Spring 2019

Fishery-based communities around the world face constant environmental, economic and political pressures as they struggle to survive while also sustaining the resources which their livelihood depends on. Many researches around the world are investigating the variety of factors that influence these fisheries.

Recently, Jesse Coleman and colleagues at the University of Alaska Fairbanks published a paper in Maritime Studies regarding youth perceptions of commercial fishing in southern Alaska. This was part of larger study investigating the aging of local commercial fisherman.

In the Bristol Bay and Kodiak archipelago regions of southern Alaska the aging of commercial fisherman, also referred to as graying, is becoming a cause for concern. Many are working past the average age of retirement. The average age of a commercial fisherman in the region is 10 years higher than it was in the 1980s.

The hope is that those aging fishermen can be replaced by a new generation. These communities are heavily dependent on their fisheries for sustenance and income, both of which must be sustained by an active workforce.

Unfortunately, local access to commercial fishing opportunities has been restricted. Youth which may be interested in entering the commercial fishery business face many obstacles such as the high initial investment and upkeep costs, as well as a lack of financial expertise and business experience.

Little is known though of the interest in Alaskan youth to follow in their fathers’ footsteps. Are they satisfied with the prospects of commercial fishing or are they planning on leaving home for bigger and better things? The study attempted to answer these questions by surveying students, aged 12 to 17, in local public schools across 7 different communities.

Students, once given parental approval were given a survey to complete anonymously. Questions ranged from demographic inquiries regarding the students’ background or ethnicity, to questions of the students’ future career plans. Many questions used a scale of strongly agree to strongly disagree as possible answers to statements such as, “fishing is fun”.

The researchers concluded that students who had previous experience with fishing were more likely to express interest in entering the commercial fishing business and had a more positive outlook on their communities. Students who lacked that those experiences were more likely to express interest in leaving the community for other opportunities.

Unfortunately, many of the students across the region had limited exposure to fishing. Fishing rights, which used to be held by locals, are controlled by private businesses. This has weakened the social ties between fishing and community. In previous years, youth were naturally exposed to commercial fishing early in their lives. Now many do not have those experiences. Combine that with the fact that students have so many more options to choose from in todays modern society and you have a recipe for disaster.

The hope is that by understanding the perceptions and opinions of these youth, programs can be implemented to get them involved in their communities’ commercial fisheries. What used to occur organically now needs to be carefully manufactured if these fishery-based communities are going to survive.

They hope that by instituting apprenticeship programs and educational permits, fishery managers in south Alaska can bridge this gap, preserving this vital industry.

This news piece reports on original research in:

Jesse Coleman, Courtney Carothers, Rachel Donkersloot, Danielle Ringer, Paula Cullenburg, Alexandra Bateman. “Alaska’s Next Generation of Potential Fisherman: a Survey of Youth Attitudes Towards Fishing and Community in Bristol Bay and the Kodiak Archipelago.” Maritime Studies 109, 2018

Despite international efforts towards shark conservation, many sharks are still caught and kept globally, especially in the near-shore waters of many island nations. There is a growing concern that small-scale fisheries in these areas are catching larger numbers of sharks than previously thought. A recent study by Kerstin B.J. Glaus and colleagues that was published in the journal Marine Policy determines how many fishers in Fiji catch sharks and identifies some reasons that they are kept by interviewing these local fishers.

The data gathered in this study was collected from interviews with the fishers themselves throughout the South Pacific island nation. About two-thirds of the fishers interviewed reported catching sharks. Of those, less than 20 percent reported regularly releasing them.

The majority of fishers who kept the sharks they caught used them for their own food or for cultural practices; they are considered subsistence fishers. Those who did not eat them, the 20 percent that sold their catch, are artisanal fishers. It was also observed in the study that artisanal fishers caught considerably more sharks overall.

Internationally, there is a concern that even small fishing operations like these, are impacting the health of the oceans in bigger ways than they might appear. Almost half of the shark species identified to have been caught by the Fijian fishers in this study are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List, a compilation of the most at-risk species on the planet. While there are international agreements that prohibit trading these species across national borders, at the time of this study, selling sharks within Fiji is legal.

Going beyond the numbers, Glaus and her colleagues looked into the reasons that fishers kept sharks. While some specifically fished for sharks, others caught them unintentionally. In both cases, some of the same reasons led to sharks not being released. Largely, sharks are seen as a food source in Fiji, especially among the two-thirds of interviewed fishers who said that they think fish stocks in the area are decreasing. For others, sharks simply mean money. While these reasons are very straightforward, it is worth noting that sharks were not necissarily being killed out of fear, they were kept simply to make ends meet.

Understanding why people fish for and keep sharks is an important factor in how they can be managed and conserved. If local fishers are just looking for food, then shark catch could potentially be reduced if stocks of other fish were higher or if the fishers had better means of feeding themselves or making money. Shark is not eaten in Fiji because it is tasty, only because it is available. Considering the important role sharks play in the ecosystem, allowing their populations to recover could help increase the stocks of other fish which could be eaten or sold.

This study did not attempt to estimate shark populations, but looked at the human side of the issue to understand why people fish for sharks. The researchers do recommend in this study that the issue of decreasing shark populations is addressed as soon as possible. Future fisheries management in Fiji, as well as many other places across the globe can keep sharks off of the table and back in the water, leading to healthier and more productive oceans for everyone.

This new piece reports on original research in:

Kerstin B.J. Glaus, Irene Adrian-Kalchhauser, Susanna Piovano, Sharon A. Appleyard, Juerg M. Brunnschweiler, Ciro Rico. “Fishing for profit or food? Socio-economic drivers and fishers’ attitudes towards sharks in Fiji” Marine Policy 100, (February 2019): 249-257

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X18303270

Spearfishing is an ancient method of fish harvesting that is now becoming the latest hot global trend. This recreational activity that many people do for fun may seem harmless to marine ecosystems when comparing it to commercial fishing techniques. Recently, Jorge Assis and colleagues published a paper in Fisheries and Ecology Management that seeks to understand spearfishermen. The study says there is reason to believe that spearfishing could be doing as much damage to ecosystems as the commercial industry. “As with any other extracting activity, if not properly regulated, recreational fishing can have serious negative impacts on marine fish resources,” the researchers write.

In Portugal, a country loaded with all types of fishermen, there are around 13,500 registered spearfishermen. These fishermen traditionally target European seabass and white seabream which also happen to be two of the most popular commercially harvested fish. In 2016, small scale commercial fisherman caught 611 tons of seabass which is worth well over 7 million US dollars. The competition between commercial and recreational fishermen is one that researchers want to continue to study into the future. According to researchers, “If not properly taken into account, then such an overlap of target species by different fishing sectors can have serious environmental and economic consequences,”

The study stresses that recreational fishermen have no obligation to report anything about their catches. This leaves management decision makers without any recreational data to evaluate. According to researchers, “Taking into account that there are thousands of spearfishers, there is an absolute need to collect data on their catches and integrate this fishing mortality component into the stock assessment of this species.” Precautionary legislation has been created and the result is no-take Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Management and legislation of recreational fishing practices have only been around since 2006.

