Molluscan diversity caught by trawling fisheries: a case study in southern Portugal

Abstract  The effects of commercial trawling on the malacological communities (except for the Cephalopoda) were examined, based on a study undertaken between 1996 and 2000 on the continental shelf and slope of southern Portugal. More than 50% of species caught by trawling in southern Portugal were discarded, with molluscs representing about 19%. Forty-four species of molluscs (15 bivalves, 28 gastropods and one polyplacophoran) were identified from the discarded specimens. Crustacean trawlers accounted for 34 molluscs species, and fish trawlers for 24. Twenty species were only caught by the crustacean trawl, compared with 10 species by the fish trawl, and 14 species were common to both trawls. The bivalve Venus nux Gmelin was the most numerous species discarded in the fish trawl, accounting for 42.0% of the total number of individuals, followed by the gastropods Ampulla priamus (Meuschen) (7.8%) and Ranella olearium (L.) (7.3%). In the crustacean trawl, the most numerous species discarded were the bivalve Anadara diluvii (Lamarck) (19.4%), the gastropod Calliostoma granulatum (Born) (15.5%), and the bivalve V. nux (15.1%). The third most discarded species from fish trawls in Algarve waters, the gastropod species R. olearium , is a species listed in Annex II of the Bern Convention. The difficulties of managing the real impact of fisheries on the molluscan populations and in defining a conservation strategy are discussed.     

闽南、台湾浅滩渔场中上层鱼类资源监测

本文根据闽南、台浅渔场1987～1995年间灯围渔业逐年各月生产统计资料,以及渔获物组成、生殖群体结构和幼鱼发生量对中上层鱼类进行监测和研究。结果表明,80年代末期以来,福建闽南地区灯围作业船组不断减少,但平均单产逐年上升,从而保持了渔业质量在下降中相对稳定。中上层鱼类种群结构非常稳定,蓝圆鲹和金色小沙丁鱼一直是最重要的渔获对象,占灯围产量约2/3。其生殖群体几乎是一成不变,该两个鱼种叉长优势组均为180～200mm,各占60～80％,1龄鱼补充群体数量雄厚,且其幼鱼发生量连年增长,闽中、闽东沿海小型灯围和夏缯等作业夏汛产量逐年迅速上升,由此认为,90年代以来,闽南、台浅渔场中上层鱼类资源利用不足,建议扶持灯围作业,加大对中上层鱼类资源的开发力度。     

Wasted fishery resources: discarded by-catch in the USA

Fishery by‐catch, especially discarded by‐catch, is a serious problem in the world's oceans. Not only are the stocks of discarded species affected, but entire trophic webs and habitats may be disrupted at the ecosystem level. This paper reviews discarding in the marine fisheries of the USA; however, the type, diversity and regulatory mechanisms of the fisheries are similar to developed fisheries and management programmes throughout the world. We have compiled current estimates of discarded by‐catch for each major marine fishery in the USA using estimates from existing literature, both published and unpublished. We did not re‐estimate discards or discard rates from raw data, nor did we include data on protected species (turtles, mammals and birds) and so this study covers discarded by‐catch of finfish and fishable invertebrates. For some fisheries, additional calculations were required to transform number data into weight data, and typically length and weight composition data were used. Specific data for each fishery are referenced in Harrington et al. (Wasted Resources: Bycatch and discards in US Fisheries, Oceana, Washington, DC, 2005). Overall, our compiled estimates are that 1.06 million tonnes of fish were discarded and 3.7 million tonnes of fish were landed in USA marine fisheries in 2002. This amounts to a nationwide discard to landings ratio of 0.28, amongst the highest in the world. Regionally, the southeast had the largest discard to landings ratio (0.59), followed closely by the highly migratory species fisheries (0.52) and the northeast fisheries (0.49). The Alaskan and west coast fisheries had the lowest ratios (0.12 and 0.15 respectively). Shrimp fisheries in the southeast were the major contributors to the high discard rate in that region, with discard ratios of 4.56 (Gulf of Mexico) and 2.95 (South Atlantic). By‐catch and discarding is a major component of the impact of fisheries on marine ecosystems. There have been substantial efforts to reduce by‐catch in some fisheries, but broadly based programmes covering all fisheries are needed within the USA and around the world. In response to international agreements to improve fishery management, by‐catch and discard reduction must become a regular part of fishery management planning.     

