Spring 2025

Elizabeth Pellegrini & K. Duncan

Recently, Emilie A. Geissinger and colleagues at Fisheries and Oceans Canada published “Salmonids in hot water: An unprecedented warm-water event in Labrador, a subarctic region of Canada” in Fisheries Management and Ecology. The study focused on the unprecedented warm water event in July of 2023 in Labrador, Canada and the effects on spawning Atlantic salmon, Arctic charr, and brook trout. Despite its cold climate, Labrador and other sub-arctic regions are experiencing the impacts of anthropogenic climate change more rapidly than their tropical counterparts. Extreme weather events and heat waves are becoming more common, such as the heat wave seen in 2023. 

This climate event led to elevated river temperatures ranging from 19.4 to 22.5 C°. These temperatures exceeded the lethal water temperature for salmon and brook trout for 14 days in 6 of the 7 rivers in the summer of 2023, and 17 days for Arctic charr. This warm-water event coincided with spawning migration for all three species in late July, when they normally travel upriver to spawn. This migration is what is referred to as a “run”. However, during the warm-water event, only 67% of the salmon run was present, 10% of the brook trout, and 6% of the Arctic charr. The fish avoided the hot temperatures in the shallow rivers and delayed their annual upriver migration. Thermal stress can lead to stunted growth in juvenile fish and premature mortality in adults. In addition to metabolic stress on the adults present, it is unknown how development of eggs and juveniles exposed to the warm temperatures will be impacted in the future. 

Subsequently, Canadian management agencies were left scrambling to deal with fish kills, enact angling restrictions, and to meet with concerned fishermen. Prior to this event, only one river in Labrador had been closed due to environmental reasons in 1999. As a result of this event, four rivers in Labrador had to complete angling closures. The impacts of these closures and potential future closures, are not only felt by management agencies but by community members. Many local residents rely on the health of these fisheries for subsistence and recreational fishing. Atlantic salmon are a protected population under US fishery management and only recreationally fished in Labrador, making this vulnerable population particularly sensitive to mortality events (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2022). 

As many coastal areas begin to grapple with the impacts of climate change on both humans and the environment, this unparalleled warm-water event exposed a key failing in local fishery management: failing to account for heat waves in previously cold climates. This event serves as a wake-up call to these communities about the pressing threats of climate change.

This article reports on original research in: Geissinger, Emilie A., Travis E. Van Leeuwen, Nicholas Kelly, Curtis Pennell, Michelle G. Fitzsummons, Steven Duffy, Rebecca Poole, Joey Angnatok, J. Brian Dempson, David Coté. “Salmonids in hot water: An unprecedented warm-water event in Labrador, a subarctic region of Canada.” Fisheries Management and Ecology, 31, e12710 (2024): 1-5. Available: https://doi.org/10.1111/fme.12710 

Other references:

Fisheries and Oceans Canada. “Canada’s Wild Atlantic Salmon Conservation Policy.” Fisheries Policies and Framework (2022).

Dylan Domer & Olivia Armstrong
Recently, Shuhao Liu and other colleagues published a paper on Springer, "Incorporating mesopelagic fish into the evaluation of conservation areas for marine living resources under climate change scenarios". The paper is about the importance of deep sea bioluminescent fish for the health of the ecosystem when fighting climate change. 

 Mesopelagic fish are typically small fish found in the twilight zone of all of the world’s oceans. Fish like, anglerfish, lanternfish, and lancetfish. They are able to tell you about the health of the environment based on their population size and their importance in the food web. This field of research is occurring in the Southern Oceanic (SO). Liu chose this location because these fish inhabit one of the least explored and often overlooked areas of the ocean. The polar regions have the most amplified effects of climate change. 

Researchers used present day data on nine different species of mesopelagic fish and their habitats to construct models. These models would predict their distribution for the future while considering climate change factors. The primary environmental variables taken into consideration were sea ice area, surface temperature, and temperature at 200 meters 

depth. When predicting future distributions, they considered both short term and long term outcomes. They compared the data they found with current protected areas.

The results showed that all 9 species will lose habitat near the outer edges of the Antarctic circle. With this in mind, habitat gain and stability will increase around the entire coast of Antarctica for most species. This is because water temperatures will continue to warm and these mesopelagic fish need cold climate to ensure survival. The distribution and safety of these species will require more protected areas and further research in other Southern Oceanic regions.