Currently there are minimum landing sizes (MLS) and bag limits which determine how many total fish of one species a spearfishermen can keep. Spearfishers generally felt that the current management strategies in place were “inadequate, unfair, and would compromise their activity.” Other studies have seen a similar trend that shows negative expressions towards the regulations that are present. Many spearfishermen feel removed from the decision making process and see the MPAs as a barrier to their joy of spearfishing.

Researchers seek to understand portuguese spearfisherman profiles, habits, and perception towards management. Through a survey of 458 fishermen they found that the average age is 33 years old and about 35% have been spearfishing for 15 years or more. That experience may be a reason that management would make regulations tougher. If you have a group of highly skilled fishermen taking the largest fish from an environment, there is certainly going to be consequences for the ecosystem and the future population of the species.

The main issue that legislators have with spearfishing is that it is a highly selective method of fishing. Spearfishermen put extreme pressure on the targeted species. The largest fish they see is usually the one that ends up getting harvested. These larger fish are typically the ones with reproductive capabilities. This has tremendous impacts on the populations and the ecosystems they are a part of. When you factor in the commercial and recreational groups targeting one species it makes you wonder why recreational catch isn’t much more closely monitored. As overfishing becomes recognized as a global issue that involves all types of anglers, legislators will have to make a tough decision on strengthening recreational regulations.

This news piece reports on original research in: Assis J, Gonçalves JMS, Veiga P, Pita C. Spearfishing in Portugal: A baseline study on spearfishers’ profiles, habits and perceptions towards management measures. Fish Manag Ecol. 2018;25:417–428. https://doi.org/10.1111/fme.12313

This news piece reports on original research in: Macusi, E. D., Laya-Og, M. E., & Abreo, N. A. S. (2019). Wild lobster (Panulirus ornatus) fry fishery in Balete bay, Davao Oriental: Catch trends and implications to fisheries management. Ocean & Coastal Management, 168, 340-349.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0964569118306537

Fishing in New England is one of its many pastimes as it allowed for our local economy to flourish. New Bedford, Massachusetts is home to one of the biggest scallop ports in New England taking in hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Climate change and overfishing has been affecting fish stocks for multiple decades. This negative impact will change the way we produce seafood. Without fishing, our economy will take a hit forcing thousands of people out of jobs leaving us with one question, what actions are we taking to prevent this type of collapse. In a recent journal published by the public library of science, they go more in depth to discuss how these are impacting the North Atlantic sea scallop today.

Ocean acidification, a known climate change issue affecting marine life, is not only hurting scallop farmers but the scallops themselves. Ocean acidification is when a shell starts to lose all of its important calcium-carbonate, which makes up the shell. When ocean acidification does start to affect scallops, you can tell by the surviving hatchlings shells as it makes them deformed and unappealing. When the acidification starts affecting them when they’re only a few years old, it makes growing more difficult.

Fisheries in George Banks, right off the Gulf of Maine, have had bad luck with management practices more recently in the mid-1990s. During that time there were various management implementations such as the no catch limit, low management, medium management, and high management. These forms of management are all different in terms of how they can take action within the fishery. No catch limit is highly unrealistic yet is allowed under limited access scallop fleets choosing landing spots based on how much money they would receive as well as choose how long they will stay at sea. Low management sets annual catch limits, medium management takes on the same rules as low management but also updates fisheries reference points based on growth rates and deaths. This updating happens every five (5) years. High management takes on the rules from medium management, but they can determine area closures due to fishing. These management forms have proven to be helpful as well as the scallop population rose in the early 2000s.

If management continues to be not helpful in terms of scallop population sustainability, this does impact the fishermen. The fishermen who are either going out and harvesting the scallops or work at the fishery will start having jobs lost because of the poor management of climate change activities. But, since fisheries started including stakeholders into their decision-making process, they are able to take it and consider the long-term impacts of climate change. This, in turn, helps not only the fishermen out but the scallops as they will grow with little to no deformations.

This news piece reports on original research in:

Projected impacts of future climate change, ocean acidification, and management on the US Atlantic sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) fishery

By: Jennie E. Rheuban, Scott C. Doney, Sarah R. Cooley, Deborah R. Hart

As global fish stocks decline, many commercial fishers find themselves competing against stock collapses and trophic cascades, but now another pressure has come to light and is competing against these hard working individuals. Illegal fishing is no new threat, but current research has determined that this pressure is becoming more and more serious as global fisheries stocks become more vulnerable. Illegal fishing has no boundaries, and unmonitored waters are relentlessly poached by these pirates of the sea. Even the most prestigious marine reef ecosystem in the world is vulnerable, as recent studies have found that Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Marine Park has been plagued by high levels of poaching. At this day and age, our marine fisheries and commercial fishing industries are vulnerable to illegal fishing activities, and strict fisheries management is required to sustain our fisheries.

The Mediterranean Sea has felt the impact of illegal fishing, but the recent study Comparing commercial, recreational and illegal coastal fishery catches and their economic values: A survey from the Southern Mediterranean Sea, by Emna Ben Lamine, Antonio Di Franco, Mohamed Salah Romdane, and Patrice Francour have taken the first steps towards combating illegal fishing in Tunisia, Africa. These researchers monitored and compared commercial, recreational, and illegal fishing in two future Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) off of the coast of Tunisia. This was done through the use of surveys over the years of 2014 to 2015.

Commercial fishing is defined as professional fishing, where fleets are restricted to small boats of low tonnage, regulated fishing gear, and short fishing durations of two days at sea on a single trip. Commercial fishing is a common activity in Tunisia, as over 70 ports are home to 10,227 commercial vessels. Commercial fishers must apply for permits and adhere to strict regulations in order to sell their catch legally. Recreational fishing is also a popular activity in Tunisia, as 3,000 recreational fishers obtained licenses form the Tunisian Federation of Subaquatic activities in 2013. Recreational fishers are allowed a daily catch of 5 kg and are prohibited from targeting grouper, but the important rule that separates them from illegal fishing is that they are prohibited by law to sell their catch without a commercial permit.

