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.     

Reducing seabird bycatch in longline, trawl and gillnet fisheries

With an increasing number of seabird species, particularly albatross and petrels, becoming threatened, a reduction of fishery impacts on these species is essential for their future survival. Here, mitigation methods to reduce and avoid seabird bycatch are assessed in terms of their ability to reduce bycatch rates and their economic viability for longline, trawl and gillnet fisheries worldwide. Factors influencing the appropriateness and effectiveness of a mitigation device include the fishery, vessel, location, seabird assemblage present and season of year. As yet, there is no single magic solution to reduce or eliminate seabird bycatch across all fisheries: a combination of measures is required, and even within a fishery there is likely to be refinement of techniques by individual vessels in order to maximize their effectiveness at reducing seabird bycatch. In longline demersal and pelagic fisheries, a minimum requirement of line weighting that achieves hook sink rates minimizing seabird bycatch rates should be tailored with a combination of strategic offal and discard management, bird‐scaring lines (BSLs) and night‐setting, particulary in Southern Hemisphere fisheries. Urgent investigation is needed into more effective measures at reducing seabird interactions with trawl nets and gill nets. In trawl fisheries, a combination of offal and discard management, the banning of net monitoring cables, paired BSLs, and a reduction in the time the net is on or near the surface are likely to be the most effective in reducing seabird interactions with the warp cables and net. Few seabird bycatch reduction methods have been developed for gillnet fisheries, although increasing the visibility of the net has been shown to reduce seabird bycatch. Further studies are required to determine the efficacy of this technique and its influence on target species catch rates.     

Genetic population structure of black‐browed and Campbell albatrosses,and implications for assigning provenance of birds killed in fisheries

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Dolphins and coastal fisheries within a marine protected area: mismatch between dolphin occurrence and reported depredation

• 1. Dolphins are often blamed for reducing fisheries catches and may be killed in retaliation. Depredation of fishing gear in coastal Mediterranean waters is normally caused by bottlenose dolphins. Economic impact, however, may be modest even within areas of reportedly acute conflict.
• 2. Boat surveys and interviews were conducted to investigate dolphin occurrence and interactions with fisheries within the 167 km² Porto Cesareo Marine Protected Area (MPA) in southern Italy. Based on 69 interviews with fishermen using bottom‐set trammel and gill nets, there was reportedly a high occurrence of depredation by bottlenose dolphins. Depredation was reported by 92% of the fishermen operating in or near the MPA, and 67% of them claimed an economic cost in excess of €1000 per year, with a mean reported cost of €2561: a higher impact than in other Mediterranean studies.
• 3. According to local fishermen, dolphin occurrence and depredation peaked in spring and autumn, coincident with the study's surveys at sea. Dedicated visual surveys totalling 1255 km of effort, however, resulted in no encounters with cetaceans. Information from interviews and boat surveys was therefore contradictory, suggesting that reports of acute depredation do not imply a constant presence of dolphins within the MPA.
• 4. While depredation in the MPA might be caused by wide‐ranging dolphins or incursions occurring overnight, damage may well be overestimated or over‐reported. As local fishermen had previously benefited from subsidies, interviews made during this study could be perceived by some as an opportunity to influence future decision‐making regarding monetary compensation for the impact of depredation.
• 5. Evidence from interviews also indicated that species and factors other than dolphins were responsible for part of the damage. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

     

Opportunistic observations of interactions between sperm whales and deep‐water trawlers based on sightings from fisheries observers in the northwest Atlantic

• 1. Cetacean observations were made by fisheries observers on trawlers targeting Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) in the area around the Flemish Cap, northwest Atlantic.
• 2. Data from four observers amounted to a total of 291 observer days at sea aboard fishing vessels. This effort was mainly concentrated in the periods July to September 1996 and February to April 1997.
• 3. Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) were the most frequently sighted cetacean, with 82 encounters on 64 different days. Pilot whales were encountered on nine occasions.
• 4. Sighting rates of sperm whales during net hauling were significantly (approximately 30 times) greater than during shooting or steaming. Sperm whales were observed in aggregations of up to six animals close to the vessel and net during hauling. It is suggested that the sperm whales were attracted by the potential food source within the net, and possibly were feeding on fish escaping from the net. This represents rarely reported behaviour for this species.

Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Categorising the risks in fisheries management

Abstract The many risks associated with fisheries management can be attributed to the substantial uncertainties that exist within fishery systems and their numerous possible consequences for fishers and fish stocks. Compounding these risks are the possible disparities between different fisheries professionals on the nature and source of these risks. This paper attempts to categorise the risks as reported by fishery scientists and managers in Australia and along the US Atlantic Coast. Through the use of semi‐structured interview data, this paper attempts to provide a categorisation of the risks identified by fisheries professionals; and to compare the identified risks by professional group and by country. The analysis yields three broad categories and 12 subcategories of risk found in both nations. Results indicate that: (1) fisheries management risks can be broadly categorised through interview data; (2) the frequency of identification of a particular risk category reflects the management system in which they operate; and (3) risk categorisation could be useful from a risk management perspective as risks in different categories may be evaluated and managed using different risk management approaches.     

Operational interactions between South American sea lions and gillnet fishing in southern Brazil

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

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

A review of a model for qualitative evaluation of exploitation levels in multi-species fisheries

The fauna of inland waters, especially in the tropics, consist of complex assemblages of numerous species, which are not accessible to analysis by conventional stock assessment methods. The formulation of policies for management and conservation requires alternative models which are capable of predicting the ways in which such assemblages change in response to fishing or other stresses. Historically, models which group species according to simple parameters have proved adequate to provide the level of advice needed to indicate ecosystem health and sustainability of yield from the fishery. Such models have received relatively little attention, and can be profitably further developed and refined. The present review concludes that, out of the various explanatory variables, the mean length of fish caught is one of the most significant together with the numbers of species in the catch and the time taken for catches in fluctuating systems to respond to floods. More complex indicators are based on emergent characteristics of the system such as the production:biomass or predator:prey ratios. Three major strategies are identified for management based on responses of fish assemblages to increases in effort.     

When large marine predators feed on fisheries catches: Global patterns of the depredation conflict and directions for coexistence

The sustainable mitigation of human–wildlife conflicts has become a major societal and environmental challenge globally. Among these conflicts, large marine predators feeding on fisheries catches, a behaviour termed “depredation,” has emerged concomitantly with the expansion of the world’s fisheries. Depredation poses threats to both the socio‐economic viability of fisheries and species conservation, stressing the need for mitigation. This review synthesizes the extent and socio‐ecological impacts of depredation by sharks and marine mammals across the world, and the various approaches used to minimize it. Depredation was reported in 214 fisheries between 1979 and 2019 (70% post‐2000) and affected fleets from 44 countries, in all sectors (commercial, artisanal and recreational), and in all major fishing techniques (nets, traps and hook‐and‐lines). A total of 68 predator species were involved in depredation (20 odontocetes, 21 pinnipeds and 27 sharks), and most (73%) were subject to either by‐catch and/or retaliatory killing from fishers when interacting with gear. Impacts on fishers were primarily associated with catch losses and gear damage but often lacked assessments. Deterrence was a major mitigation approach but also the least effective. Gear modifications or behavioural adaptation by fishers were more promising. This review highlights the need for improved monitoring, and interdisciplinary and integrated research to quantify the determinants and impacts of depredation in the socio‐ecological dimension. More importantly, as the conflict is likely to escalate, efforts directed towards changing perceptions and integrating knowledge through adaptive co‐management are raised as key directions towards coexistence between fisheries and large marine predators.     

Length–weight relationships for 21 coastal fish species of the Azores, north-eastern Atlantic

Length–weight relationships were estimated for 21 coastal fish species of the Azores, namely Abudefduf luridus, Bothus podas, Chromis limbata, Coris julis, Diplodus sargus, Echiichthys vipera, Gaidropsarus guttatus, Labrus bergylta, Mullus surmuletus, Phycis phycis, Pomatomus saltator, Sarda sarda, Scorpaena maderensis, Scorpaena notata, Seriola rivoliana, Serranus atricauda, Sparisoma cretense, Sphyraena viridensis, Synodus saurus, Thalassoma pavo and Trachinotus ovatus. Significant length–weight relationships were found for all species. Sexual dimorphism did not affect the length–weight relationships, except in the cases of S. cretense and C. julis. Length–length equations for converting size measurements (standard length (SL) and fork length (FL) to total length (TL)) are also presented for all fish species.     

