Assessing a social norms approach for improving recreational fisheries compliance

This study aimed to assess the suitability of the Berkowitz' ( 2005 ) social norms approach (SNA) for improving compliance behaviour amongst recreational fishers. A total of 138 recreational shore anglers were interviewed in Eastern Cape, South Africa and asked about their compliance, attitudes towards compliance, perceptions of compliance and the attitudes of other anglers. Results indicate that angler compliance for individual regulations was relatively high (75%–90%). Attitudes of anglers towards compliance was positive, with >80% feeling that “breaking any regulation is wrong.” Yet, as predicted by the SNA, interviewees often overestimated the non‐compliance and negative attitudes of other anglers, particularly as their social proximity decreased. Interviewees with the greatest misperceptions were also less compliant. The social norms present in the Eastern Cape rock and surf fishery fulfil the criteria required for the application of the SNA, suggesting that this approach may provide a suitable normative intervention for improving compliance to be used in conjunction with instrumental approaches in recreational fisheries.     

A preliminary appraisal of the contribution of recreational fishing to the fisheries sector in north-west Trinidad

Abstract An assessment of the recreational fishery in north-west Trinidad was made by questioning participants about the principal fishing methods used, location of activities, catches, effort and cost of fishing. Surface handline methods (live baiting [à la vive] and trolling) and rod and line (banking) were the most common methods used and were pursued mainly in the summer months (April to August). Total fish landings from the fishery were estimated at 1000 t year^-1, equivalent to about 10% of commercial catches for Trinidad. The principal species caught were kingfish, Scomberomorus cavalla (Cuv.), carite, Scomberomorus brasiliensis (Cuv.), cavalli, Caranx hippos (L.), snappers, Lutjanus spp., and groupers, Epinephelus spp. Many of the fishermen sold their catch to offset the costs of the fishing trip and thus competed with commercial fishermen. Recommendations for monitoring and possibly regulating the fishery through a licensing scheme are made.     

Narco‐Fish: Global fisheries and drug trafficking

This study analyses drug trafficking associated with fisheries around the globe. Records of vessel interdiction carried out between 2010 and 2017 suggest that the global trade of illicit drugs relies increasingly on fishing vessels. Fishery‐based trafficking is growing. A key obstacle to understanding the scope of this problem is the limited data on activities that are intentionally obscured, such as drug trafficking. Using a Fermi estimation technique for determining unknown values from limited data, we analyse 292 known cases of fishing boats engaged in drug shipment between 2010 and 2017. Results suggest that drug shipment sizes per vessel are becoming smaller over time, even as the total flow of drugs is increasing. Counter‐drug enforcement intensifies this effect, suggesting that drug trafficking networks adapt to interdiction efforts making use of smaller vessels to lower the risk of seizure. The use of fishing vessels in drug trans‐shipment has tripled over the past 8 years to about 15% of the global retail value of illicit drugs. Small‐scale fishers are at risk of turning to drug trade as an economic buffer against poverty, especially in contexts of mounting competition over declining fish stocks or strict marine conservation. At the same time, illicit capital flowing from the narcotics trade into fisheries may be driving over‐capitalization of fisheries and unsustainable resource use, ultimately to the detriment of resource‐dependent coastal communities and marine ecosystems. Future research is needed to better understand whether and how small‐scale fishermen turn to drug trade to counter livelihood risks of various kinds.     

Fishing rights auctions in the fisheries of Lake Peipsi-Pihkva, Estonia

Abstract  To deal with excessive fishing capacity, a part of the fishing rights, both volume quotas and gear use rights, in all Estonian fisheries was allocated each year during 2001–2003 through auctions while the remainder was allocated on the basis of the recent fishing rights use history. All fishing rights depreciated in a geometric manner by 10% annually. This was carried out for the first time in 2001, but the system was abandoned for political reasons in 2003. In this paper, the development of the small-scale Estonian inland fisheries, as well as the results of the auctions of fishing rights in those fisheries, are discussed. The auctions led to some increase in the number of owners of fishing rights. In most cases, however, new enterprises were formed on the basis of fishers active up to 2001 as employees of other enterprises. The auctions did not lead to a concentration of ownership of fishing rights in large enterprises. On the contrary, the share of smaller owners increased. According to the Fishing Act, in Estonia there is a fishing fee for all professional fishing gears. The official fishing fee was always used as the starting price in bidding, and this increased greatly during the bidding. Finally, the auction system served as a real incentive for fishers to cooperate more than they did during the previous management system based only on earlier rights.     

