain lake fisheries are legalised and enforced by the government, have become common in the lower Amazon. Agreements are intended to limit exploitation, in particular by commercial boats, to raise stock abundance and fisheries productivity for the benefit of local subsistence-oriented fishers and for conservation. A spatially replicated observational study was carried out to evaluate the performance of fishing agreements in terms of perceived rule compliance and actual impacts on fishing activities, catch and catch per unit of effort (CPUE, a measure of fisheries productivity and proxy for stock abundance). Perceived rule compliance was high, and this was corroborated by observed changes in fishing practices. Catch per unit of effort was significantly higher (by 48% on average) in areas subject to fishing agreements than in control areas without. Most likely this effect was attributable to the effective exclusion of mobile commercial fishing boats. Household fishing effort and catch in local communities were not significantly affected by the agreements, although a tendency towards slightly higher catches at lower effort was noticeable. In conclusion, the co-management agreements have led to greater local control over resources and brought significant productivity and conservation benefits.     

Dynamics of floodplain fisheries in Bangladesh, results of 8 years fisheries monitoring in the Compartmentalization Pilot Project

Floodplain fisheries were monitored from 1992 until 2000 in the Compartmentalization Pilot Project in Tangail, Bangladesh. In permanent floodplains about 165 ± 28 kg ha^?1 of fish was caught annually. For seasonal floodplains, this figure was 83 ± 23 kg ha^?1 yr^?1. The fish catch exhibited a strong seasonal variation, with the highest catch in October, when the floodwater recedes towards the river, and the lowest catch during the dry season in April/May. The annual catch varied with the extent of flooding, with high catches in wet years and low catches in dry years. The extent of flooding was quantified through a Flood Index. Plotting the annual yields against this Flood Index provided a significant relation (P < 0.05), confirming the existence of a flood pulse. The fishing effort (f) and the catch‐per‐unit‐effort (CPUE) were significantly related (P < 0.05), whereby the fishing effort increased with increasing CPUE. The results are discussed within the frame of fisheries management in Bangladesh and highlight the need for long‐term data for proper evaluation of fisheries projects and the development of management schemes, and the difficulty of applying standard surplus production models in floodplain fisheries.     

Use of individual types of fishing effort in analyzing catch and effort data by use of a generalized linear model

Fishing effort is a function of many (continuous) variables which fishers can manipulate. However, when catch and fishing effort data are analysed using a generalized linear model, individual types of fishing effort usually enter as a composite quantity. But not all quantities can be combined into a composite quantity. Use of such data this way generally leads to a loss of information and incurs a model bias. In this paper, I analyse catch and effort data for the blue swimmer crab off South Australia by a direct use of individual types of fishing effort to extract a relative index of biomass, and use the concept of homogeneous functions to present some of the results. I also give formulae for choosing a combination of different types of fishing effort to effect a specified level of catch in both absolute and relative terms. Assuming that catch follows an independent gamma, normal, negative binomial, or Poisson distribution, fitting of a generalized linear model with a log-link function to the commercial catch and effort data suggests that: (1) the exploitable biomass remained relatively constant from 1 July 1983 to 30 June 1996; (2) the relative instantaneous rate of fishing mortality of a particular sex and age (if gear selectivity was constant over time) slightly increased over time; (3) a 1% increase in the number of days fished gave about 0.85% increase in catch whereas a 1% increase in the number of people on a boat led to only about a 0.45% increase in catch. This implies that use of a composite measure of fishing effort such as boat days and man days when analysing catch and effort data is inappropriate for this fishery. Although a generalized linear model may be a reasonable first-order approximation, catch and effort data are best interpreted through a process model.     

A surplus production model with latent truncation and species targeting,with an application to Papua New Guinean fisheries

This paper first reviews traditional bio-economic models of catch–effort equilibrium and later contributions based on augmented and revised specifications. To overcome some of the pitfalls in fisheries analysis, an approach is formulated which accounts for latent truncation in the fishing fleet, species targeting and non-linear long-term relationships among catch, effort and biomass. The procedure is applied to purse seine and longline offshore marine fisheries in Papua New Guinea, where tuna and other fish resources are believed to be under-exploited on the whole, but selective overfishing is reported to take place. Statistical evidence of incidental truncation is weak, with results being sensitive to the selection of variables. Based on regression diagnostics and expected signs/statistical significance of parameter estimates, non-linear surplus production specifications prove to be more suited than original and unrestricted versions of the conventional approach for modelling the dominant (purse seine) fishery in PNG over the period 1979–2007, with both main and secondary target fishing being found not to exceed the maximum sustainable yield. In either case, policy implications of these results should be pondered against underreporting of official fish catches.     

