ALBERT

Description: Fish and fishermen appear to be in a serious decline in New England. The haddock are overfished, inshore herring stocks are depleted, yellowtail flounder and lobster are scarce. The popular image is of grizzled fishermen, their boats chipped, scarred, old-fashioned hulks of wood tied up two and three abreast along the rotting wharves and piers of New England's depressed port towns. In this research project, we wanted to determine the state of the New England fishing industry and to propose acceptable methods for the management of the fishery. During our early discussions with the fishing industry people, we mentioned that we were interested in limited effort programs as they might be applied to New England fishermen. We carefully, and probably tediously, explained the "theory of limited effort" and we were generally thought to be daft. We were told we had things backwards--that the fishing industry needed more fish, more men, more boats - and that the way to accomplish this was to get a 200-mile fishing limit and kick the foreigners out. One of these wishes has come true - in the spring of 1976, P.L. 94-265 established a 200-mile fishing zone off the United States, with regional management councils to make management plans and allocate the resources first to United States fishermen, with surpluses to foreign fishermen.

Description: Prepared with funds from the Pew Memorial Trust and by the Department of Commerce, NOAA Office of Sea Grant under Grant #04-5-158-8 and Grant #04-6-158-44106, and the Institution's Marine Policy and Ocean Management Program.

Description: The first year of the New England Regional Fisheries Management Council has been marked by its experimental aura. Neither the Council nor the various sectors (representatives of the Federal and State agencies, members of the fishing industry, the public at large) were clear as to exactly what they were to do and how they were to do it--except in the broadest, most flexible (ambiguous?) terms. This created certain operational difficulties, and confusion for those whose livelihood was affected by the Council's operation. This latter group, particularly the fishermen, knew little of what went on, save in terms of the 'public facet of the Council--i.e., that portion of the Council's performance which occurred during the monthly meetings which were open to the public and which, supposedly, received public input at that time. This study defines that public face, deliberately avoiding the presentation of any data which was not accessible to the average audience participant, in an attempt to present some of the behavior which all participants demonstrated and which generated responses and reactions on the part of the other sectors. It uses standard anthropological techniques of data gathering and analysis to show the degree to which impression management on the part of all the actors operated in a systematic fashion to produce action, reaction, and counter-action. Particularly emphasized is the communication aspects.

Description: Prepared with funds from the Pew Memorial Trust and by the Department of Commerce, NOAA Office of Sea Grant under Grant #04-7-158-44104, and the Marine Policy and Ocean Management Program of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; and by sabbatical funding from the State University of New York.

Description: Author Posting. © Elsevier B.V., 2008. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier B.V. for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Harmful Algae 7 (2008): 772-781, doi:10.1016/j.hal.2008.03.002.

Description: In this study, we develop a framework for measuring the value of harmful algal bloom (HAB) predictions. The framework captures the effects of both private and public responses to HABs. Using data from the New England nearshore commercial shellfish fishery and impact estimates for a large-scale HAB event in 2005, we illustrate how the potential value of HAB forecasts may be estimated. The results of our study suggest that the long-term value of a HAB prediction and tracking system for the Gulf of Maine is sensitive to the frequency of HAB events, the accuracy of predictions, the choice of HAB impact measures, and the effectiveness of public and private responses.

Description: This paper is a result of research funded in part by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coastal Ocean Program under award #NA04NOS4780270 to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Description: Published

Description: Industrial tuna fishing

Description: Fondée sur l'intégration des principes et démarqhes des sciences de l'information et de la communication avec ceux du marketing social et relationnel, la stratégie de communicaton du Programme Girmac se décline sous la forme d'une vision globale, des objectifs généraux, des cibles ainsi que des activités et outils spécifiques de communication

Description: Published

Description: Girmac. strategie de communication

Description: The exploitation status of cardinalfish (Epigonus crassicaudus) yielded in Chile between 33° to 41°S was analyzed. An indirect assessment was performed between 1997 and 2003 through size-structured model with a transition matrix defining the changes among sizes. The model was calibrated using size structures, official landings, catch-per-unit of effort (CPUE) taken from commercial fishing logbooks and standardized by generalized linear models (GLM). After 7 years of an intense fishery activity, we concluded that the cardinalfish resource in Chile is on the recruitment overfishing limit. On 2003, the spawning biomass with respect to the virginal spawning biomass is close to 40%. The biological references points (BRP) based on spawning per recruit biomass (SPR) support this assesment because the fishing mortality level on 2003 (Fact) was very close to fishing mortality level of 40% of SRP at virginal value (F40%).

