Resilient recreational fisheries or prone to collapse? A decade of research on the science and management of recreational fisheries

Are recreational fisheries resilient to harvest or prone to collapse? This paper reviews research published since that question was posed by Post et al. (2002, Fisheries 27 , 6–17). A number of patterns and processes have been identified that suggest understanding the risk of collapse requires knowledge of the fishing effort response, degree of depensation in the fishery and the life history of the harvested species. Processes involving the behaviour of fish, behaviour of anglers and management responses to declining quality can all impact the degree of resilience of recreational fisheries and their risk of collapse. The spatial context of an individual fishery can be important as they are often embedded in lake districts and joined by mobile anglers so their local dynamics are not independent from other fisheries. Typical regulations that restrict the behaviour of individual anglers in open‐access fisheries can provide some resilience but cannot prevent collapse if the fishing effort is too high. Many uncertainties remain related to the occurrence and intensity of the key processes and therefore adopting an adaptive experimental management approach might be the most useful approach to minimise the risk of collapse in recreational fisheries.     

The contribution of cephalopods to global marine fisheries: can we have our squid and eat them too?

Cephalopods are a key component of marine food webs, providing sustenance for myriad marine species. Cephalopods are also of increasing economic importance as evidenced by the rapid rise in their global landings over recent decades. If fisheries continue on this trajectory, conflicts may transpire among cephalopod and finfish fisheries, particularly in ecosystems where cephalopods are highly valuable both directly as a landed commodity and indirectly as prey for other harvested species. We provide the first measure of the ecosystem services that cephalopods contribute to fisheries in 28 marine ecosystems, both as a commodity and an ecological support service. We also evaluate how current demands on cephalopods compare to mid‐20th century conditions. We find that cephalopod contributions to fisheries vary widely, but are substantial in many ecosystems. Commodity and supportive services provided by cephalopods contributed as much as 55% of fishery landings (tonnes) and 70% of landed values ($USD). The contribution of cephalopods as a commodity was generally greatest in the coastal ecosystems, whereas their contribution as a supportive service was highest in open ocean systems. Further, the commodity and supportive services provided by cephalopods to fisheries landings increased in most of the coastal ecosystems between the mid‐20th century (years 1960–70) and contemporary periods (years 1990–2004), indicating the rising demand for cephalopods. Current demands have no historical precedent and ecosystems in which cephalopods are highly exploited as a targeted resource and as an ecological support service should be further evaluated to prevent the unsustainable development of marine fisheries within them.     

Using fisheries-independent survey data to reinforce China’s data-limited fisheries management: Management strategy evaluation of survey-based management procedures

Fisheries-independent survey data are vital to stock assessment and management because they provide reliable information on stock status. Although survey data have been increasingly recognised for their contributions to fisheries management, they have often not been adequately used to provide quantitative management recommendations for China's fisheries that are subject to limited data. In the present study, a framework was proposed to integrate two types of survey-based management procedures (MPs) into China's fisheries management: the slope-based MP and the target-based MP. Specifically, the former generates fishing effort limits based on the trend in recent years’ abundance index, while the latter sets effort limits based on a static abundance index target. To test the performance of these MPs, management strategy evaluation was performed using a simulated fishery based on the small yellow croaker, Larimichthys polyactis (Bleeker) in Haizhou Bay, China. The sensitivity of MPs was investigated under different algorithm parameterisations and historical exploitation levels. Additionally, their robustness was evaluated in the face of survey uncertainty and changes in recruitment success. Both MPs could effectively improve the stock status compared with the status quo management when appropriately parameterised regardless of exploitation history. The target-based MP was more robust to survey uncertainty than the slope-based MP. Non-stationary changes in recruitment success strongly impaired the management effects, while using recruitment-specific instead of the age-aggregated abundance index could slightly enhance their performance. This work indicates that survey-based MPs can address the current challenges in China's fisheries management and reinforce the status quo management practice with limited data and highlights the potential risks.     