Spatio‐temporal trends of the Krill fisheries in the Western Antarctic Peninsula and Southern Scotia Arc

Krill fisheries in Antarctica have concentrated their effort on the Western Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Arc (WAP) in the last decades, following a steady increase in annual catch. Short‐term shifts in habitat exploration may have occurred and may be the cause for the increasing catch. Habitat use and effort in krill fisheries in the WAP during summer between 2012/2013 and 2016/2017, inclusive, were tested to determine how habitat use and effort reflected in the catch. Increasing trends in fishing tow duration and depth of fishing in deeper and colder waters were found. No association of the catch with the habitat explored was found, but catch was higher in years when the variability of explored habitat was lower. The relevance of these findings for fisheries management and conservation of Antarctic marine ecosystems is discussed.     

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。     

几何相似原理在过滤性渔具网目选择性研究中的应用

利用几何相似原理将传统的过滤性渔具选择性曲线转化为选择性曲面。运用选择性方程，并假设不同网目大小的渔具对相同尺寸渔获个体的渔获服从多项分布后，对过滤性渔具的网目选择性建立模型。使用极大似然估计法对模型进行拟合，同时，通过假设检验对模型进行简化。使用平行作业法试验条件下的张网渔具的黄鲫(Setipinrm taty)渔获数据进行模型拟合。结果显示，所建模型可以在没有对照网的情况下估算出各不同网目大小网囊的选择率，并同样适用于套网法试验条件下的选择性分析。模型的建立为今后进行过滤性渔具网目选择性试验方法改革提供了理论参考。通过与SELECT模型比较，认为模型使用选择性方程并区分渔获能力和捕捞努力量使得模型更具普遍性。     

Changes in life history and ecological characteristics of coral reef fish catch composition with increasing fishery management

Abstract Length, life history and ecological characteristics of landed fish communities were studied over a 10‐year period to test theories of fishing disturbance during a time of increased gear and closure management in heavily utilised fisheries. It was predicted that with greater management restrictions: (1) the earliest and fastest responses in the fishery will be seen in those species with faster turnovers, or relatively lower vulnerabilities to fishing; (2) the fishery would transition to a landed catch with higher mean trophic levels, and greater mean body lengths. In addition, the removal of a non‐selective, small‐mesh seine nets should benefit the catch of gears that previously had the greatest species selectivity overlap with the seine net. Many predictions were supported, although maximum lengths and lengths at maturity responded more rapidly than anticipated. The response to eliminating the non‐selective seine net was a more rapid increase in sizes caught by gears with a larger overlap in size (hook and lines) than species selectivity (gill nets). The simultaneous comparison of management systems over time indicates that open‐access fishing grounds can benefit from restrictions imposed in adjacent fishing grounds. The study indicated that multi‐species coral reef fisheries management objectives of maximising yields, as well as maintaining the fish community’s life‐history diversity, require management trade‐offs that balance local socio‐economic and biodiversity needs.     

Slow social change: Implications for open access recreational fisheries

In this essay, we explore the idea that slow social change may cause degradation of the open access equilibrium in recreational fisheries. An existing bioeconomic model illustrates how three social quantities in the recreational fisheries social–ecological system—the marginal cost of fishing effort, catchability, and the relative importance of catch and effort to angler utility—influence equilibrium fish abundance. We speculate that slow directional changes in all three of these quantities may be common, driving gradual declines in abundance that may be difficult to detect. We present limited evidence in support of this speculation, highlight the need for further empirical work, and discuss the implications of slow social change for resilient management of recreational fisheries in a changing world.     

Tuna trade‐offs: Balancing profit and social benefits in one of the world’s largest fisheries

The western and central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) tuna fishery is one of the world's largest in terms of both catch volume and value, providing over half of global tuna catch with a landed value of US $5.84 billion in 2017. Fishing is conducted by both large‐ and small‐scale fleets, with fisheries subsidies disproportionately benefiting the former. The primary objective of this study was to determine the optimal distribution of effort between two large‐scale fisheries (LSF) and two small‐scale fisheries (SSF) in the WCPO under three scenarios: to maximize industry benefits, minimize subsidization or maximize food supply. The objective was approached using a bioeconomic game‐theoretic model. Results indicate opposite distributions of effort to maximize industry benefits (all fishing conducted by LSF) or to minimize subsidization (all fishing by SSF), with more balanced effort distributions to maximize food supply. Total value of capacity‐enhancing subsidies in optimal scenarios ranged from $1.4 billion when industry benefits were maximized to $0.2 billion when subsidization was minimized. Investigation of suboptimal scenarios reveals the flexibility of these results, with wide ranges in outputted state variables for a given goal. Difficulty was encountered in modelling the SSF sector due to data deficiencies, a well‐recognized issue in managing SSF. Investments towards “data equity” to help ensure that management decision‐making can properly account for the SSF sector would be useful. This study has implications for the objectives we set in fisheries management, and the potential trade‐offs, often value‐driven in nature, that we must make explicit in that management.     