Indicators to support an ecosystem approach to fisheries

Indicators are needed to support the implementation of an ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF), by providing information on the state of the ecosystem, the extent and intensity of effort or mortality and the progress of management in relation to objectives. Here, I review recent work on the development, selection and application of indicators and consider how indicators might support an EAF. Indicators should guide the management of fishing activities that have led to, or are most likely to lead to, unsustainable impacts on ecosystem components or attributes. The numbers and types of indicators used to support an EAF will vary among management regions, depending on resources available for monitoring and enforcement, and actual and potential fishing impacts. State indicators provide feedback on the state of ecosystem components or attributes and the extent to which management objectives, which usually relate to state, are met. State can only be managed if the relationships with fishing (pressure) and management (response) are known. Predicting such relationships is fundamental to developing a management system that supports the achievement of objectives. In a management framework supported by pressure, state and response indicators, the relationship between the value of an indicator and a target or limit reference point, reference trajectory or direction provides guidance on the management action to take. Values of pressure, state and response indicators may be affected by measurement, process, model and estimation error and thus different indicators, and the same indicators measured at different scales and in different ways, will detect true trends on different timescales. Managers can use several methods to estimate the effects of error on the probability of detecting true trends and/or to account for error when setting reference points, trajectories and directions. Given the high noise to signal ratio in many state indicators, pressure and response indicators would often guide short‐term management decision making more effectively, with state indicators providing longer‐term policy‐focused feedback on the effects of management action.     

Size matters: How single-species management can contribute to ecosystem-based fisheries management

In this study we show how substantial gains towards the goals of ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) can be achieved by different single-species management. We show that fishing has much less impact on stocks if fish are caught after they have reached the size (L_opt) where growth rate and cohort biomass are maximum. To demonstrate our point we compare the impact of three fishing scenarios on 9 stocks from the North Sea and the Baltic. Scenario (1) is the current fishing regime, scenario (2) is a new management regime proposed by the European Commission, aiming for maximum sustainable yield obtained from all stocks, and scenario (3) is set so that it achieves the same yield as scenario (2), albeit with fishing on sizes beyond L_opt. Results show that scenarios (2) and (3) are significant improvements compared to current fishing practice. However, scenario (3) consistently shows least impact on the stocks, with seven-fold higher biomass of demersal fishes and an age structure similar to an unfished stock. This allows juveniles and adults to better fulfil their ecological roles, a major step towards the goals of ecosystem-based fisheries management. We give examples where scenario (3) is practiced in successful fisheries. We present a new interpretation of the relative yield per recruit isopleth diagram with indication of a new target area for fisheries operating within the context of EBFM. We present a new expression of the relative biomass per recruit isopleth diagram, which supports our analysis. We conclude that size matters for precautionary and ecosystem-based fisheries management and present a list of additional advantages associated with fishing at L_opt.     

政府规制理论在我国近海渔业管理中应用的探讨

自由准入状态导致了渔业资源产权的不确定性, 过度投资和过度利用使得渔业资源过度消耗。要实现渔业资源的可持续发展就必须对渔业进行适当的规制。政府规制是指政府直接干预微观经济主体活动的一种行为方式, 可分为经济性规制和社会性规制。渔业规制关注的不仅仅是管理的合法性问题, 更多的是管理的最佳性问题, 即用最佳管理方式实现渔业的可持续性发展。随着现代社会政府与公民的二元对立观念不断减弱, 管理者与被管理者由对立转向合作, 传统的以(捕捞)许可为中心的渔业管理方式已经不适应现代渔业管理的发展, 有必要引进政府规制理论提升和改造命令控制式的渔业规制方式。本研究基于政府规制理论提出了“合作性治理”模式, 改变了“政府—渔民”两方博弈为多主体共同管理, 通过创设合理的产权制度、有效的激励性规制和成本效益分析方法建立起合作、共享机制以实现渔业管理的目的。     

The hidden value of artisanal fisheries in Honduras

Declining fisheries catches are a global trend, with management failing to keep pace with growth in fishing effort and technological advances. The economic value of Honduras’ catches was estimated within the industrial and artisanal sectors. Catches were found to be 2.9 times greater than the official statistics between 1950 and 2015. The merging of industrial and artisanal catch data masked the decline in industrial catches and hid the strong growth of artisanal fisheries. In 1996, annual artisanal fisheries landed catches surpassed the industrial fishery sector, and in 2000, the annual net value of artisanal fisheries eclipsed the value of the industrial fisheries. These data highlight the importance of artisanal fisheries in Honduras and challenge the long‐held belief that the industrial sector contributes more to the national economy. The global paucity of fisheries data highlights the need for comprehensive strategies to collect more detailed and accurate fisheries data.     