Illegal fishing is a result of various socio-economic factors and usually occurs in areas of low income and high unemployment. These situations cause high areas of illegal fishing, as is seen in Tunisia, as the two study sites found that 47.9% and 71.2% of the total interviewed non-professional fishers declared fishing as their primary occupation, thus declaring themselves illegal fishers. These illegal fishers are completely unregulated, and can have extensively impact the ecosystem, as well as the commercial fishing industry. This is because illegal fishers stay longer at sea per trip, use unregulated gear, catch unregulated amounts of fish, and compete directly with the commercial industry for high economically valued species. Although the study shows that the mean catch rate for illegal fishing was significantly lower than the commercial industry, they still undercut the commercial sector that are law abiding, and have higher operational cost, while unfairly competing for limited available resources. The average illegal fisher makes 8.30 USD per day, while the law abiding commercial fisher only makes 5.12 USD per day. This competition has massive impacts on the ecosystem, as both industries target the same high trophic level fish including several endangered species, resulting in altering functions of the ecosystem and reducing sustainable fishing practices.

This study had significant management implications for Tunisia, as researchers provided evidence of high rates of illegal fishing activities, while discovering specific trends of illegal fishing tendencies. These researchers found that there are spatial and temporal tendencies, as it was discovered that illegal fishing activities occur often in the winter and occurred more often at one study site than the others. Law makers are deciding to increase enforcement capacity during periods of higher illegal fishing activities, while also establishing no take zones and limited protection areas in the MPAs. The keys to riding the Mediterranean of illegal fishing is increased enforcement, communication, monitoring and cooperation at these vulnerable sites.

This news piece reports on original research in:

Lamine, E.B., Di Franco, A, Romdhane, M.S., Francour, P. (2018). Comparing commercial, recreational, and illegal coastal fishery catches and their economic values: A survey from the south Mediteranean Sea. Fish Manag Ecol. vol. 25, pg. 456-463

The fishing industry is publicly perceived as being a male dominated sector, but in reality, women play an important and vital role in income and subsistence fishing. The gender division of labor in fishing is extremely apparent, with men typically engaging in manual labor and women associated with pre- and post-harvesting work. This isn’t true in all circumstances, it has been found that women contribute significantly to food and income stability. But because most customary systems are patriarchal, women are frequently excluded from leadership and decision making when it comes to fishery usage and management. This shows that women interact with marine resources and coastal shoreline differently than men, but they both should be recognized as important actors in the industry.

A study, by Janne Rohe and her colleagues, published in Maritime Studies, conducted in the South Pacific focused on women in the fishing industry, who account for 56% of all small-scale fisheries catches, that are largely excluded because of gender divisions built by cultural norms and traditions. This study shows that women’s position in the fishing industry is undervalued and often misrepresented as being miniscule. Women in these areas have become one of the main sources of sustenance, with women fishing primarily for subsistence and providing for their families.

These researchers conducted interviews, focus groups and participant observations in a remote village in Roviana Lagoon in Western Province of the Solomon Island in the South Pacific. The intentions of these interviews were to understand fishing for livelihood, local marine resource management, perception of leadership and decision making, and overall participation in the local fisheries. This data was collected from April to June 2015, with intentional separation of groups by gender and deliberate interviews of certain individuals.

An important aspect to mention is that in the waters immediately surrounding this village is a marine closure that restricts any fishing activities. The closure was first established in the 1990s as a regional conservation and development program. In its infancy it was successful in curbing overfishing, but as time went on and leadership authority diminished, illegal poaching in the closure began, as well as corruption on guardian officials.

The results of the interviews found that all the women were involved in harvesting marine resources, primarily by handlines off of canoes. The majority of the women reported fishing mainly for subsistence purposes, whereas men responded that they additionally fish to sell their catch of large pelagic fish to neighboring villages. It was also mentioned that there has been an increase in local demand for fish that put pressure on fisherman to violate the protected area and utilize the fish in the marine closure.

Another aspect of the interviews focused on the role of women in leadership and decision making, specifically of the lack of women. Not only is there dissatisfaction about leadership amongst women, but there has been a growing trend of distrust of leadership in the area. This has caused accusations of mismanagement of funds allocated to the marine closure as well as collusion with logging companies in the area. Women and men reported poaching in the marine closure as a form of protest against leadership and the idea that their fishing abilities were restricted. The second point was of special significance to women as it made it more difficult for women to access fishing grounds without travelling too far from home.

Overall this study found that women’s role in fisheries were unappreciated and largely unnoticed, and the cultural and social systems in the Pacific Island are making it increasingly challenging for women voices to be heard. This in combination with distrust in leadership has led to violation of marine closures and has put the area at risk of overfishing and consequences that will undoubtedly follow. We need to increase focus and attention on women in the fishing industry and understand their value and purpose when implementing marine management programs.

This news piece reports on original research in:

Rohe, J., Schlüter, A., Ferse, S. (2018). A gender lens on women’s harvesting activities and interactions with local marine governance in a South Pacific fishing community. Maritime Studies 17, 155-162. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs40152-018-0106-8.pdf

By Meghan Bannink

A nice day out fishing with the family on a shoreline might sound like many people’s experiences with fishing. Unfortunately if you are a recreational angler, there are an increasing number of issues that come with the different fish you are going after. As the world’s fish stocks are depleting, the recreational community is feeling its effects and often left without a voice to speak up in the management of these fisheries. The knowledge that local anglers have when it comes to certain species is very valuable when the management legislation is discussing vulnerable species and may provide a solution to the effective conservation needed.

In a study recently published but conducted in 2016, Gianluca Grilli and her colleagues investigated the knowledge and opinions of Sea bass anglers in Ireland on the current 2015 regulations and the proposed stricter regulations for 2016 regarding the recreational Sea bass fishery and the possible implications that might have for the future of fisheries management. Sea bass are a popular species to catch among Irish and U.K. fishers. Recreational anglers account for approximately 25% of the Sea bass harvested in Europe, a pretty large percentage of the total, what factors affect the attitudes of these anglers towards conservation measures could have large impacts.

The anglers took an online survey spread through multiple sources including Inland Fisheries Ireland website, facebook and twitter account as well as posted notice in specialty tackle shops. This 35 question survey targeting domestic and international visiting anglers, asked about their fishing experience in Ireland such as the type of fishing, how many annual trips, and number of successful catches. It included questions pertaining to the 2016 measures such as the catch and release only from January 1st to June 30th, as well as the one fish a day policy for the rest of the year, and finally a minimum 50cm size limit (8cm higher than the proposed 42cm limit). Participants were asked if willing to undertake additional actions for a more effective conservation of the species by fishing with barbless hooks, reporting illegal fishing activity, recording catch data and reporting it, and collecting scale samples for further research. They received 266 responses ranging from the majority in the Republic of Ireland to a few from Northern Ireland and Great Britain. The general responders were frequent anglers and they had some surprising responses.

Most of the anglers felt that the 2015 regulations were too lenient whereas the proposed 2016 regulations were just right. Even with the increase to 50cm, most anglers felt it was too lenient. Overall the new legislation had strong support from the angler with the majority willing to do the additional actions for more conservation. Including the opinions of anglers before implementing new measures of management has implications for a more effective system to be put into place.