This news piece reports on original research in:

Liu, Shuhao, et al. “Incorporating Mesopelagic Fish into the Evaluation of Marine Protected Areas under Climate Change Scenarios.” Marine Life Science & Technology, 15 Aug. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1007/s42995-023-00188-9.

Available: 

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42995-023-00188-9

Mia Faria and Tim Kusterbeck

February 24, 2025

Would you ever think to place a value on a beautiful view, like last night’s sunset? Or maybe on that quiet evening spent relaxing on the water? A recent study, conducted by researchers Ing-Marie Gren and George Marbuah, “Willingness to pay for recreational fisheries in Europe”, has demonstrated something similar. 

Their findings reveal the economic value of recreational fishing around 33 countries in Europe that goes beyond expenditures for gear or travel. It is the experience of fishing that has allowed the activity to generate worth, such as comfortable, healthy environmental conditions or the possibility of catching their desired, sizable species of fish. Factors such as income, temperature, and location were analyzed for their effects on fishing efforts. 

As climate change exacerbates, ecosystems are changing, causing shifts in fish abundance and the environment in which fishermen are depending on. Because of this, recreational fishing is in the thick of many fisheries governance debates. Around the world, policymakers are challenged to develop a strategy that conserves the environment and improves sustainability, all while considering socio-economic concerns and the welfare of fishing communities. Limits on recreational fishing mean lifestyle and cultural changes, which is why it is important to calculate its worth. 

The researchers used environmental economics techniques to calculate willingness to pay— capturing time, effort, money, enjoyment, and other opportunity costs—to put an economic value on recreational fishing and its benefits to society. By using a method called Meta-Regression Analysis, they were able to gather information to plug into these equations from all European countries and create mathematical models, later running tests to check the accuracy of their findings. Willingness to pay continues to shift as fishing opportunities are changing in our world, being negatively or positively impacted by fisheries management. 

A study like this is broadly applicable and very crucial during these turbulent times. Not only was it aiming to distinguish demographic factors that affect WTP, but also how it changes in the context of climate change, studying temperature change and species abundance. Primarily, the objective of the research was to understand the economic importance of recreational fishing, which usually takes the backseat to commercial fishing when it comes to conversations of global warming policies. 

One of the big takeaways from the study was the difficulty in setting an exact price for the WTP value. The prices had a very high variation depending on a large number of different factors at play. Some of these factors were location, wealth, and the weather of a region. WTP, even being difficult to calculate, is still crucial in determining laws that should be created like catch limits. Having a better understanding of how valuable a resource is will allow lawmakers to pass these catch limit laws that allow fishermen to still make a good living. 

This article reports original research in:

Gren, I.-M. &  Marbuah, G. (2024)  Willingness to pay for recreational fisheries in Europe. Fisheries Management and Ecology,  31, e12719. Available: https://doi.org/10.1111/fme.12719

Sarah Myers & Graham Henderson

Have you ever thought that conservation could go too far? Recently, Kristina Svels and colleagues published a paper in Maritime Studies concerning the conservation of grey seals and how the higher population of these seals are depleting Baltic Sea fisheries stocks. It raises the question of is conservation more important than fisheries, and if there is a balance between these two. 

Fisheries in the Baltic Sea have been trying different fishing equipment to ward off the seals when they are fishing, an example of one of these equipment is a seal acoustic deterrent device, which sounds out a frequency that repels seals. The different equipment though only gives temporary relief. A way to help these fisheries is lifting the EU ban on seal products. If seal products were allowed to be traded again then the seal population would get under control. 

Wildlife conservation organizations push back against the idea of lifting this ban and are more focused on protecting the grey seal population. Dealing with the seal population has to be more ethical than just slaughtering seals, but these organizations don’t realize the social injustice that the local fishermen are experiencing. And that fishers are starting to lose their livelihoods. 

When making these policies with the grey seals in the Baltic Sea the Europe Government didn’t take into account how higher grey seal population might affect different marine species, they instead took a single species focus approach on making these policies. And after the privatization of the Baltic Sea fisheries, we can see how the local fishermen started losing a voice in the politics of fishing. Because it’s not just commercial fishing that is being hurt by this higher seal population. 

For social justice to be achieved for the local fishers of the Baltic Sea, there needs to be a reassessment of the current policies and the seal population. And locals need to be involved with creating these new policies.