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。     

China's distant‐water fisheries in the 21st century

We conservatively estimate the distant‐water fleet catch of the People's Republic of China for 2000–2011, using a newly assembled database of reported occurrence of Chinese fishing vessels in various parts of the world and information on the annual catch by vessel type. Given the unreliability of official statistics, uncertainty of results was estimated through a regionally stratified Monte Carlo approach, which documents the presence and number of Chinese vessels in Exclusive Economic Zones and then multiplies these by the expected annual catch per vessel. We find that China, which over‐reports its domestic catch, substantially under‐reports the catch of its distant‐water fleets. This catch, estimated at 4.6 million t year^?1 (95% central distribution, 3.4–6.1 million t year^?1) from 2000 to 2011 (compared with an average of 368 000 t·year^?1 reported by China to FAO), corresponds to an ex‐vessel landed value of 8.93 billion € year^?1 (95% central distribution, 6.3–12.3 billion). Chinese distant‐water fleets extract the largest catch in African waters (3.1 million t year^?1, 95% central distribution, 2.0–4.4 million t), followed by Asia (1.0 million t year^?1, 0.56–1.5 million t), Oceania (198 000 t year^?1, 144 000–262 000 t), Central and South America (182 000 t year^?1, 94 000–299 000 t) and Antarctica (48 000 t year^?1, 8 000–129 000 t). The uncertainty of these estimates is relatively high, but several sources of inaccuracy could not be fully resolved given the constraints inherent in the underlying data and method, which also prevented us from distinguishing between legal and illegal catch.     

Toward sustainable harvest strategies for marine fisheries that include recreational fishing

Recreational fishing (RF) is a large yet undervalued component of fisheries globally. While progress has been made in monitoring, assessing, and managing the sector in isolation, integration of RF into the management of multi-sector fisheries has been limited, particularly relative to the commercial sector. This marginalises recreational fishers and reduces the likelihood of achieving the sector's objectives and, more broadly, achieving fisheries sustainability. We examined the nature and extent of RF inclusion in harvest strategies (HSs) for marine fisheries across 15 regions in 11 nations to define the gap in inclusion that has developed between sectors. We focused on high-income nations with a high level of RF governance and used a questionnaire to elicit expert knowledge on HSs due to the paucity of published documents. In total, 339 HSs were considered. We found that RF inclusion in HSs was more similar to the small-scale sector (i.e., artisanal, cultural, or subsistence) than the commercial sector, with explicit operational objectives, data collection, performance indicators, reference points, and management controls lacking in many regions. Where specified, RF objectives focused on sustainability, economic value and catch allocation rather than directly relating to the recreational fishing experience. Conflicts with other sectors included competition with the commercial sector for limited resources, highlighting the importance of equitable resource allocation policies alongside HSs. We propose that RF be explicitly incorporated into HSs to ensure fisheries are ecologically, economically, and socially sustainable, and we recommend that fisheries organisations urgently review HSs for marine fisheries with a recreational component to close the harvest strategy gap among sectors.     

Trends,current understanding and future research priorities for artisanal coral reef fisheries research

Artisanal coral reef fisheries provide food and employment to hundreds of millions of people in developing countries, making their sustainability a high priority. However, many of these fisheries are degraded and not yielding their maximum socioeconomic returns. We present a literature review that evaluates foci and trends in research effort on coral reef fisheries. We describe the types of data and categories of management recommendations presented in the 464 peer‐reviewed articles returned. Identified trends include a decline in articles reporting time‐series data, fish catch biomass and catch‐per‐unit effort, and an increase in articles containing bycatch and stakeholder interview data. Management implications were discussed in 80% of articles, with increasing frequency over time, but only 22% of articles made management recommendations based on the research presented in the article, as opposed to more general recommendations. Key future research priorities, which we deem underrepresented in the literature at present, are: (i) effectiveness of management approaches, (ii) ecological thresholds, trade‐offs and sustainable levels of extraction, (iii) effects of climate change, (iv) food security, (v) the role of aquaculture, (vi) access to and control of fishery resources, (vii) relationships between economic development and fishery exploitation, (viii) alternative livelihoods and (ix) integration of ecological and socioeconomic research.     