南北极渔业管理机制的对比研究

极地权益成为新兴的国际关注热点,而开展极地渔业活动并参与极地渔业管理机制构建是实现极地海域"实质性存在"及权益的重要切入点。本文采用对比研究的方法,从渔业管理协议、渔业管理组织、渔业管理理念、与其他国际协议及组织的互动性、以及渔业管理职责等方面分析南北极渔业管理机制中的各项举措,并剖析各自管理举措中的亮点与瓶颈,且以此进一步讨论南北极渔业管理机制的相互借鉴作用。对比研究为南北极渔业管理实践经验提供了交流的平台,同时有助于深刻解析南北渔业管理机制的特色,从而为制定中国极地渔业政策提供相应的背景资料。     

Genetic population structure of marine fish: mismatch between biological and fisheries management units

An essential prerequisite of a sustainable fisheries management is the matching of biologically relevant processes and management action. In fisheries management and assessment, fish stocks are the fundamental biological unit, but the reasoning for the operational management unit is often indistinct and mismatches between the biology and the management action frequently occur. Despite the plethora of population genetic data on marine fishes, to date little or no use is made of the information, despite the fact that the detection of genetic differentiation may indicate reproductively distinct populations. Here, we discuss key aspects of genetic population differentiation in the context of their importance for fisheries management. Furthermore, we evaluate the population structure of all 32 managed marine fish species in the north‐east Atlantic and relate this structure to current management units and practice. Although a large number of studies on genetic population structure have been published in the last decades, data are still rare for most exploited species. The mismatch between genetic population structure and the current management units found for six species (Gadus morhua, Melanogrammus aeglefinus, Merlangius merlangus, Micromesistius poutassou, Merluccius merluccius and Clupea harengus), emphasizes the need for a revision of these units and questions the appropriateness of current management measures. The implementation of complex and dynamic population structures into novel and less static management procedures should be a primary task for future fisheries management approaches.     

Evaluating and implementing social–ecological systems: A comprehensive approach to sustainable fisheries

Fisheries sustainability is recognized to have four pillars: ecological, economic, social (including cultural) and institutional (or governance). Although international agreements, and legislation in many jurisdictions, call for implementation of all four pillars of sustainability, the social, economic and institutional aspects (i.e., the “human dimensions”) have not been comprehensively and collectively addressed to date. This study describes a framework for comprehensive fisheries evaluation developed by the Canadian Fisheries Research Network (CFRN) that articulates the full spectrum of ecological, economic, social and institutional objectives required under international agreements, together with candidate performance indicators for sustainable fisheries. The CFRN framework is aimed at practical fisheries evaluation and management and has a relatively balanced distribution of elements across the four pillars of sustainability relative to 10 alternative management decision support tools and indicator scorecards, which are heavily focused on ecological and economic aspects. The CFRN framework has five immediate uses: (a) It can serve as a logic frame for defining management objectives; (b) it can be used to define alternate management options to achieve given objectives; (c) it can serve as a tool for comparing management scenarios/options in decision support frameworks; (d) it can be employed to create a report card for comprehensive fisheries management evaluation; and (e) it is a tool for practical implementation of an integrated social–ecological system approach.     

《南极海洋生物资源养护公约》对我国南大洋渔业的影响

本文关注《南极海洋生物资源养护公约》的背景,着重介绍了《南极海洋生物资源养护公约》涉及的水域、管理的鱼种和公约成员国概况,阐述了《南极海洋生物资源养护公约》对我国南大洋渔业的影响,涉及对我国远洋渔业生产的影响,对我国在南大洋作业水域渔船的法规性限制,对我国在南大洋区域与相关各国渔业合作的推动。文章对我国南大洋的渔业进行了分析,提出了相应的分析与建议,即:开展南大洋水域海洋渔业资源调查和评估,积极参与南大洋水域的渔业管理事务,加强对南大洋作业渔船的监控和管理,促进国际渔业信息交流。     

Decreasing but still high: bycatch of seabirds in gillnet fisheries along the German Baltic coast

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An interview‐based approach assessing interactions between seals and small‐scale fisheries informs the conservation strategy of the endangered Mediterranean monk seal

1. Small‐scale fisheries may pose a serious threat to the conservation of marine mammals. At the same time various factors have led to the decline of small‐scale fisheries, often making them unsustainable. Current rates of biodiversity loss and the reduction of fish stocks and fisheries dictate a thorough understanding of fisheries‐related issues and the implementation of effective management actions.
2. The Mediterranean monk seal is one of the most endangered marine mammals on Earth; its survival in the eastern Mediterranean Sea is threatened by negative interactions with fisheries. A nationwide questionnaire survey among fishers and port police authorities was carried out in Greece to describe the main characteristics of small‐scale fisheries, and to understand the nature and assess the magnitude of negative interactions between the monk seal and these fisheries. Questionnaire information was verified by a second round of interviews during landings.
3. The main attributes of the fishers, their fishing boats, and their practices were characteristic of the small‐scale fisheries sector. Overfishing was considered the main reason for fish‐stock reduction, and negative interactions with marine mammals was considered the main issue for the fishing sector.
4. Monk seals were present, caused damage, and got accidentally entangled in fishing gear throughout Greece. Damage to fishing gear was recorded mainly during spring and summer, and on average affected 21% of all fishing trips and 1% of nets deployed during a fishing trip.
5. Based on these results, the implementation of general and specific nationwide fishery management and conservation actions are proposed. These actions are mainly aimed at improving fish stock status, changing the behaviour of the fishers, and mitigating seal–fishery interactions in Greece, while promoting the recovery of the Mediterranean monk seal in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