Description: Published

Description: Besugo, Cardinalfish

Description: This document, which is directed at the fishing sector, researchers, conservationists and fishery administrators, was developed by researchers who are members of the Specialists Group for Marine Turtle Research and conservation in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean (SWA) in response to the urgent need to evaluate the impact generated on sea turtles by fisheries. Historically, sea turtle conservation efforts have focused almost exclusively on the protection of nesting beaches. Nevertheless, over the last decade, research has proved incidental mortality as a result of fishing activities to be one of the greatest threats to these animals. This type of interaction is not only problematic for turtles, but also generates financial losses for fishermen and businesses. In spite of the efforts that are currently underway, researchers still do not have a detailed understanding of the impact that bycatch produces on sea turtle populations in the SWA. We have a long way to go before its effects can be minimized. Further research is needed regarding the biology and ecology of the various turtle species as well as the effective application of mitigation measures. The life cycles of sea turtles are long and complex. Turtles occupy various ecosystems (nesting beaches, coastal, neritic and oceanic zones, as well as pelagic and demersal areas) throughout their lifetimes, transcending various Exclusive Economic Zones and International Waters. The five species that inhabit the SWA region perform vast feeding and reproductive migrations, traveling through areas where many different fishing fleets operate. Therefore, sea turtles in the SWA interact with virtually all fisheries. These circumstances make it necessary to carry out biological, fishing related and conservation studies on a regional level. The efficiency of the existing international and national legal instruments has yet to be determined, in terms of their effectiveness in protecting sea turtles. In some cases, legislation that is specifically related to the interaction between fisheries and turtles does exist, such as those laws requiring the mandatory use of turtle excluding devices (TEDs). There are also explicit bans on sea turtle capture. Nevertheless, none of these regulations prevent sea turtle bycatch. Although some regional legal instruments are needed, these and the existing legislation will only be effective if they are accompanied by a broader range of permanent education and control measures, to achieve the commitment of all the parties involved. The ecosystem approach is gaining popularity among fishery administration organizations. Research and conservation efforts should also be moving in that direction. A regional and international effort is required in order to compile information regarding the bycatch produced by the various types of fisheries and fleets operating in the area. The enormous increase in fishing pressure that these fleets are exerting in this area has not been accompanied by an increase in information regarding the bycatch of species that have no commercial value. Pelagic longlining is one of the fishing methods, which must be most closely monitored, due to the high levels of bycatch that it produces, as well its ample distribution throughout the region, and the high level of fishing effort that it accounts for. Coastal trawlers and gillnetters must also be considered critical players, because they too produce a large rate of bycatch. These are the three types of fisheries that are most broadly distributed throughout the region, accounting for the majority of the fishing effort. Most of the institutions that work toward sea turtle conservation in the area have only begun to address the issue of bycatch over the last decade. This timeframe is reflected in the scope and quantity of the available publications, as well as the progress of activities directed at mitigating this problem. All of the institutions that have been mentioned in this report have made the gathering of information regarding interaction between sea turtles and fisheries one of their top priorities. Some institutions are even developing working programs for monitoring fisheries and testing mitigation measures. Many of these institutions have managed to develop adequate relationships with fishermen, ship owners and administrators. Nevertheless, limited access to funding is an obstacle to the development and testing of mitigation measures. The SWA network, which is a very valuable instrument that was created in 2003, has allowed the region’s institutions and researchers to exchange information and share their experience, in addition to lending each other support in carrying out joint activities, thus strengthening sea turtle conservation efforts. The capacity demonstrated so far by the region’s researchers and institutions, testifies to their ability to continue to make progress in knowledge generation and tests of bycatch mitigation measures.