Interactions between the implementation of marine protected areas and right-based fisheries management in Australia

Abstract  The declaration of marine protected areas (MPAs) in Australia generates much confusion and controversy between government conservation and fisheries agencies, the fishing industry and NGOs. There are fundamental differences between the principles and practices underpinning the implementation of MPAs and fisheries management. This paper analyses the interactions between these two approaches to natural resource management and highlights the difficulties in integrating them effectively. The major challenges for governments are: poor cooperation between fisheries and conservation agencies; in principle inconsistencies between allocation of fishing rights by fisheries agencies and loss of these rights through MPA declaration; re-allocation of resources between user groups through spatial zoning; lack of fisheries expertise in conservation planning, and inappropriate single-species/single-issue approach to fisheries management. As fisheries agencies are now considering developing their own MPAs as tools for fisheries management, the need to address inconsistencies between conservation and fisheries approaches to the spatial management of natural resources increases further. Better collaboration between government agencies and better coordination of their activities would help more effective and less conflicting management of marine resources.     

日本渔业概况

日本是全球重要的渔业国家。本文介绍了日本的渔业生产、渔业资源、渔业在国民经济中的地位、渔业管理以及渔业劳动力和经营状况。日本渔业以海洋捕捞为主,由于全球渔业资源衰退,国际竞争加剧以及日本国内经济的持续低迷,日本渔业在经历了上世纪80年代的鼎盛期之后呈现大幅下降趋势,面临着产业结构调整的巨大压力。     

Relationships between catch and effort in Fijian multispecies reef fisheries subject to different levels of exploitation

Abstract The catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) and value-of-catch-per-unit-effort (VPUE) of reef-associated fish species from six Fijian native fishing grounds ( qoliqoli ) subject to different fishing intensities were determined using records of fishing activity from a voluntary logbook scheme. Line and spear fishing techniques were used for more than half the total fishing time (h person^-1 d^-1) in all qoliqoli , and yet the favoured technique in a given qoliqoli was frequently less efficient (lower CPUE) than other techniques. The popularity of relatively ineffective fishing methods implies that fishermen did not always attempt to maximize their catch rates. To compare fishing effort in different qoliqoli , all effort was rescaled on the basis of its recorded efficiency (measured as multispecies CPUE) and expressed as hours equivalent to boat-based spear fishing over coral by day to catch fish for sale. Total fishing intensity in the six qoliqoli ranged from 72 to 4310 h km^-2 reef year^-1. The relationship between catch and effort was linear at all fishing intensities, suggesting that the qoliqoli were all fished on a sustainable basis. Furthermore, whilst there was a significant difference in CPUE and VPUE between the one or two qoliqoli with lowest fishing intensity and all the others, there were no significant differences between these other qoliqoli in terms of the VPUE of the saleable multispecies boat catch or the CPUE of species from piscivorous and carnivorous genera ( Epinephelus, Lethrinus and Plectropomus ) which the fishermen prefer to catch.     

Catch-and-release science and its application to conservation and management of recreational fisheries

Abstract  Catch-and-release angling is a well-established practice in recreational angler behaviour and fisheries management. Accompanying this is a growing body of catch-and-release research that can be applied to reduce injury, mortality and sublethal alterations in behaviour and physiology. Here, the status of catch-and-release research from a symposium on the topic is summarised. Several general themes emerged including the need to: (1) better connect sublethal assessments to population-level processes; (2) enhance understanding of the variation in fish, fishing practices and gear and their role in catch and release; (3) better understand animal welfare issues related to catch and release; (4) increase the exchange of information on fishing-induced stress, injury and mortality between the recreational and commercial fishing sectors; and (5) improve procedures for measuring and understanding the effect of catch-and-release angling. Through design of better catch-and-release studies, strategies could be developed to further minimise stress, injury and mortality arising from catch-and-release angling. These strategies, when integrated with other fish population and fishery characteristics, can be used by anglers and managers to sustain or enhance recreational fishing resources.     