The potential for new Nephrops trawl designs to positively effect North Sea stocks of cod,haddock and whiting

Within commercial fisheries, particularly mixed fisheries, both target and non-target species are often discarded. Discarding represents a potentially significant loss to the productivity of fish stocks; it can have damaging ecological consequences, and is a potential cause of the failure of recovery plans. The Nephrops fishery in the North Sea is classified as a mixed fishery. Nephrops trawls are constructed with smaller meshes than trawls used to target whitefish; consequently, the bycatch of juvenile fish can be substantial. Several new Nephrops trawl designs have been tested in the North Sea. The data from these trials are used to investigate the potential impact of their implementation on cod, haddock and whiting stocks in the North Sea (including the Kattegat and Skagerrak).The model examines five trawl designs, and also the scenarios of a cessation of discarding in all North Sea fisheries and in just the Nephrops fishery. The model is deterministic, and evaluates the relative differences between scenarios assuming all other variables remain constant. If discarding of cod, haddock and whiting in the North Sea fisheries were eliminated, stocks would increase by 41%, 14% and 29%, respectively, within 10 years. Eliminating discarding in the Nephrops fishery alone would increase stocks by 2%, 1% and 13%, respectively, reflecting the relative proportion of catches of these species in the Nephrops fishery. For cod and haddock, the introduction of the Nephrops trawl with a grid with a square-mesh codend was the only scenario in which a notable increase in stock number was observed. This trawl design facilitates the escape of fish of all ages/sizes from the trawl, effectively making the Nephrops fishery a single-species fishery. For whiting, stock numbers and landings increased under all scenarios, but forecasted landings were lower than if current discard patterns continued in all except the no-discards scenario. The dependency of the results on the validity of the assumptions and on the accuracy of the input data is discussed.     

Discarding practices in a Mediterranean small-scale fishing fleet (Patraikos Gulf, Greece)

Abstract  Discarding practices from 110 fishing operations in a Mediterranean small-scale fishing fleet (Patraikos Gulf, western Greece) from August 2004 to July 2005 were analysed. On average, 1 kg of fish was discarded per fishing operation (10% of the catch). The reasons for discarding were: low commercial value (78% of discards), damage at sea before retrieval of the gear (5%), and bad handling on-board (17%). More than half of discards belonged to Spicara flexuosa (L.), Lepidopus caudatus (Euphrasen), Sardinella aurita Valenciennes and Merluccius merluccius (L.). The bulk of discards of each species were associated with a single fishing method (metier). A Generalized Linear Model (Delta-X – error-model) indicated that, when discards were present, significant differences existed in the discard ratio among different métier groups (groups comprising métiers with similar characteristics). Longlines and trammel nets with small mesh-sizes had the highest discard ratios. Discarding practices for the species Diplodus annularis (L.), S. aurita , Squilla mantis (L.), S. flexuosa and Scorpaena scrofa (L.) did not follow a consistent pattern (these species were either fully discarded or fully retained during a fishing operation). The decision seemed to be dependent on market demands rather than fish size. Significant correlation was found between discarded and catch weight, but the presence of many outliers indicated deviance from a case where discards are high when there is an abundant catch. The findings of the study imply that monitoring and management should be carried out preferably on the métier level. Discards could be reduced by technical measures, controlling effort regulations and by improving working conditions on-board fishing vessels.     

A comparative analysis between recreational and artisanal fisheries in a Mediterranean coastal area

The biological impact and the social characteristics of different artisanal (professional) and recreational fishing techniques on the marine resources of a coastal Mediterranean area were compared. Data were from artisanal and recreational surveys carried out between 2006 and 2010. Competition between recreational (particularly spear fishing) and artisanal fishers for the natural resources is important as 52% of the 98 species surveyed were caught by both types of fishers. A total of 87 species were caught by all artisanal fishing gears together (of which 84% were retained and 16% discarded). Recreational fishing caught 58 species of which none was systematically discarded. The two fishing techniques that raise major environmental concerns are spear fishing (very selective in terms of species and/or sizes and high intrinsic vulnerability of catches) and trammel netting (highest number of species discarded and highest number of species endangered). Important challenges from the social standpoint were found that need to be taken into account in the management of coastal fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea including: progressive disappearance of the artisanal fisheries, ageing of the artisanal fisher populations and decline in the number of fishing gears used by artisanal fishers.     