Description: Published

Description: Seychelles is composed of over 100 islands with a land area of approximately 455 km², centred close to 4°30'S and 55°30'E. The combined coastline is approximately 600 km long, the oceanic shelf totals about 50 000 km² and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is over 1 370 000 km². The total population (1994 census) stands at just under 74 000. in 1994, the population registered a growth rate of 2.2%. The GDP (1994) was SR 2373.8 million, fisheries representing 4.8% of this sum. Licensing agreements for foreign fishing activities provided a yearly revenue of SR8 million. Port Victoria is seen as a prime centre for tuna fishing operations in the Indian Ocean. In the artisanal fishery just under 900 persons are working. The largest contributor to catch by vessel type are the traditional whaler vessels representing 47.8% of the total catch. Over 66.3% of the catch is by the handline method. Carangidae representing 24% and Lutjanidae 19% of total landings. There are six specific objectives to the fisheries sector policy, which aims as resource development and maximisation of potential benefits. Nearshore fishery resources are considered to be heavily exploited, however opportunities exist around the distant islands and in deeper waters off the Mahe plateau shelf. Aquaculture of molluscs and prawns is being developed and carried out. The main constraints to development are seen as the lack of skilled manpower and foreign exchange.

Description: Published

Description: The present paper is based on a collation of information, through both a literature review and an internet search, on North American programs that involve some kind of scientific collaboration between fishers and fisheries scientists. It identifies four basic models of such collaboration and offers examples of collaborative activities that seem to fit into each of them. The first model defers to the expertise of the scientist for all major decisions and creates a strong programmatic distinction between what is science, and shall be done by scientists, and what are other, related activities that can be carried out by others. Various kinds of tagging programs, fisher advisory boards, at-sea research collaboration and many other activities fit this model. The second model, traditional ecological knowledge, recognizes that fishers have available to them a unique, local knowledge of the resource that can make a supplementary contribution to fisheries science. Several government, community and environmental groups are engaged in finding, recording and using this knowledge....

Description: Unpublished

Description: Durante las últimas décadas se ha observado un incremento de la captura (descartada y retenida) de condrictios en las pesquerías artesanales e industriales, conjuntamente con un rápido crecimiento de las pesquerías no reguladas, lo cual ha ocasionado una disminución en muchas poblaciones de este grupo de peces en todos los mares del mundo. La sobrepesca y los elevados niveles de mortalidad ocasionados por la captura incidental, asi como la degradación y contaminación de áreas costeras donde se ubican las zonas de alimentación, reproducción y cría para muchas especies de condrictios, han colocado a este grupo de peces en una situación difícil. Estos hechos, combinados con el bajo potencial reproductivo y la estrategia de vida de la mayoría de las especies de condríctios, no permiten una recuperación de las poblaciones, cuando las mismas se ven enfrentadas a períodos de sobreexplotación. En las aguas de Uruguay ocurren aproximadamente 100 especies de condrictios, muchas de las cuales son capturadas por diferentes pesquerias, tanto de forma incidental como dirigida. Debido a la preocupación a nivel internacional sobre la sustentabilidad de las pesquerías de tiburones, la FAO en 1998 realizó una consulta internacional a expertos y desarrolló un “Plan de Acción Internacional para la Conservación y el Manejo de los Tiburones” (PAI - Tiburones), el cual fue adoptado en 1999. El objetivo del PAI - Tiburones es asegurar la conservación, el manejo y el uso sustentable a largo plazo de los tiburones. Al hacer referencia a “tiburones”, se incluyen a todos los condrictios (tiburones, batoideos y quimeras). Este documento se divide en dos Capítulos y cuatro Anexos. El primer capítulo incluye los objetivos del PAN - Condrictios Uruguay y las medidas propuestas para alcanzar los mismos. El segundo capítulo contiene un diagnóstico general de los condrictios, las pesquerías y el marco jurídico. Como anexos se incluyen una lista de especies de condrictios citadas para Uruguay junto a su status en las listas rojas de la UICN, una reseña biológica de las especies consideradas prioritaras, una lista de abreviaturas, y listas de instituciones y personas que participaron de las reuniones desarrolladas durante el proceso de elaboración del PAN – Condrictios Uruguay. Las medidas propuestas por el PAN - Condrictios Uruguay se deberán aplicar a todas las pesquerías efectuadas por buques de bandera uruguaya, incluso los que operan fuera de la zona económica exclusiva de Uruguay.

Description: Published

Description: chondrichthyan, legal norm