The anglers’ associations and clubs possibly need to be considered more of a partner when it comes to effectively managing fisheries. Many anglers mentioned even stricter regulations such as introducing a size slot so there can be more large fish reproducing as well as some calling for catch and release only (Catch and release only policy was implemented in 2018 as the study mentions). Better management means the survival of the species so future generations might enjoy that day at the beach fishing for the same species that brings the Sea bass anglers joy.

This news piece reports on original research in: Grilli, G., Curtis, J., Hynes, S., & O’Reilly, P. (2019). Anglers’ views on stock conservation: Sea bass angling in Ireland. Marine Policy, 99, 34-41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2018.10.016

The variability of climate patterns has for the majority of history been an uncontrollable factor that has an overwhelming effect on the livelihoods of people living in communities throughout the Pacific Island Region. When the people of these islands rely heavily on fisheries to sustain themselves, they are essentially leaving their livelihoods in the unpredictable hands of the weather. If there was a way that we could predict the weather, theoretically these communities would be much better off because they could prepare for catastrophic weather events that might otherwise threaten their livelihood. It is well known that scientists are able to make weather predictions over small time frames. You can get a ten day forecast from many different sources nowadays. However, what is less well known is that science has evolved to be able to predict weather patterns much farther into the future, from months to even decades.

Recently, Piers Dunstan and colleagues conducted a study for the journal of Marine Policy researching the idea of how these longer term climate predictions could help to inform policy decisions in small island nations to help prevent the negative effects of extreme climate events. Events such as marine heatwaves and severe storms were the main focus of the study, because they can lead to devastating changes to fisheries. Marine heatwaves have been known to cause coral bleaching, thermal shock to organisms, and a reduction of oxygen in the water, all of which can result in death of many different fish species. As a result of this, communities that rely on fish populations to sustain themselves can struggle to survive when a marine heatwave arrives without warning. Severe storms such as tropical cyclones can have similar and sometimes even more damaging effects because they can damage fishing equipment and infrastructure as well as the ecosystems that sustain these fisheries.

Dunstan proposes that weather predictions over a 6 to 10 month time frame would be the most useful for these island nations to base their preventative management techniques off of. He suggests many different policy options based on each climate event that may be predicted. Some of these include establishing temporary no-take zones to allow fish populations to grow, installing fish aggregation devices nearshore so that fishermen don’t have to venture far to catch fish, and providing fishermen with food and gear subsidies to encourage fishing near these fish aggregation devices. Enacting these policies before climate events occur could potentially prevent the disastrous effects that they often have on fisheries, and Dunstan suggests that this is exactly what should be done.

If climate predictions were always 100% accurate, the obvious decision would be to implement management policies based on what they say. Unfortunately, they are not always accurate. For the most part however, these policies are intended to preserve species while also providing fishermen with enough fish to support themselves and their communities. Because of this, these policies would most likely be beneficial to pacific island countries and territories even in the rare cases when the climate predictions are inaccurate.

This news piece reports on original research in:

Dunstan, Piers K., Bradley R. Moore, Johann D. Bell, Neil J. Holbrook, Eric CJ Oliver, James Risbey, Scott D. Foster, Quentin Hanich, Alistair J. Hobday, and Nathan J. Bennett. "How can climate predictions improve sustainability of coastal fisheries in Pacific Small-Island Developing States?." Marine Policy 88 (2018): 295-302.

In 2011, several Indonesian fishermen from numerous South Korean vessels operating in New Zealand's waters walked off their vessels citing labor and human rights abuses, as well as illegal fishing practices. Despite the countless amount of empirical evidence, the New Zealand government maintains the position that the labor abuses occurring on board these vessels were not criminal in nature.

Recently, two researchers from the University of Auckland, New Zealand published an article in the academic journal of Marine Policy that unravels the case of human trafficking occurring in New Zealand waters, how the originate, and why they’re considered a “fisheries crime”.

It all began in the 1970s, when many New Zealand companies did not have the capacity to fish in their waters, so the government encouraged the establishment of ventures with foreign fishing operators in order to give New Zealand fishing enterprises time to build up their capabilities. This is how many South Korean vessels began fishing in New Zealand waters.

In order to maximize their profits, South Korean operators would hire cheap labor from very poor areas of many Asian countries from Indonesia. Because these vessels are fishing in New Zealand’s territory, they must abide to their laws and contracts. However, fishermen have now started speaking out and exposing the reality of what happens in those South Korean Vessels.

After large amounts of evidence was brought to light, South Korean foreign charter vessels operators have been found guilty human trafficking utilizing forced labor for the purposes of carrying out illegal fishing in New Zealand. Indonesian fishermen cited inhumane working and living conditions, along with the non-payment of wages.

Fishermen state that the exploitation begins in the recruitment stage, where they are forced to pay their agent a recruitment fee as well as sign over collateral, for example land and house titles. Additionally, they are forced to sign their contract in Korean or English, which are languages that none of the fishermen speak or understand. Some of them are also required to sign blank documents.

According to the contract, the base salary for crew members was about $US 230 a month. This salary was well below the minimum wage required by the New Zealand government. In 2011 this was $NZ 15 (approximately $US 12) an hour. On the vessel, their passports and identify documents were confiscated.

Fishermen they were required to work excessive shifts of up to 16–18 h a day, 7 days a week.

Physical and sexual abuse, inhumane working conditions, and a disregard for any type of health and safety requirements as well. as restricted freedom of movement where some of the many allegations done by the fishermen.

When confronted about this issue, Korean corporations reached an agreement with and the Department of Labor of New Zealand on the amount of wages owed to the crew. They provided evidence that back payments of approximately $US 260,000 had been paid via transfers directly into individual Indonesian bank accounts. The fishermen subsequently disputed receiving this money, and indeed, it was found to be false.

This article was one of thee first academic publications to formally expose this issue. The hope is that soon this human trafficking tragedy will be addressed by the corresponding governments and the fishermen can have justice once and for all.

This news piece reports on original research in: Stringer, C. Harre, T. (2018) Human trafficking as a fisheries crime? An application of the concept to the New Zealand context. Marine Policy.

The Egyptian Mediterranean coast has undergone rapid development within the past few years and fishing is a multibillion-dollar industry in the area. Trawling is a popular method of catching fish in the area. Trawling nets drag through the ocean catching most sea life in their path and have often been a method of fishing that causes public concern due to the fact that the nets don’t discriminate between the targeted species of fish and other marine life. The National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries in Suez, Egypt recently released a shocking study about the short-finned squid in the areas and how they are being affected by the fishing industry in this area.

The study was conducted throughout 2016 in the Izbat El Burg fishing port where researchers collected samples of the species seasonally. This was the very first study of the short-finned squid in this region and our researchers were searching for the survival rate of short-finned squid in the area and how their survival rate was being affected by fishing pressure.