Interactions between fisheries and cetaceans in the Thracian sea (Greece) and management proposals

Greek fisheries (purse seine, trawling and small‐scale coastal, by order of importance) mostly operate in the Thracian Sea, which despite its relatively small size relative to the Aegean Sea (≈4.4%) is the most productive region in Greek waters due to its elevated nutrient concentration. The Thracian Sea is also vital to several species of cetaceans, mainly bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus (Montagu), and common dolphin, Delphinus delphis L. The area has been proposed as a potential cetacean conservation hotspot. For this reason, the interactions between fishing activities and local cetacean populations have been investigated through reports of stranded dolphins, interviews with fishers, surveys and detailed dolphin stomach content analysis. Reports of stranded cetaceans and interviews with fishers revealed cases of cetacean entanglement in fishing nets, as well as frequent dolphin damage to fishing nets. Necropsy stomach analysis of stranded dolphins revealed a preference for fish and cephalopods of low commercial value, indicating a low trophic overlap between cetaceans and commercial fisheries. Recommendations for the management of fisheries–cetacean interactions in the Thracian Sea are provided.     

Biomass removal by dolphins and fisheries in a Mediterranean Sea coastal area: do dolphins have an ecological impact on fisheries?

• 1. Dolphins are often claimed to compete with fisheries, including through removal of substantial biomass. To calculate the biomass removed by fisheries and the degree of resource overlap with dolphins in a coastal area of Greece, estimates of dolphin abundance based on photographic capture–recapture were combined with an assessment of fishing effort and catch.
• 2. The estimated total biomass consumed annually by local dolphin populations – 15 short‐beaked common dolphins and 42 common bottlenose dolphins – was 15.5 and 89.8 tonnes, respectively. The total biomass removed by the local fishing fleet (307 fishing boats) was 3469.2 tonnes, i.e. about 33 times greater than that removed by dolphins.
• 3. Dolphins removed 2.9% of the total biomass, fisheries 97.1%. Nine purse seiners (representing only 3% of the active fishing fleet) were responsible for 31.9% of biomass removal. Similarity of biomass composition between dolphins and fisheries was expressed by a Pianka index of 0.46 for common dolphins and 0.66 for bottlenose dolphins.
• 4. Overlap differed according to fishing gear. Common dolphin overlap was higher with purse seiners (0.82), and lower with beach seiners (0.31), bottom trawlers (0.11) and trammel boats (0.06). There was virtually no overlap with longliners (0.02). Bottlenose dolphin overlap was higher with trammel boats (0.89) and bottom trawlers (0.75), and lower with longliners (0.38), purse seiners (0.24) and beach seiners (0.18). There was minimal overlap (0.12) between the two dolphin species.
• 5. This study suggests that ecological interactions between dolphins and fisheries in this coastal area have minor effects on fisheries. Conversely, prey depletion resulting from overfishing can negatively affect dolphins. Fisheries management measures consistent with national and EU legislation are proposed to ensure sustainability and to protect marine biodiversity. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

     

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。     

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.     

海南岛上岸渔获调查与分析

上岸渔获调查是调查渔业资源的主要方法之一。通过2010年9月至2011年8月监测海南岛主要渔港渔情,统计分析渔获上岸量、渔获组成和作业类型,评估南海渔业资源开发现状并提出建议。结果表明,1）低值幼鱼渔获比例超过40％,经济渔获蓝圆鲹（Decapterusmaruadsi）、带鱼（Trichiurushaumela）、马鲛（Scomber-morus）、眼镜鱼（Menemaculata）、金线鱼（Nemipterus）和头足类（Cephalopoda）的总和不足25％;2）蓝圆骖和带鱼是海南岛上岸渔获的优势种;3）拖网是海南岛近海渔获量最高的作业类型;4）海南岛近海底层渔业资源已严重衰退,远海中上层渔业资源具有巨大开发潜力。建议禁止海南岛近海拖网生产,允许南海休渔期间灯光围网和灯光罩网生产,通过增加远海作业船只的柴油补贴等途径扶持灯光围网和灯光罩网生产,构建“养护近海渔业、开发远海渔业”的新捕捞格局。     

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.     