Impact of the 2014–2016 marine heatwave on US and Canada West Coast fisheries: Surprises and lessons from key case studies

Marine heatwaves are increasingly affecting marine ecosystems, with cascading impacts on coastal economies, communities, and food systems. Studies of heatwaves provide crucial insights into potential ecosystem shifts under future climate change and put fisheries social-ecological systems through “stress tests” that expose both vulnerabilities and resilience. The 2014–16 Northeast Pacific heatwave was the strongest and longest marine heatwave on record and resulted in profound ecological changes that impacted fisheries, fisheries management, and human livelihoods. Here, we synthesize the impacts of the 2014–2016 marine heatwave on US and Canada West Coast fisheries and extract key lessons for preparing global fisheries science, management, and industries for the future. We set the stage with a brief review of the impacts of the heatwave on marine ecosystems and the first systematic analysis of the economic impacts of these changes on commercial and recreational fisheries. We then examine ten key case studies that provide instructive examples of the complex and surprising challenges that heatwaves pose to fisheries social-ecological systems. These reveal important insights into improving the resilience of monitoring and management and increasing adaptive capacity to future stressors. Key recommendations include: (1) expanding monitoring to enhance mechanistic understanding, provide early warning signals, and improve predictions of impacts; (2) increasing the flexibility, adaptiveness, and inclusiveness of management where possible; (3) using simulation testing to help guide management decisions; and (4) enhancing the adaptive capacity of fishing communities by promoting engagement, flexibility, experimentation, and failsafes. These advancements are important as global fisheries prepare for a changing ocean.     

Wealth and welfare? Can fisheries management succeed in achieving multiple objectives? A case study of Lake Victoria,East Africa

Fisheries policies often pursue multiple objectives, which may, in some instances, be in conflict or competition with each other. It may not be possible, for example, to create or maintain employment and generate increasing volumes of revenue for government whilst also sustaining stocks and biodiversity. Two approaches to fisheries management, one focused on capturing wealth and limiting access and the other on maintaining access for employment and providing community development and welfare, present contrasting policy advice, with different points of emphases and objectives. This article examines the case of Lake Victoria, where the three main commercial fisheries are seen to contribute to different objectives for the lake's fisheries. Insights from the debate between wealth‐based and welfare‐based approaches to fisheries management provide a framework for the analysis of fisheries policy and practice on the lake. From the analysis, it is concluded that whilst there is much rhetoric in support of a wealth‐based approach, this has not been followed through in implementation, reflecting the lack of political support for new taxation and limiting access. The welfare functions of the fisheries are significant, but could be substantially strengthened through greater investment in the provision of services to fisheries communities. The approaches are not mutually exclusive, but pursuing wealth‐based management must support livelihoods, employment and development, as well as fisheries management objectives. Without the incorporation of welfare objectives, fisheries policies will not be politically accepted or fully implemented, suggesting the need for a balance between wealth and welfare objectives and measures.     

Understanding and valuing conflicts in marine protected areas: The best way to develop innovations?

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How consistent is the advice from stock assessments? Empirical estimates of inter-assessment bias and uncertainty for marine fish and invertebrate stocks

Fishery management frequently involves precautionary buffering for scientific uncertainty. For example, a precautionary buffer that scales with scientific uncertainty is used to calculate the acceptable biological catch downward from the overfishing limit in the US federal fishery management system. However, there is little empirical guidance to suggest how large buffers for scientific uncertainty should be. One important component of uncertainty is variation among different assessments of the same stock in estimates of management-relevant quantities. We analysed commercially exploited marine fish and invertebrate stocks around the world and developed Bayesian hierarchical models to quantify inter-assessment variation in terminal year biomass and fishing mortality estimates, reference points, relative biomass and fishing mortality estimates, and overfishing limits. There was little evidence of inter-assessment bias; stock assessment estimates in the terminal year of the assessment were not consistently higher or lower than estimates of the same quantities in future years. However, there was a tendency for extreme values from the terminal year to be pulled closer to the mean in future years. Inter-assessment variation in all estimates differed across regions, and a longer inter-assessment interval generally resulted in greater variation. Inter-assessment uncertainty was greatest for estimates of the overfishing limit, with coefficients of variation ranging from 17% in Europe (non-EU) to 107% for Pacific Ocean pelagic stocks. Because inter-assessment variation is only one component of scientific uncertainty, we suggest that these uncertainty estimates may provide a basis for determining the minimum size of precautionary buffers.     