Their findings were, in a word, shocking. Only 0.06% of the short-finned squid in this region live past one year of age. The squid are being caught rapidly, usually only after having recently reached sexual maturity. This means that the squid aren’t being given enough time to reproduce, decimating their numbers. 27% of squid death was determined to be from natural causes while the pressures of the fishing industry were responsible for 73% of the squid killed in 2016.

This study truly begs the question- how do we balance the economic needs of the fishing industry and the ecological needs of the ocean?

This news piece reports on original research in: Amin, A. M., & Sabrah, M. M. (2019). Basic Parameters for Assessment and Management of the Short-Finned Squid Illex coindetii (Verany, 1839) (Cephalopoda, Ommastrephidae) from the deep water off the Egyptian Mediterranean Sea. Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries,23(1), 13-26. doi:10.21608/ejabf.2019.25929

Additional information was obtained from: FAO Fishery Country. (2004, January). Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/fi/oldsite/FCP/en/EGY/profile.htm

Trying to count how many eels are in an area is tricky work. They have been known to escape and fit through very tiny areas. No one is sure that the way they are currently monitoring the numbers of eels is giving accurate data. The way that they are monitoring the eel population is a yearly collection of eels and then putting them into these enclosures that are enclosed with a net and nets inside called Fyke nets. Fyke nets are fish traps that consist of a net suspended over a series of hoops that the fish can swim back into and not get out of.

In a recent study by Malte Dorow and Colleges they did a study with radio receivers to see what the percentage of eels are escaping. They created the study on Yellow Eels specifically in the German part of the Southern Baltic. The study was conducted over a two year period around the same time of year August and September for a few days in 2015 and 2016. Forty-Nine eels were used in the study all the eels were put under Anesthetist and had a tiny transmitter put into there abdominal area. The transmitter would send out signals so that the receivers on each corner of the enclosure would pick them up and the scientists would be able to pin point where exactly the eels were located. The signal would bounce off of two receivers and where they overlapped was where the eel was located with the enclosure broken up into nine subsections. They used the receivers to pin point which eels escaped and what time they escaped and using the subsections they could see exactly what subsection it was. The enclosure was not a small enclosure it was around 2.47 acres. At each corner there was a receiver and a fyke net that the eels would try and escape and get caught in. Scuba divers would go down and exchange the fyke nets and check on the eels that were recaptured every forty-eight hours . The nets did not stop all of the eels from escaping which proved that the study was right.

The results of the study showed that 15 eels escaped during the first 48 hours this made it that the percentage of eels escaping is 42.8%. That is just a little under half of the eels are escaping. This means that when they are doing normal monitoring they are really only getting about half of the population. The missing data could drastically change what is thought about how the eel population is doing. The results of the study could drastically change how they monitor eels in the future.

Dorow, M., Schulz, S., Frankowski, J., & Ubl, C. (2018). Using a telemetry study to assess the boundary net efficiency of an enclosure system used for yellow eel density monitoring. Fisheries Management and Ecology,26(1), 70-75. doi:10.1111/fme.12304

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/fme.12304

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been established in several places around the globe in an effort to protect biodiversity in the oceans. The United Nations (UN) has set a goal to establish 10% of the world’s oceans to be MPAs by 2020. The attainability of this goal, however, may be compromised by the management structures in place in certain areas that are not be living up to their name. In a study published by the Journal of Biological Conservation, Karol Ulate and fellow colleagues examined the effectiveness of different management systems in protecting biodiversity in the Gulf of California. They conducted the study by looking at echinoderm densities, specifically sea urchins and starfish, as well as fish biomass as a way to test the health of the surrounding ecosystem.

The researchers focused on five different types of management: Non MPA (unrestricted access), Mixed MPAs (federal government managed, with some fishing restrictions), Core zones (located in Mixed MPAs, all fishing restrictions), Community co-managed MPA (federal government and local fisherman manage together), and Military MPA (located on surrounding waters of an island with a prison). Focusing on the east coast of the peninsula of the Gulf, scuba divers measured the fish abundance and echinoderm densities at each given site for a two year period.

After studying the densities of sea urchins and starfish and fish biomass at sites covering each type of management, the researchers found that the Mixed and Core MPAs (both exclusively federally managed areas) had high levels of echinoderms on their rocky reefs, which leads to overgrazing of the algae. This finding indicates that there was not enough fish in the area to feed on the echinoderms. The Non-MPA, where there was no protection at all, was similar to these federally managed, ineffective areas.

In contrast, researchers found that the Community co-managed and Military MPAs had a healthy fish biomass, with echinoderm populations significantly lower than at the other management systems. They also noticed that fish biomass in this area had a much larger number of piscivores, which are predators of fish. This finding means that the predators have fish to feed on in those areas, creating an overall healthier ecosystem.

The main problem with these exclusively federally managed MPAs is that there is a lack of government enforcement. While it is illegal, people still fish in those waters and will likely continue to do so as long as there is no patrol of the area. The Military MPA was successful only because it is forced to have heavy patrolling in those waters since it is surrounding a prison. However, what can be learned from the community co-managed MPAs is that the collaboration of locals and government can be the most effective, and realistic way to keep an area of the ocean protected.

Ultimately, this study found that echinoderms could be good indicators of the health of ecosystem functioning in certain places, including the rocky reefs of the Gulf of California. The Gulf provides 70% of Mexico’s National marine fisheries value, and is extremely valuable to communities on the coast who depend on healthy fish biomasses. The protection of fish is in everyone’s favor, and this study proves it’s just a matter of what management decisions are made that will determine the outcome.

Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2018.09.033

image from: https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred/survey_methods.php

Is there one uniform way that fisheries are managed when they share bodies of water? Should the government be in charge of making fishing rules or the fishermen living in coastal communities? In today’s news story, different strategies of management are discussed through a couple of case studies done in the countries bordering the Gulf of Thailand. The cases in Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia are to show you just how different management tactics can be, while still managing the same body of water. The overall goal of this study was to determine whether these countries are allowing their coastal communities to have a say in the way management works or if it’s purely reliant on legislation. These countries management systems are important to study as this region is one that is heavily exploited for its resources. This is exactly what prompted this research, the destruction of the coastlines and overfishing which are both major contributing factors that happen in most developing countries. It was stated in the article Community involvement in fisheries management: Experiences in the Gulf of Thailand countries by Nopparat Nasuchon that, “approximately 64.3% of Thailand’s mangroves have been destroyed and replaced with aquacultures (Cambodia has a similar % of loss as well)”(2010). It is proven through these case studies that regions who participate in a more community-based management system tend to have more equality in the way rules are made. Specifically, the fishermen themselves tend to be able to actually have a say in the laws which is incredibly important for an efficiently managed fishery. A specific case study done in a small fishing village called Ha Lein in Vietnam. In this village, some individuals made more than others and therefore were able to purchase better technology. This one factor ended up hindering the rest of the fishermen in the village as they could not keep up with the competition of the electric fishing gear these individuals were bringing into their community. This was a big deal in this village as about half of the population could afford this technology but the other half could not, leaving the poorer half of the population even more out of luck. The community ended up getting together to discuss the issue which resulted in the banning of this electric fishing gear from Ha Lein. This is just one of the many examples given in the academic article discussing community-based management. However, not all ended as well as the case in Vietnam.