An integrated scheme for the management of drifting fish aggregating devices in tuna purse seine fisheries

Drifting fish aggregating devices (dFADs) are extensively used in modern tuna purse seine fisheries. The use of dFADs has greatly improved fishing efficiency and generated substantial economic returns in purse seine fisheries, but adverse impacts on tuna juveniles, associated species and marine ecosystems are still of concern. Based on an analysis of current challenges in dFAD management measures in tuna regional fishery management organisations (t-RFMOs), we explored opportunities to strengthen dFAD management in tuna fisheries. An integrated dFAD management scheme with multiple tools that account for different usage stages of a dFAD needs to be organised to regulate, track, monitor and recover in tuna purse seine fisheries. We recommend that (1) dFAD-associated definitions should be standardised to provide operational guidance for dFAD activities; (2) all deployed dFADs should be counted towards dFAD limits on active dFADs, except those reported as lost and abandoned; (3) a regional dFAD tracking and monitoring program should track dFAD paths based on daily position reported to RFMOs directly, in addition to mandatory dFAD marking requirements; and (4) a framework of compensation mechanisms should provide financial support for joint dFAD recovery and eco-compensation.     

Short-term stress and mortality of juvenile school prawns, Metapenaeus macleayi, discarded from seines and trawls

Abstract  Two experiments were carried out to assess the short-term impacts to juvenile school prawns, Metapenaeus macleayi (Haswell) discarded from commercial seining and trawling in New South Wales, Australia, and the potential utility of modifications to operational and/or onboard handling practices designed to improve survival. For both gears, discards were handled according to two general categories of treatment (termed mild and extreme) chosen to represent the plausible limits of severity during existing commercial operations. A total of 600 trawled and 480 seined school prawns (from both treatments), along with appropriate numbers of controls (previously collected and housed in acclimation tanks), were placed into cages (in groups of 10). Subsets of each of these groups were then destructively sampled over periods of up to 5 days and examined for their mortality and physiological response (measured as levels of l -lactate in the haemolymph). In both experiments, the temporal mortalities in the treatment groups ranged between 0% and 15% and, for the most part, were not significantly different to controls. Prawns in the treatment groups had similar, significantly elevated levels of l -lactate approximately 40 min after being caught, but these returned to levels approaching baseline estimates within 48 h. Under the conditions examined, juvenile school prawns appear capable of withstanding a range of stressors associated with being discarded from active gears, and their fate is not greatly influenced by the duration of gear deployment and subsequent air exposure. However, further work is required to quantify other sources of unaccounted fishing mortality and, ultimately, the impacts that discarding has on stocks.     

Habitat analysis of the commercial tuna of the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean

We have extracted information on the habitats of bigeye (Thunnus obesus), skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis) and yellowfin (Thunnus albacares) in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean by matching the spatial‐temporal distribution of catch and effort of purse seine and longline fleets collected by the Inter‐American Tropical Tuna Commission with oceanographic conditions and subjecting the matched data to Quotient Analysis and General Additive Models (GAMs). These analyses yielded the following results. The habitats defined by the GAM analysis of young fish differ significantly between two periods, one before and one after the introduction of fish aggregation devices (FADs). This was not true for the older fish caught by longline. We speculate that these changes were caused by the extensive use of FADs. Younger bigeye and yellowfin caught by the purse seine fleet have a different preference of environmental variables compared to older fish caught by longline. This is to be expected since tuna of different age groups have different sizes, metabolic capabilities and swimming skills. Moreover, as revealed by GAMs, the habitats of young fish differ between species to a much larger degree than those of older fish. Our results indicate the fundamental differences between fishing methods, targeted species, and operating region of the two fisheries. Specifically, young bigeye occupy equatorial waters farther from the coast and where the hypoxic layer is deeper, young skipjack occupy more productive waters associated with equatorial and coastal upwelling, and young yellowfin occupy broad areas where waters are underlain by a shallow hypoxic layer.     