Contemporary and emerging fisheries in The Bahamas—Conservation and management challenges,achievements and future directions

The harvest of marine resources has long‐standing cultural and economic importance to The Bahamas and other small island developing states. Tourists and residents place a demand on local marine resources, particularly Caribbean spiny lobster, Panulirus argus (Latreille), queen conch, Lobatus gigas (Linnaeus) and Nassau grouper, Epinephelus striatus (Bloch), and many fishery products are also sold on the global market. Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing coupled with inadequate regulations and enforcement are the main factors contributing to the decline of Bahamian fisheries along with other anthropogenic impacts. This article reviews the status of fisheries management in The Bahamas using economically and ecologically important species as case studies to highlight conservation successes, knowledge gaps and deficiencies in existing management approaches. The review concludes with an examination of how emerging fisheries and improved conservation management strategies have the potential to improve economic and food security throughout the archipelago.     

Does unreported catch lead to overfishing?

Catches are commonly misreported in many fisheries worldwide, resulting in inaccurate data that hinder our ability to assess population status and manage fisheries sustainably. Under‐reported catch is generally perceived to lead to overfishing, and hence, catch reconstructions are increasingly used to account for sectors that may be unreliably reported, including illegal harvest, recreational and subsistence fisheries, and discards. However, improved monitoring and/or catch reconstructions only aid in the first step of a fisheries management plan: collecting data to make inferences on stock status. Misreported catch impacts estimates of population parameters, which in turn influences management decisions, but the pattern and degree of these impacts are not necessarily intuitive. We conducted a simulation study to test the effect of different patterns of catch misreporting on estimated fishery status and recommended catches. If, for example, 50% of all fishery catches are consistently unreported, estimates of population size and sustainable yield will be 50% lower, but estimates of current exploitation rate and fishery status will be unbiased. As a result, constant under‐ or over‐reporting of catches results in recommended catches that are sustainable. However, when there are trends in catch reporting over time, the estimates of important parameters are inaccurate, generally leading to underutilization when reporting rates improve, and overfishing when reporting rates degrade. Thus, while quantifying total catch is necessary for understanding the impact of fisheries on businesses, communities and ecosystems, detecting trends in reporting rates is more important for estimating fishery status and setting sustainable catches into the future.     

Drones detect illegal and derelict crab traps in a shallow water estuary

The issues surrounding illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, and that of abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gears, leading to ghost fishing, are intensifying. Estuarine crab trapping is likely subject to high levels of illegal and potential ghost fishing, because it also has good economic incentives regarding potential catch, low gear acquisition costs and accessible fishing grounds. To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance operations, the efficacy of small consumer‐grade drones for sighting traps in an estuary in NSW, Australia, was tested. Twelve sets of two flights were undertaken at 20 and 30 m altitude over a 600‐m stretch of estuary for 5 days to quantify the detectability of submerged mesh traps of three different mesh colours. The drone was able to detect the majority of traps efficiently, with depth in relation to water clarity being the main factor affecting detection. In shallow water, detection rates were high for all mesh colours, but in the slightly deeper placements, orange traps were more readily detected. This study demonstrates that drones could be an efficient and reliable tool for rapidly assessing areas for illegal and derelict traps and can be supplemented into land or vessel‐based fisheries operations.     

Community-based management of subsistence fisheries in Samoa

Much subsistence fishing in tropical regions is based in discrete communities which have a high level of marine awareness and some degree of control of adjacent waters. These factors provide an ideal basis on which to motivate communities to manage their own marine resources. A fisheries extension programme in Samoa encouraged each village community to define its key problems, discuss causes, propose solutions and take appropriate actions. Various village groups, including women's and untitled men's groups, provided information which was recorded (as problem/solution trees) on portable white-boards. The extension process culminated in a community-owned Fisheries Management Plan which listed the resource management and conservation undertakings of the community. Undertakings ranged from enforcing laws banning destructive fishing methods to protecting critical marine habitats. Within the first 2 years, the extension process commenced in 65 villages, of which 44 have produced Village Fisheries Management Plans to date. A large number (38) of these villages chose to establish community-owned Marine Protected Areas.