Sustainability of fishers’ communities in tropical island fisheries from the perspectives of resource use and management: a comparative study of Pohnpei (Micronesia), Mafia (Tanzania), and Guimaras (Philippines)

The fisheries structure, fishing gear, fishing vessels and their ownership, landing sites and markets, as well as fisheries management and fishers’ participation were surveyed in three tropical islands: Pohnpei (Micronesia), Mafia (Tanzania), and Guimaras (Philippines), covering 127 fishers. Labour-intensive gear, including purse seines and ring nets, characterised Mafia fisheries. Fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) boats characterised Pohnpei fisheries, and canoes with nonmarine engines were characteristic of Guimaras fisheries. Wooden plank boats with large crews were only seen in Mafia. From a gear/vessel ownership perspective, the fisher categories present were gear fishers, gear-vessel fishers, employers, and casual labour fishers. Casual labour fishers and employers were only apparent in Mafia. The fisheries in Pohnpei had a relatively early age of entry, which was attributed to the urban markets available and family cohesion, while community organisation-based management of these fisheries was weak. Mafia and rural Guimaras fishers depended on middlemen, due to the distance of the market. Deteriorating subsistence-related fishery dependency means that the Guimaras fishers’ community is at risk. The high shared gear/vessel ownership rates and levels of affiliation to community organisations in Mafia reflect government’s timely community sustainability enhancement initiative. Based on our analyses, we propose the “fishers’ community sustainability” concept. The sustainability of a fisher’s community can be judged on (1) the age of entry to the fisheries, (2) the monetary profits made at fish markets and through marketing, (3) the cohesion among the fishers, and (4) the level of subsistence-related dependency on the fishery. The fishery is key to community sustainability, thus ensuring fishery-dependent life. It is essential to consider the above indicators of fishers’ community sustainability during fisheries development.     

Decline and fall of the salmon fisheries in the Netherlands: is restocking the Rhine a reality?

Abstract. The Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., was once of major importance to the fishing industry along the River Rhine. This paper discusses the Dutch and German salmon catches over the years 1863–1950. Even up to the end of the last century, it was not uncommon for Dutch and German fishermen to land 100000 salmon a year. However, factors such as the increased use of locks and weirs along the Rhine, coupled with growth in pollution, soon led to a rapid decline in numbers. By 1933, the salmon fishing industry in the Netherlands had virtually ceased to exist. Analysis of the available catch statistics suggests that the decline in the salmon population could have started before official records began. Although the degree of scatter in the data and uncertainties in the assumptions preclude the possibility of drawing firm conclusions about the survival rate of salmon, these figures illustrate how difficult it will be to maintain a stable population in the Rhine. Moreover, a number of changes have taken place since the heyday of salmon in western Europe, which could compound the problem. Of particular importance in the context of the Rhine are:

• 1 the closure of two of the major migration routes to the sea (Haringvliet and Zuiderzee);
• 2 morphological changes in the river;
• 3 chemical and thermal pollution;
• 4 the loss of accessible spawning and nursery areas of the required quality;
• 5 the disappearance of salmon from other rivers that flow into the North Sea such as the Rivers Elbe, Weser and Ems. If salmon were only reintroduced into the Rhine, a certain proportion would probably stray and infiltrate these other rivers.

The fact that the impact of these changes is difficult to quantify increases the uncertainty associated with maintaining a stable stock of salmon in the Rhine.     

Does propeller turbulence affect the sink rate of baited hooks and their availability to seabirds in pelagic longline fisheries?