     

Distribution patterns and population structure of the blue shark (Prionace glauca) in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans

The blue shark (Prionace glauca) is the most frequently captured shark in pelagic oceanic fisheries, especially pelagic longlines targeting swordfish and/or tunas. As part of cooperative scientific efforts for fisheries and biological data collection, information from fishery observers, scientific projects and surveys, and from recreational fisheries from several nations in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans was compiled. Data sets included information on location, size and sex, in a total of 478,220 blue shark records collected between 1966 and 2014. Sizes ranged from 36 to 394 cm fork length. Considerable variability was observed in the size distribution by region and season in both oceans. Larger blue sharks tend to occur in equatorial and tropical regions, and smaller specimens in higher latitudes in temperate waters. Differences in sex ratios were also detected spatially and seasonally. Nursery areas in the Atlantic seem to occur in the temperate south‐east off South Africa and Namibia, in the south‐west off southern Brazil and Uruguay, and in the north‐east off the Iberian Peninsula and the Azores. Parturition may occur in the tropical north‐east off West Africa. In the Indian Ocean, nursery areas also seem to occur in temperate waters, especially in the south‐west Indian Ocean off South Africa, and in the south‐east off south‐western Australia. The distributional patterns presented in this study provide a better understanding of how blue sharks segregate by size and sex, spatially and temporally, and improve the scientific advice to help adopt more informed and efficient management and conservation measures for this cosmopolitan species.     

Narrow lenses for capturing the complexity of fisheries: A topic analysis of fisheries science from 1990 to 2016

Despite increased fisheries science output and publication outlets, the global crisis in fisheries management is as present as ever. Since a narrow research focus may be a contributing factor to this failure, this study uncovers topics in fisheries research and their trends over time. This interdisciplinary research evaluates whether science is diversifying fisheries research topics in an attempt to capture the complexity of the fisheries system, or whether it is multiplying research on similar topics, attempting to achieve an in‐depth, but possibly marginal, understanding of a few selected components of this system. By utilizing latent Dirichlet allocation as a generative probabilistic topic model, we analyse a unique dataset consisting of 46,582 full‐text articles published in the last 26 years in 21 specialized scientific fisheries journals. Among the 25 topics uncovered by the model, only one (Fisheries management) refers to the human dimension of fisheries understood as socio‐ecological complex adaptive systems. The most prevalent topics in our dataset directly relating to fisheries refer to Fisheries management, Stock assessment, and Fishing gear, with Fisheries management attracting the most interest. We propose directions for future research focus that most likely could contribute to providing useful advice for successful management of fisheries.     

Broadbill swordfish: status of established fisheries and lessons for developing fisheries

Guidelines for the assessment and management of developing swordfish fisheries are derived through an examination of five swordfish fisheries. As they develop, swordfish fisheries may be inclined to local depletion around underwater features, such as seamounts and banks. Few nations have applied the precautionary approach in managing their developing swordfish fisheries. Without controls, swordfish fisheries expand geographically and fishing effort increases, often overshooting optimum levels. However, it is difficult to distinguish clear evidence of fishery collapse; modern longliners harvest widely distributed tuna and swordfish and they are able to relocate to distant areas or switch between target species in response to fluctuations in species abundance and price. Furthermore, the wide distribution of swordfish combined with year‐round spawning and high growth rates amongst juveniles probably contribute to the apparent resilience of swordfish stocks to intensive harvesting. Over half the world’s swordfish catch is taken as an incidental catch of longliners fishing for tuna. In several areas, such as the North Atlantic, catch quotas have sometimes caused tuna longline fishers to discard swordfish. Minimum size limits have also resulted in discarding of swordfish in tuna fisheries and in dedicated swordfish fisheries. In addition to weakening the effectiveness of those management measures, bycatch and discarding add to the complexities of managing swordfish fisheries and to uncertainties in assessing the stocks. Longliners that target swordfish often fish at high latitudes where interactions with marine wildlife, such as seabird, are generally more frequent than at low latitudes. Concern over incidental catches of marine wildlife and other species is becoming a driving force in the management of several swordfish fisheries. Fishery management organisations will need to implement management measures to protect non‐target species and gather reliable data and information on the situation by placing observers on boats fishing for swordfish.