N. Nasuchon, A. Charles Community involvement in fisheries management:

Experiences in the Gulf of Thailand countries Marine Policy, 34 (2010),

163-169

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With the sport of spearfishing becoming a growing hobby, the management and understanding of this activity needs to be better understood. In Understanding spearfishing in a coral reef fishery: Fishers’ opportunities, constraints, and decision-making, the article addresses the fishing process and how decisions are made. The study took place in a small rural town called Buen Hombre in Dominican Republic and approximately 40 divers were surveyed both compressed air and free divers. These divers were observed by researchers in a unique way by using GoPro handheld cameras that were attached to the spearguns of spearfishermen and faced forward towards the barrel of the gun. These videos totaled to around 18.5 hours of recordings and researchers used a survey to track different variables during each diver. These variables included targeted species, market value, distance, species, and identity of fishermen. Through the looks of a digital recorder, researchers were able to model what everyday spearfishermen go through. The model has a layered feature which incorporates the decision making of selecting a fish. In the outermost layer we have all the fish that are encountered by the diver. The diver then has to pursue those fish which brings us to the next layer which involves constraints of the fisher to concentrate on one fish. This brings us to the inner most layer which is the targeted fish. It was also observed by researchers that compressed air divers encountered way more fish (518) then free-divers did (286) but the ratio remained around the same for both. Researchers also put together graphs of Taxon’s (species or families, Handling times with fish, as well as market class.)What was discovered was that Compressed-Air spearfishermen had a more effective way of catching fish as well as less handling time to subdue their catch. Free-divers however were able to catch higher quality fish that had greater market value. This is due to the fact that free-divers use more energy/effort to catch one fish and tend to wait for the biggest or best catch to come by.

In the discussion of this article, it is discovered that compressed air spearfishing is banned in the Dominican Republic but enforcement of this issue is poorly managed. The article suggests that a ban that is regularly enforced for compressed air spearfishing would reduce the lethality of spearfishing and decrease total catch in general. The issue with doing this however, is the possibility of degrading shallow reefs as there would be more divers in these areas and cause more problems. The discussion also talks about a ban on parrotfish which was targeted more often then grouper and snapper from the research observed. This issue is talked about because around “40% of compressor divers’ and 50% of freedivers’ opportunities” were parrotfish. (Pavlowich 18) As for how this research study was done, it was an interesting way to observe spearfishermen as an average approach would be to just measure what fish were captured at the end of the day. This research provides not only what spearfishermen catch, but also what constraints and opportunities they take when in the water. By doing this, Fishery analysts might be able to create more effective management interventions and better predict their outcomes if they invest the necessary effort into understanding the fishing process as experienced by the spearfishermen.

This news piece reports on original research in

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0181617

It is difficult to think that the issue of slavery is still an ongoing issue in our world today. The practice is often hidden in places we wouldn't even think to look. Today we will be discussing the recent account of slave labor that has come to our attention in the Thailand fisheries.

It all started back in the 1950's-1970's, Thailand started to industrialize, meaning that their means of catching fish was becoming more efficient. It became more efficient due to new technologies and larger boats, with the larger boats you need hired labor. After Thailand's fisheries became overfished they needed to reduce their costs, which they did by bringing in international migrant workers. These migrant workers were often forced into labor through threats of violence towards themselves or their families or often by withholding wages. The conditions on these boats were dangerous and extremely difficult and often resulted in the workers being mistreated and rarely fed.

This serious issue has been brought to light through different published works that went to dig deeper into the issue only to find that it was more serious than we originally thought. Being aware of this issue has sparked some responses on what to do in order to fix it. These responses include; government action, providing rescue, safe houses and legal representation for workers, regulation of the seafood, and having larger companies look into who is supplying their seafood to ensure they do not mistreat their workers. This issue has no clear or easy solution but if it is brought to more peoples' attention then maybe soemthing can be done to prevent this action in the future. If we are to try and solve the problem there needs to be a concerted effort to do so.

This news reports original research from:

Marschke, M. Vandergeest, P. (2016) Slavery scandals: Unpacking labour challenges and policy responses within the off-shore fisheries sector. Marine Policy.

Image from:

https://pixabay.com/photos/thailand-fishing-boat-sea-water-3833870/

Research was conducted in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, to compare plankton populations to the abundance of pink salmon. Pink salmon are very abundant and currently there are no regulations put in place to manage them. They have a life span of 2 years, because of this life span their purpose in life is to lay eggs and then die. The Aleutian Islands are located on the southern part of Alaska and Batten, Ruggerone, and Ortiz spent 15 years conducting research here. Between the 2000 and 2014 these scientists were doing plankton counts using a Continuous Plankton Recorder, CPR for short. A CPR is a device that has a small opening for plankton and water to flow through. There are two layers of mesh to help sandwich the plankton. After the plankton are collected, they are stored in a 40 percent formaldehyde preservation to be counted and identified. Plankton that were smaller than 2 mm were collected and counted from a sub-sample with a microscope. Plankton bigger than 2 mm were removed from the sub-sample and counted individually. After 368 samples they noticed that every odd year the plankton populations would decrease, this was due to the juvenile salmon. Young salmon feed on plankton, so the populations would decrease during the growing stages of the pink salmon. Therefore Batten, Ruggerone, and Ortiz started focusing on the plankton populations during the highs and lows of the pink salmon abundances. The results shown were that the pink salmon populations were the purpose of the decrease of plankton in the Aleutian Islands.

Batten, S. D., Ruggerone, G. T., & Ortiz, I. (2018). Pink salmon induce a trophic cascade in plankton populations in the southern Bering Sea and around the Aleutian Islands. Fisheries Oceanography, 27(6), 548-559.

Image from:

https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=283382&picture=fish-salmon-vintage-art

By Grant Clay

4/11/2019

In the western half of the Mediterranean Sea, there are the Balearic Islands. The three island archipelago is a part of Spain and a major tourist destination with its pristine beaches, scenic coastline, and rich cultural heritage. Another major draw for the Balearic Islands is their seafood, especially when it comes to octopus and cuttlefish.