Following the chain to elusive anglers

Obtaining reliable estimates of important parameters from recreational fisheries is problematic but critical for stock assessment and effective resource management. Sampling methodologies based on traditional design‐based sampling theory, is inadequate in obtaining representative catch and effort data, social or demographical characterization, or fisher behaviour from small hard‐to‐reach components within recreational fisheries (e.g. specialized sport fisheries) that may account for the majority of the catch for some species. A model‐based approach to sampling is necessary. Researchers in other disciplines including epidemiology and social sciences routinely survey rare or ‘hidden’ populations within the general community by penetration of social networks rather than by interception of individuals. We encourage fisheries researchers to rethink survey designs and consider the social elements of recreational fishing. Employing chain‐referral methods, such as respondent‐driven sampling (RDS), may be a statistically robust and cost‐effective option for sampling elusive sub‐elements within recreational fisheries. Chain‐referral sampling methodology is outlined and an example of a complemented ‘RDS‐recapture’ survey design is introduced as a cost‐effective application to estimating total catch in recreational fisheries.     

基于渔船捕捞行为特征的远洋延绳钓渔场捕捞强度计算

渔场捕捞强度信息可以为渔业资源评估和管理提供帮助。本研究结合2017年10—11月船舶自动监控系统(AutomaticIdentificationSystem,AIS)信息和同期中国中西太平洋延绳钓渔船捕捞日志数据,通过挖掘延绳钓渔船作业航速和航向特征,建立渔场作业状态识别模型,提取渔场捕捞强度信息。以3～9节为航速阈值和0°～10°及300°～360°为航向阈值,渔船作业状态识别准确率为68.29%。阈值识别和日志记录的捕捞强度信息在空间上相关性很高(0.96),基于AIS信息挖掘的渔船捕捞强度空间分布特征和实际非常相似。阈值识别和日志记录的捕捞强度信息在空间上与单位捕捞努力量渔获量(catch per unite of effort, CPUE)、渔获尾数、渔获重量和投钩数的空间相关系数均大于0.62,基于AIS信息挖掘的渔船空间捕捞强度也可替代用于渔业资源分析。     

Impacts of introducing Nile tilapia on the fisheries of a tropical reservoir in North‐eastern Brazil

Abstract Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (L.), has been introduced in most tropical and subtropical regions of the world to improve inland fisheries and aquaculture. This species is generally viewed as beneficial where introduced, but the environmental impacts of its widespread introductions are uncertain and not well understood. In this study, a 30‐year time series of fisheries records from a tropical reservoir was divided into five equal periods of 6 years and compared. The introduction of Nile tilapia did not increase the total catch‐per‐unit‐of‐effort (CPUE), the number of fishers actively fishing or their per capita income. Conversely, a significant reduction in the CPUE of other commercially important species was observed after the introduction of Nile tilapia in the reservoir. Although other factors cannot be rule out as possible explanations of the observed changes in the reservoir fisheries, the results are consistent with the hypothesis that these changes may have been caused, at least partially, by the introduction of the Nile tilapia.     

试论我国海洋渔业资源的适宜捕捞力量

<正> 海洋捕捞渔船机动化,网具、渔捞技术革新,助渔导航设备改善,以及改革开放后市场观念和水产品价格提高,极大地刺激着我国海洋捕捞力量迅猛发展。但是,投产渔船的日益增加,给我国海洋渔业资源带来了沉重的压力,已远远超过资源本身所能承受的能力,使我国大多数传统渔业资源处于过度利用状态,单位捕捞努力产量下降,渔获     

Estimating angling effort and participation in a multi-user, inland fishery in South Africa

Abstract  Angler counts, on-lake interviews and a household survey were used to estimate angler effort and participation in Lake Gariep, South Africa's largest inland water body. Annual fishing effort was estimated from instantaneous counts at 16392 angler day⁻¹ yr⁻¹. Recreational and subsistence anglers contributed 41 and 59% to the total annual fishing effort, respectively. Household surveys in lakeshore settlements estimated that ≥914 anglers fished the lake and minimum daily fishing effort in one of the fishing areas assessed was 77 anglers. As a result of recall bias, these estimates were almost twice as high as those determined by direct counts. A low cost method of assessing participation by applying a mark–recapture model to the proportion of anglers whom had been previously interviewed during eight bimonthly sampling events was tested. The model converged in three of four applications (2 areas × 2 sectors). The mark–recapture method revealed similar numbers of anglers to the estimate of regular anglers (fishing 1–3 times a week) from the household survey and was considered an appropriate estimator for the number of subsistence anglers. Regardless of the assessment method the results show that the resource is of importance to subsistence livelihoods, which is an important management consideration in future fisheries development and rights allocation processes.     