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Should I stay or should I go? Fishers’ ability and willingness to adapt to environmental change in Cambodia's Tonle Sap Lake

The livelihoods of people dependent on the Tonle Sap floodplain ecosystem in Cambodia are expected to be affected by changes in economic conditions, social circumstances, environmental perturbations, demographic shifts and political climates. This study assesses how small‐scale fisheries’ livelihoods are changing in response to social and environmental conditions using the opinions of fishers collected through an intensive family survey of 514 households from Pursat and Battambang Provinces in Cambodia. Probit modelling approach was used to assess whether a fisher would continue fishing or not in the future when subjected to a variety of shifting conditions and identify the factors associated with their response. It was found that in any future condition about 50% of fishers would likely continue to fish, which suggests how much they love their traditional livelihood of fishing. The remaining 50% considered to diversify their livelihood strategy by shifting towards a combination of fishing, farming, and off‐farm jobs. Furthermore, the analysis found that the fishers will change their fishing practices depending on how other sectors in the region develop. The model showed increasing access to agricultural activities decreased the likelihood of continuing to fish, whereas finding an off‐farm job corresponded to increased likelihood of continuing to fish.     

Country‐wide analysis of large wood as a driver of fish abundance in Swedish streams: Which species benefit and where?

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Differences in benthic cover inside and outside marine protected areas on the Great Barrier Reef: influence of protection or disturbance history?

• 1. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are being used increasingly to manage and protect marine resources. Most studies of MPAs have focused on fish. In this study, the influence of MPA protection on coral reef benthic organisms on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) was investigated. In addition, the interaction between protection and natural disturbance history was examined.
• 2. Differences in benthic cover inside and outside MPAs were assessed at 15 pairs of Protected and General Use reefs on the GBR using annual monitoring data from the Australian Institute of Marine Science's Long‐Term Monitoring Programme (LTMP). At each reef, benthic cover was determined using a benthic video survey at three sites, with each site consisting of five 50 m transect lines separated by at least 250 m running parallel to the reef crest at 6–9 m depth.
• 3. Benthic cover was related to both protection status and disturbance history, but natural perturbations exerted a stronger influence on benthic cover than did protection status. The influence of natural perturbation was most noticeable for hard coral.
• 4. Most reefs where no natural disturbance events had occurred (‘undisturbed reefs’) had higher hard coral cover and lower soft coral cover than General Use reefs. While the high levels of hard coral on Protected reefs may be a result of protection status, it might also have resulted from selection bias that occurred during the initial zoning of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (i.e. managers may have given protection status to reefs with high coral cover).
• 5. These results are likely influenced by the relatively low intensity of human use, both on the Great Barrier Reef in general and at the particular monitoring sites studied. Over time, as local populations and tourism increase, the effect of protection may become more evident at LTMP sites. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

     

Could artificial structures such as fish passes facilitate the establishment and spread of the ‘killer shrimp’ Dikerogammarus villosus (Crustacea: Amphipoda) in river systems?

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Simulation of copepod biomass by a prey–predator model in Hiuchi-nada,central part of the Seto Inland Sea: does copepod biomass affect the recruitment to the shirasu (Japanese larval anchovy <Emphasis Type="Italic">Engraulis japonicus</Emphasis>) fishery?

We have modeled the prey–predator dynamics between nutrients, phytoplankton, and copepods in Hiuchi-nada, central part of the Seto Inland Sea. The model parameters were estimated by stepwise regression using data sampled from 2001 to 2005. We re-created the fluctuations in copepod biomass in the spring–summer of 2001–2004 by model simulation and investigated the relationship between the re-created copepod biomass and anchovy Engraulis japonicus reproductive success rate in Hiuchi-nada. The anchovy reproductive success rate was proportional to the copepod biomass during the last 10 days of May, a period that immediately preceded anchovy recruitment. This relationship indicates that a possible key factor in the regulation of anchovy population levels is the fluctuation in abundance of the copepod assemblage and that the crucial period for anchovy recruitment in Hiuchi-nada would be the period just before anchovy recruitment to the shirasu (body length: approx. 20–35 mm) fishery. These results provide a potential framework for forecasting the anchovy recruitment level that is based on both larval abundance and survival rate as estimated from the biomass of copepods in the pre-recruitment period of anchovy.