Spatial and temporal variation and effects of changes in management in discard rates from the commercial reef line fishery of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Discarding in commercially exploited fisheries has received considerable attention in the last decade, though only more recently in Australia. The Reef Line fishery (RLF) of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) in Australia is a large-scale multi-sector, multi-species, highly regulated hook and line fishery with the potential for high levels of discarding. We used a range of data sources to estimate discard rates and discard quantities for the two main target groups of the RLF, the coral trout, Plectropomus spp, and the red throat emperor, Lethrinus miniatus, and investigated possible effects on discarding of recent changes in management of the fishery. Fleet-wide estimates of total annual quantities discarded from 1989 to 2003 were 292–622 t and 33–95 t for coral trout and red throat emperor, respectively. Hypothetical scenarios of high-grading after the introduction of a total allowable commercial catch for coral trout resulted in increases in discard quantities up to 3895 t, while no high-grading still meant 421 t were discarded. Increasing the minimum size limit of red throat emperor from 35 to 38 cm also increased discards to an estimated 103 t. We provide spatially and temporally explicit estimates of discarding for the two most important species in the GBR RLF of Australia to demonstrate the importance of accounting for regional variation in quantification of discarding. Effects of management changes on discarding are also highlighted. This study provides a template for exploring discarding levels for other species in the RLF and elsewhere.     

Long-term dynamics of pelagic fish density and vendace (Coregonus albula (L.)) stocks in four zones of a lake differing in trawling intensity

Abstract – An 11-year time series of hydroacoustic fish density estimates and fisheries statistics of vendace ( Coregonus albula (L.)) from four zones of a lake differing in trawling intensity was analyzed in order to test the hypothesis that intensive trawling has detrimental effects on pelagic fish stocks, especially vendace recruitment. The standardized fish density estimate in trawled zones showed no decrease in comparison to the non-trawled zone. No signs of recruitment failure associable with trawling intensity were found. The growth of vendace at the end of the study period was slower than that at the beginning, indicating a higher density, most clearly so in the zone with highest trawling intensity. No significant correlations were detected between 3-year mean trawling intensity and yield per unit effort of over-1-year-old vendace or fish density in any zone. Thus, no evidence to support the hypothesis was found. This was suggested to be due to density-dependent compensatory processes in recruitment and/or natural mortality effectively counteracting the population change induced by exploitation. ^Note     

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.     

Patterns of species and functional diversity around a coastal marine reserve: a fisheries perspective

• 1. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are expected to function simultaneously as biological conservation and fisheries management tools, but empirical evidence linking biodiversity conservation with fisheries benefits is scarce. Around the Medes Islands marine reserve (Spain, NW Mediterranean) patterns of fish catch diversity, catch (CPUE) and income (IPUE) were assessed and the economic value of diversity for local fisheries was explored by combining a Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis with geostatistics.
• 2. Catch data were derived from the trammel net fleet operating around the MPA to gain information on species diversity, functional diversity, functional redundancy, CPUE and IPUE.
• 3. Results revealed significant impact of both the fishing prohibition in the MPA and the presence of seagrass beds on diversity metrics, catch and income. Clear differences in functional redundancy in fish assemblages were found within the study area, indicating greater resilience of the fish assemblage against fishing pressure or human impact close to the MPA (?2 km). In contrast, fish assemblages beyond 2 km of the MPA border are more vulnerable to disturbance. High values of diversity, CPUE and IPUE overlapped close to the MPA border and close to seagrass beds.
• 4. The spatial approach developed suggests that, in addition to the more commonly studied effect of density‐dependent spillover of adult fish, increased levels of ecological diversity and economic diversity can also result in fisheries benefits of an MPA. Hence, the fishing regulations in and around the Medes Islands marine reserve have shown that biological conservation and fisheries benefits can be complementary in the long‐term, which should be considered in future policies for MPAs or MPA networks.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.