This news article reports on original research in: Kristina Svels, Pekka Salmi, Nelson F. Coelho, Viktor Eriksson, Sara Königson, Esa Lehtonen, Sven-Gunnar Lunneryd, Petri Suuronen, Markus Vetemaa & Åsa Waldo. “Struggling towards co-existence of the Baltic Sea coastal fisheries and the grey seal.” Maritime Studies 24, no. 1 (2025): https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40152-024-00393-x 

Sam Taylor

March 3rd, 2025

Recently, Javier Sajieo and colleagues conducted a study on a forum, bridging the gap between researchers and fishers. They wanted to take time to discuss and create a plan about the effects of climate change on the marine ecosystems and especially on the organisms that are being impacted that they rely on. The study took place in Galicia, Spain, located on the north western coast. This area is very easily affected by climate change, and there have already been large fluctuations in sea water temperatures. The warming has shown to be impacting the stocks of many important economic fish in the area, most notably sardines. As well, mussels have been shown to be growing at a slower rate than in previous years, and are producing lower meat quality. Because of this threat it was decided that a forum should be held to discuss and connect scientific researchers, with fishers. 60 fishers and 15 researchers from across Galicia all were brought together for this forum. They were split into multiple tables, each addressing a certain issue in the fishery. After a brief, yet informative talk by a researcher in the field, they were able to talk among each other. They were focusing on these two very important questions, “Where are we?” and “Where do we want to go?”. Each group had a moderator which would present the final findings from each table as well as keep the conversation peaceful. They came up with these key findings in four different areas of the fishery. First, in order to protect the environment from bad fishing practices, they planned to increase the communication between scientists and fishers. This will ultimately create regulations on fisheries, ensuring that no one is overfishing. They also looked at the valuation of seafood products. Their main goal was to make sure that each seafood item is traceable, and that buyers know where they are getting their seafood from. The third objective was limiting harmful algae blooms. This means opening and optimizing the HAB prediction systems that many scientists have been working on all over the world. The final need was co management systems and conditions for collective action.  They addressed this need by wanting to form institutionalized bodies to help mend researchers and fishers. Overall, this was an extremely successful forum and it revealed a lot about the power of community in this changing world.  

This news piece reports on original research in:

Seijo, J., Barañano, C., Molares, Y., Olabarría, C., Otero, M. E. V., & Villasante, S. (2024). Fishing with science: Measures to mitigate the impacts of climate change on small-scale fisheries in Galicia (Spain). Marine Policy, 106458. 

Emilia Liguori & Olivia Kneebone

Recently, Massimo Virgili and colleagues published a paper in Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, discussing pot traps as an alternative to gillnet fishing within small-scale fisheries in the Adriatic Sea. Small-scale fisheries are very common within the Mediterranean region, and the most productive catch economically and sustainably is a crucial priority.

Gillnets are known to not only be less effective (due to dolphins being able to easily steal the fish caught in them), but also to be dangerous and harmful to other animal species. Within a process called bycatch, animals (many of which are protected) who are not the target species are caught while hunting targeted fish,and may die or be injured. The goal of these fisheries is to capture Mantis Shrimp, however many other species are caught in gillnets.

  The authors of this paper began their study with the concept of finding another fishing method that could capture more of the target species, less of the non-targeted species, and have less loss of shrimp through dolphin hunting. The chosen method to test in the study was pots (shrimp traps), which sit on the bottom with bait and attract the shrimp into the pot, rather than actively capturing them.

The authors took two years (2021 and 2022) collecting data on pots vs gillnets, and analyzing the bycatch, number of Mantis Shrimp caught, and which type of fishing gear was most effective.  It was found that overall, far more bycatch and unwanted species of animals were caught in gillnets, while the pots captured mostly Mantis Shrimp. A shocking 80% of the catches in pots were Mantis Shrimp, while in the traditional gillnets only 19% of the catches were Mantis Shrimp.  The pots were also found to save money by protecting the Shrimp from other predators such as dolphins. Overall, the pot traps proved to not only be more efficient and more cost effective, but also more safe for wildlife and endangered species!  Switching to these types of traps will mean less waste, less risk of harming endangered animals, and more effective small scale fishing operations.

This news piece reports on original research in: 

Virgili, M., Petetta, A., Herrmann, B. et al. Can pots be an alternative fishing gear to gillnets? A Mediterranean case study. Rev Fish Biol Fisheries 34, 1665–1683 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-024-09893-9 

Recently, Alexei Orlov and Igor Volvenko published a journal in Water Biology and Security discussing the distribution and abundance patterns of such obscure species, the daggertooth, lancetfish and pomfret.