In the EU, there is no real management when it comes to fishing for these valued, tentacled creatures. Yet despite this, the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy, also known as CFP and is in charge of establishing fishing management guidelines and regulations for all of the member countries of the EU, put in place new goals for all fisheries back in 2013. These goals were to have all fisheries within the EU to be fully restored by 2015, 2020 at the latest, and be capable of producing the most sustainable harvest of fish possible. And when it means all fisheries, it includes octopus and cuttlefish too.

A study that was published in the scientific journal, Fisheries Management and Ecology, focused on figuring out the current state of both cepholapods populations around the Balearic Islands waters, and to see what possible courses of action can be taken to achieve the goals set by the EU’s CFP. The study was conducted by using using historical catch data to figure out the populations, and fishing boat engine records were used to figure out how much effort went into the fishing from 1977 to 2013. The data was used to create graphs that showed the the number of catches made over the years, how much effort went in on the fishers behalf, the average sizes of the catches, and the peak of catches on a seasonal basis. After those calculations were made, economic models that have been used to monitor other fished cepholapod populations around the world and statistical software was used to create an estimation of the octopus and cuttlefish populations. Finally, another round of calculations were made to predict possible scenarios of how the octopus and cuttlefish populations will fare in the future depending on the level of fishing done by the locals of the Balearic Islands.

The researcher came to the conclusion based off the data that both cuttlefish and octopus populations around the three island archipelago are being heavily overfished. He predicted that if things stay the way they are, then the situation for the octopus and cuttlefish will only get worse. Out of all the possible scenarios, only the one where an extreme cutting back of fishing will result in a recovery that would satisfy the EU’s target by 2020, according to the researcher.

Based off of this study, the Balearic Islands will see a continued decline in octopus and cuttlefish populations in the short-term future. The most drastic of actions in managing the islands fishing seems to be the only one that can result in a more positive outcome. Only time will tell if meaningful change can be made.

If you want to find the entire scientific paper click on the link below.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/fme.12131

Sierra Leone is in Western Africa and currently ranked 180^th out of 187 countries according to a 2011 United Nations Development Programme report. Being that the country is poor and has a long road of development ahead, Sierra Leone heavily relies on its small-scale fisheries for its protein intake. However, fish stocks are being depleted at alarming rates and virtually all of them are fully exploited or over exploited. These stocks are essential to artisanal fishers since they contribute 75% of the animal protein in the country and employ 500,000 people. With weak enforcement, industrial fishing fleets from other countries are partaking in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. While it might seem that foreign fleets are the issue, artisanal fishers are not in the right either. They regularly use mesh nets, sometimes mosquito nets, to catch their fish which damages the environment and produces a lot of bycatch. Before we dive into the study, lets first define what a “wicked” problem constitutes. According to Okeke et al (2019) a “wicked” problem has nine criteria:

1. The Problem is difficult to define.

2. The problem is unique.

3. It is intractable to the point there are no clear solutions.

4. Many Factors contribute into the issue.

5. It is a symptom of another unrelated problem.

6. There is a weak central government.

7. Time is running out.

8. Attempts at solutions can become irreversible or forgettable.

9. Actors wo cause the problem can solve it.

With so many competing factors involved with the overfishing of Sierra Leones stocks, this study sent out 200 questionnaires and 46 key informant (KI) interviews to the 2 most popular coastal fishing communities: Tombo and Goedrich. The surveys and interviews were split evenly between the two communities and the purpose was to gain insight into the history, culture, and politics that affect this issue. The responses were analyzed to determine whether or not the issue meets the criteria of a wicked problem.

On the foreign industrial fishing side of the results, all the questionnaires said that removal of foreign fleets would restore fish stocks, boost food security, and reduce poverty. The KIs were intended to provide a deeper insight into how people feel about this unanimous agreement. According to the interviews, many people felt that artisanal fishers were forced to spend more effort and money to catch fish and no profit was being gained from industrial fishers (especially from Europe). There were also a handful of allegation about government corruption being the reason why foreign fleets have flown under the radar.

On the artisanal side, nothing useful was reported from the questionnaires. However, the KIs were helpful in uncovering the feelings towards artisanal fishers. The main results from the KIs were that poverty is caused from the use of mesh nets, the government turns a blind eye to the nets in return for votes, there is no monitoring of regulations, and the contribution to food security is huge.

After analyzing the data, Oeke et al (2019) found that 6 of the 9 criteria pf a wicked problem were reached. The first 3 criteria did not apply to this issue, but they also have the least effect in terms of “wickedness”. Overall management of fish stocks in Sierra Leone is very poor and there are many problems that need to be solved. Some of the problems are not even related to fisheries and have more to do with government operations. On top of that, there is no political will to solve this issue and for now it will be Business as usual.

This article reports on original research from:

Okeke-Ogbuafor, N., Gray, T., & Stead, S. (2019). Is there a ‘wicked problem’ of small-scale coastal fisheries in Sierra Leone? Marine Policy. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2019.02.043

Image From:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/infomatique/3872406845

Understanding the abundance, distribution, habitat use, and movement patterns of vulnerable or endangered species is essential for preserving population sizes, as well as important environmental connections. Without the proper knowledge it is nearly impossible to determine the safest management techniques that would ensure sustainable stock levels. The small tooth sawfish is one of these species that is at tremendous risk due to the small geographic range they inhabit which is continuously shrinking from new coastline developments. While currently protected under Appendix 1 of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species and Appendix 2 for protection under the Convention of Migratory Species, the small tooth sawfish has seen levels of improvement in stock sizes in strict locations where levels of management are stronger. Unfortunately, population sizes in areas with less enforcement are still struggling from weak regulations and continuous shoreline construction.

Around the islands of Bimini and Andros in the Bahamas, Dr. Tristan Guttridge and his colleagues conducted the study Occurrence and Habitat Use of the Critically Endangered Small tooth Sawfish (Pristis pectinata) in the Bahamas (Guttridge et al. 2015) from 2002 to 2015 to better understand the behaviors practiced by small tooth sawfish. These efforts allow for insight on how to better manage the species itself and the environment it inhabits.

The study consisted of recording observations of small tooth sawfish in a scientific matter. This system provided documented locations and dates, the different activities involved where there were visible sightings, as well as whether the animals were captured or not. This study also provided tracking systems, allowing captured sawfish to document their movements for up to 60 days. To help record the tracking, Dr. Guttridge and his team also used acoustic monitoring with ultrasonic receivers that produced various beeps, letting the researchers know the general location a sawfish was swimming. Monitoring these sightings and recording the data provided pushed the research team to create a map using GIS (Geographic Information Systems) to pinpoint locations were encounters occurred. Documenting these designated areas can help with providing more protected marine areas to ensure the safety of the smalltooth sawfish.

This study highlights the importance of the small tooth sawfish as well as the pristine environment of the Bahamas. With the Bahamas promising to protect 20% of their near-shore marine ecosystem by 2020, there is a lot of hope for a stronger recovery in the sawtooth sawfish stocks and the habitat they thrive in.