Global marine yield halved as fishing intensity redoubles

There is widespread concern and debate about the state of global marine resources and the ecosystems supporting them, notably global fisheries, as catches now generally stagnate or decline. Many fisheries are not assessed by standard stock assessment methods including many in the world's most biodiverse areas. Though simpler methods using widely available catch data are available, these are often discounted largely because data on fishing effort that contributed to the changes in catches are mostly not considered. We analyse spatial and temporal patterns of global fishing effort and its relationship with catch to assess the status of the world's fisheries. The study reveals that fleets now fish all of the world's oceans and have increased in power by an average of 10‐fold (25‐fold for Asia) since the 1950s. Significantly, for the equivalent fishing power expended, landings from global fisheries are now half what they were a half‐century ago, indicating profound changes to supporting marine environments. This study provides another dimension to understand the global status of fisheries.     

海洋渔业捕捞优化模型及其可持续发展策略研究

基于经典的Logistic鱼群生长模型，解析海洋渔业渔场等捕捞强度优化问题，建立了最佳捕捞开始时间、最佳鱼群保有量、最佳捕捞强度和最佳捕捞投入的数学模型。在此基础上，研究了海洋渔业可持续发展策略。研究结果表明，捕捞船队的最佳投入与鱼群内在增长速率成正比，与捕捞系数成反比；渔场最佳的渔业资源量为渔场最大养殖能力的二分之一；渔场的最佳捕捞强度与渔场最大养殖能力和鱼群内在增长速率的乘积成正比。     

东海带鱼渔获量变动原因分析

利用1951~1984年东海带鱼年渔获量和捕捞努力量资料,以及降雨、风速和海表温度等的时间系列,分析了带鱼渔获量年际变化与捕捞努力量及环境因素的关系,并建立了渔获量对捕捞努力量和环境变量的回归模型。带鱼渔获量随捕捞努力量的变化可用Fox模型拟合(R=0·89,P<0·01),1951~1974年期间,渔获量随着捕捞努力量的增长而不断提高,但自1974年后,随着捕捞努力量的持续增长,渔获量开始下降。排除捕捞效应后的带鱼渔获量波动还与环境因素显著相关,分析结果表明,长江流域和东海沿岸地区年降水量、渤海海域年均风速、长江口年均风速、黄海和东海海表温度(2月)、东海中部年平均海表温度及南部冬季月平均海表温度等环境因子都与之显著相关。包含捕捞努力量和环境变量的渔获量模型的回归系数为0·97,其置信水平达到99%以上。运用1951~1984年的回归模型对1985和1986年的渔获量作出了预测,其预测值与实际渔获量的相对误差均小于5%,验证了其可靠性。研究的结果表明,带鱼渔获量变动不仅与捕捞作用有关,同时还受环境因素的影响,是两者综合作用的结果。     

Cluster analysis of linear model coefficients under contiguity constraints for identifying spatial and temporal fishing effort patterns

For fisheries management purposes, it is essential to take into account spatial and seasonal characteristics of fishing activities to allow a reliable assessment of fishing impact on resource. This paper presents a novel technique for describing spatial and temporal patterns in fishing effort. The spatial and seasonal fishing activity patterns of the French trawler fleet in the Celtic Sea during the period 1991–1998 were analysed by modelling fishing effort (fishing time) with generalised linear models. The linear model for fishing effort included fixed effects for both spatial (statistical rectangles) and temporal units (months). In addition, spatial correlations in any given month were modelled by an exponentially decreasing function. Temporal correlations were included using the previous month's fishing effort for a given spatial unit as predictor. A method based on cluster analysis of estimated model coefficients of spatial or temporal fixed effects is proposed for identifying groups of similar spatial and temporal units. A contiguity constraint is imposed in the clustering algorithm, ensuring that only neighbouring spatial units or consecutive temporal units are grouped. The cluster analysis identified 22 spatial and 9 temporal groups. Winter and spring months stood out as being more variable than the remaining months. Spatial groups were of varying size, and generally larger offshore. The proposed method is generic and could for example be used to analyse temporal and spatial patterns in catch or catch rate data.