Daggertooth are considered pests regarding Pacific salmon fisheries as they predate on stock, lancetfish are pests too but also important scientific species as their gut contents are useful for sampling of obscure midwater taxa, and despite no established fishery being placed for pomfret they continue to fetch a high price in East Asia. There is a clear need to better understand such economically and scientifically significant teleosts for the sake of fisheries science and so our authors set out to do just that.

The data examined in this study was compiled from the two different databases in the North Pacific, ‘TINRO’ and ‘Trawling macrofauna of the northern pelagic zone 1979-2009’, which allowed for the temporal and spatial scale as well as the abundance of said three species to be calculated and plotted from 1980 all throughout 2020. From this it was found that all three species fluctuate in their occurrence seasonally, most notably daggertooth are near absent in winter months and prolific in their densest aggregates during the summer with the opposite holding true for the lancetfish. Over the decades it was shown that pomfret catches had decreased dramatically and continued to experience extreme seasonal fluctuations.

From this we can gleam that the daggertooth is semelparous, having a complete disappearance in the winter months yet reappearing in spring. This is further supported by certain daggertooth individuals appearing ‘ripe’ just before spawning, i.e. losing their curved teeth and turning oily black. Lancetfish abundance being most prevalent in the winter months, as opposed to the daggertooth, shows that the species must have a form of temporal niche partitioning present  as they both predate upon the same salmon fisheries. 

The potential establishment of a pomfret fishery continues to be contentious as data shows them susceptible to interannual and long term variability but their aggregations offshore have been detected and noted.

In conclusion summer poses the biggest risk for Pacific salmon fisheries, as having the greatest abundance and maximum catch of daggertooth, and winter too poses a threat with the uptick in lancetfish abundance. While the explained data shows the continued decline of pomfret, the finding of dense schoolings in the Southern Bering Sea and Waters off Eastern Kamchatka may prove promising in the establishment of a future fishery. 

This news piece reports on original research in:

Orlov, Alexei M., Igor V. Volvenko. “Distribution and abundance of large pelagic predatory bony fishes in the northwestern Pacific over a half-century.” Water Biology and Security. (2025). Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watbs.2025.100373

An ocean without advanced fishing technology; could you imagine? Recently, a study titled “Equitable Pathways for Sustainable Tuna Fisheries Management in the Indian Ocean" explores a range of management options to ensure the long term sustainability of tuna stocks in the region. The research examines measures such as restricting drifting fish aggregating device (DFAD) sets, limiting operational buoys, implementing seasonal closures, and other strategies aimed at promoting equitable and sustainable tuna fisheries management. 

Yellowfin tuna are facing serious sustainability issues, and stocks in the Indian Ocean are among the most threatened. Tuna and similar species are managed by a series of Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) and contribute significantly to global fisheries revenue. Managers are actively facing issues with the sustainability and equity of devices such as DFADs, which are structures employed by fishermen to attract and capture tuna. When used in tandem with purse seine nets, these devices are responsible for immense amounts of bycatch and damaging marine habitats. When weighing management options, it is important to consider how different stakeholders will be impacted while also ensuring generations of healthy tuna populations. This study calls for better management of fishing and gear types within both small-scale and commercial fisheries, while providing future policymakers with a framework to assess management strategies. 

After gathering a series of metrics from existing databases, the authors of this study created five scenarios that predict the impact of different management strategies on tuna populations in the Indian Ocean. These scenarios ranged from a complete ban on DFADs to seasonal closures and compared them all to a scenario where managers did not change a thing. The findings revealed that seasonal closures centered around the spawning season of tuna provide the best middle ground for sustainably managing tuna fisheries in the Indian Ocean. While the simulated scenario that involved a complete ban on DFADs yielded the most impressive results in terms of revitalizing tuna populations, it raised concerns in terms of equity in revenue and catch shares, or the amount of a fish population that a fisherman is allowed to catch. A complete ban on DFADs and similar technologies could negatively impact the income of large scale fishers, but it is important to consider if these steps must be taken in order to save a vulnerable population. 

An ocean without purse seine nets and limits to DFADs can provide a stable habitat for yellowfin tuna to repopulate. It can also hurt the equity of yellowfin tuna for commercial fleets due to struggles in meeting their quotas using these large-scale sweeping nets. On the other hand, small-scale fisheries will not be as negatively affected by these limits and restrictions. It is important to take a look at the socio-economic aspects of both equity and the management of fish stocks. Fishing technologies have become too efficient for fish populations to repopulate and keep up, which means that we must adjust our management plans to protect and conserve fish stocks for future harvest. 