Guttridge, T. L., Gulak, S. J. B., Franks, B. R., Carlson, J. K., Gruber, S. H., Gledhill, K. S., . . . Grubbs, R. D. (2015). Occurrence and habitat use of the critically endangered smalltooth sawfish Pristis pectinata in the Bahamas. Journal of Fish Biology, 87(6), 1322-1341. doi:10.1111/jfb.12825

Photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jeff_Snook.jpg

The American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) is a catadromous fish species found along the Eastern United States. Unlike Pacific Salmon, the American Eel will migrate from freshwater lakes, to brackish estuaries, to spawning grounds in the Sargasso Sea, where adults reproduce and die. American Eels are special in that they are a panmictic stock, meaning that random mating occurs among the entire range. Therefore, eels found in the Gulf of Mexico are of the same population, or gene pool, as eels found in the St. Lawrence River, Canada. American Eels are an important for biodiversity, serving as an important prey species for fish, marine mammals, and fish-eating birds. Eel are also important for human use in commercial fisheries and aquaculture and are often overlooked as an important resource.

Challenges involved with assessing and maintaining this species are abundant in that the species is highly migratory. Eels have also been highly susceptible to habitat loss and exclusion from nursery grounds by industrial features such as dams. The disappearance of eels from rivers and lakes that have been obstructed by dams is a well-known phenomenon in the North East for over 200 years.

Recently, restoration efforts have been implemented to help species in these freshwater environments. Installations of fish ladders and eel ramps have shown to encourage migration. However, the most effective restoration method is the complete removal of these barriers. A recent study published in the North American Journal of Fisheries Management showed abundances of American Eels in a freshwater tributary located along the Narragansett watershed in Massachusetts. Through sampling data and tagging efforts researchers were able to track the number of eels making their way upstream of a partially restored river. Growing numbers of eel abundances and size were seen throughout the four-year study after the detonation of two major dams.

Implementations of this study could lead to more knowledge about the effects of restoration and provide a useful survey tool for assessment of these tributaries. Not only does this further our knowledge of such effects, it provides scientific basis for the continuation of the removal of barriers encountered by fish. Political barriers of getting these dams removed is almost as difficult as the physical removal. Because these dams provide energy and jobs to our nation’s largest cities, getting managers and politicians on board is a difficult feat. If we as Americans want healthy sustainable fish stocks, it is imperative that we make efforts to restore habits for integral populations. Although the American Eel is thought of as slimy and gross, it used to be a valuable provider of nutrition to humans around the globe and most certainly provides meals to the fish and wildlife species we know and love.

This news piece references the research of Sara M. Turner, Bradford C., Chase Michael, and S. Bednarski on the topic of “Evaluating the Effect of Dam Removals on Yellow‐Phase American Eel Abundance in a Northeastern U.S. Watershed”, North American Journal of Fisheries Management, 19 January 2018. (https://doiorg.proxy.eckerd.edu:5443/10.1002/nafm.10040

By Sinjin Berry

A third of small-scale fisheries are potentially facing a management crisis. A research article published by Conservation Biology (a journal specializing in the science and conservation of biological diversity) analyzes the territories of small-scale fisheries to see if intervention is necessary. The goal is to help these fisheries avoid collapse and strife among stakeholders because they provide food and income to large populations across the globe. The researchers (Viana, D. F., Gelcich, S., Aceves-Bueno, E., Twohey, B., & Gaines) assess the effectiveness of an emerging management strategy, which fails one third of fisheries involved.

Mismanagement plagues many small-scale fisheries. However, this emerging management method divides fishing grounds into various territories for multiple stakeholders to share. The effort behind this is to develop a sustainable fishery by avoiding the so-called race to fish, which leads to tragedy of the commons. On paper it looks promising, but in practice it leaves a lot to be desired. A third of small-scale fisheries that use this management method do not see success. The territory allotted is either too small or large or has too many stakeholders competing. Some fisheries over harvest their territory before the fish move onto another territory.

The researchers compiled information on small scale-fisheries from over 30 countries to carry out their analysis. 137 territories were assessed using territory size, the type of fish caught, and the number of stakeholders involved. Using a model developed in 2011, the success of each territory was evaluated. From there, each one was given a rating based on the level of success.

The researchers conclude migratory species pose significant challenges for this management method. Most of the successful fisheries were ones that harvested sedentary species such as oysters and crabs. Nearly a fifth of the territories experienced over fishing to some degree due to size. To compensate, the researchers suggested territories with migratory species increase in size while ones with sedentary species be broken up into smaller, more easily manageable chunks. For other territories, it is recommended new institutions be introduced to deal with more complex situations. However, the primary takeaway the researchers go for is an increase in cooperation and coordination among territories to increase their sustainability. The one third of small-scale fisheries that utilize territories must work together to develop solutions to conflict and over harvesting. For example, it is recommended stakeholders invest in leadership training to build trust among each other.

The relevance the researchers place on improving management methods in small-scale fisheries cannot be under stressed. These fisheries feed many people and generate a lot of economic productivity, so improving communication and cooperation among the one third territory-based fisheries that are not seeing success would hardly be counterproductive.

Article Cited: Viana, D. F., Gelcich, S., Aceves-Bueno, E., Twohey, B., & Gaines, S. D. (2018). Design trade‐offs in rights‐based management of small‐scale fisheries. Conservation Biology,33(2), 361-368. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.proxy.eckerd.edu:5443/doi/full/10.1111/cobi.13208.

The Belize Barrier Reef has also been under the attack of an invasive species known as the red lionfish. This Indo-Pacific species was first spotted in Belize in 2008 and the lionfish’s population has rapidly increased since making the Caribbean Sea it’s new home. The lionfish poses a large threat to many of the native species of the reef. The reefs native fish such as snapper and grouper take 2-4 years before they reach reproductive maturity, the lionfish takes less than 1 year before it can reproduce. Native Mutton Snapper, and endangered Nassau Grouper can produce about 300,000 eggs per annual spawning. The red lionfish can lay eggs throughout the year, and has the ability produce up to 2 million eggs annually. Being an invasive species, the lionfish has no natural predators on the reef. This allows lionfish to invest their energy it hunting prey and reproduction, without having to put effort into defending itself. Lionfish eradication efforts began in the summer of 2009, when a $25 U.S. bounty was offered for each lionfish taken to Belize Fisheries Department. However, that short term solution came to an end after a few months, due to the excessive amount of lion fish being turned in without the government having enough funds to pursue the issue. Belize is still trying to find a practical long term management method to protect their native stocks from this invasive species.Local Fishing communities are aware of situation.

In conclusion the Belize Government and other agencies encourage the development of a successful commercial lionfish market both locally and exported because there is a demand for lionfish in both the local and international markets.

(Chapman et. al 2016).