This news piece reports on original research in:

Tidd, A., et al. (2025). Equitable pathways for sustainable tuna fisheries management in the Indian Ocean. Wageningen University & Research. Retrieved from https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/equitable-pathways-for-sustainable-tuna-fisheries-management-in-t

What really is the need to shop local? Why does supporting businesses in your community matter? Recently, Victor Lucas and colleagues conducted a study on fishermen poverty relating to the Peruvian Mahi-Mahi and the Indonesian Blue Swimming Crab fisheries. This examined how the value amongst these fisheries were distributed within communities of fishers, and how it correlates to their economic well-being. 

Researchers studied two demographics. The first being the socioeconomic status of Indonesian fishermen associated with Blue Swimming Crab fisheries. Lucas and colleagues focused on small-scale fishers who operate independently using traditional fishing methods, and the gender roles within these communities. The second evaluated small scale fishermen in Peru associated with Mahi-Mahi fisheries. The research focused on the socioeconomic status of this community. 

The authors used three key methods during their study. A value chain analysis was conducted to estimate the value of each supply chain step- beginning with the small scale fishers. This showed a clear definition of underearning at the beginning of the supply chain. An income assessment was conducted to determine how each fisherman was compared to the rural living income threshold. Finally, observing in the field identified the challenges of each fishery and the management within them. 

The findings of this study were shocking. In Indonesia, researchers found that 69% of the Blue Swimming Crab fishers earned below the rural living income threshold. The value chain analysis revealed that although the fishermen handled the most labor intensive tasks, they received the smallest amount of pay when compared to others along the supply chain. In Peru, researchers found that 38% of the Mahi-Mahi fishers earned below the rural living income threshold. The value chain analysis revealed that fishermen received a disproportionate pay in comparison to others along the supply chain. Overall, each of these fisheries have a clear underearning among fishers. 

The research on Indonesian and Peruvian fisheries is applicable globally to represent the need for equitable distribution among the supply chain. It can be used as a means to enact policy to ensure small-scale fishers at the root of the economy in communities are properly compensated. Furthermore, it shows the need to support small scale fisheries by understanding the economic disparities. Supporting local shops opposed to big box stores can put profit back into the hands of those who caught the fish, not just those who handled it.

This new piece reports on original research in: 

Victor Lucas, Susanna Balaguer Serra, Marinka Ooteman, Mariasole Petti, Fisher poverty, value chain equity, and resilience: The case of the Indonesian Blue Swimming Crab and the Peruvian Mahi-Mahi, Marine Policy, Volume 170, 2024,106409.

 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2024.106409.

Mason Zimmer & Olivia Regan
A fish out of water is normally a bad thing, not for a mudskipper though. They are happy as can be living in mud above the water's surface. In Tanzania they live in the mud flats and mangroves all along the coastline. Their habitat coincides with both Marine Protected Areas and Non Protected Areas. These Marine Protected Areas are established by the government as places where people can’t fish and industry cannot harm the environment. They are often put in place as measures to reduce the effects of overfishing. The healthy populations in Marine Protected Areas overflow into the surrounding water increasing their fish populations and helping the local fishing industries. 

Recently Cyrus Rumisha published a paper in the Fisheries Management and Ecology journal comparing the populations of Barred Mudskippers in protected areas to those of non protected areas. He found that the genetic diversity differences between Marine Protected Areas and Non Protected Areas was very low. This meant that the populations in both of these areas were very interconnected and shared a lot of genetic material between them. He also found that Marine Protected Areas harbored more unique genetic variations than Non Protected Areas do. This showed that Marine Protected areas are key locations to preserve genetic lineages so that they can redisperse to other areas. 

Rumisha’s paper backs up the effectiveness of these Marine Protected Areas showing their ability to combat overfishing. The populations of Marine Protected Areas and Non Protected Areas being linked so closely together means that likely for other more commercially important species these areas will help restock the surrounding fisheries and help make them more sustainable. The paper encourages more countries to develop similar methods of governance to promote sustainable coastal fisheries.

This news piece reports on original research in:

Rumisha, C. (2024). “Unveiling interconnectedness between marine protected and non‐protected areas in Tanzania: Insights from barred mudskipper (Periophthalmus argentilineatus) population genetic structure.” Fisheries Management and Ecology, 31(6). Available: https://doi.org/10.1111/fme.12722  

Available: 

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/fme.12722