The status of fishery cooperatives along the Aegean Sea coast (Turkey)

The objective of this study was to document the present status of fishery cooperatives on the Turkish Aegean Sea coast while at the same time exploring membership expectations and overall involvement of the fishery community in the cooperative sector. To achieve this goal, a survey assessed 92% (n = 56) of the Turkish fishery cooperatives in the Aegean region. Using cluster analysis, the cooperatives were divided into three groups based on six of their provided services. Group 1 provided a good level of services; the number of members per cooperative was relatively low in this group, but the cooperatives fulfilled most of their objectives. Group 2 consisted of the youngest cooperatives and had the highest number of members per cooperative, with one‐third of the members relying on fishing as their sole income; cooperatives in this group were the least able to provide services to their members. Group 3 consisted of the oldest cooperatives with the highest number of fishery‐dependent members; cooperatives in this group were the most able to provide services and to meet members objectives. After grouping the cooperatives, a Tobit model was used to determine factors affecting the membership ratio. The Kolmogorov–Smirnov normality test was run to verify that the variables conformed to normal distributions, and the Kruskal–Wallis test compared the different groups. Results showed that the ages of the cooperatives and the existing government policies regarding fishery cooperatives and conflicts among members had significantly negative effects on membership ratios whereas periodic changes in the management board had significantly positive effects. These results will be useful for decision makers in designing suitable policies for the better management of fishery cooperatives.     

Drivers of the Distribution of Fisher Effort at Lake Alaotra,Madagascar

Understanding how fishers make decisions is important for improving management of fisheries. There is debate about the extent to which small-scale fishers follow an ideal free distribution (IFD) – distributing their fishing effort efficiently according to resource availability rather than being influenced by social factors or personal preference. Using detailed data from 1800 fisher catches and from semi-structured interviews with over 700 fishers at Lake Alaotra, the largest inland fishery in Madagascar, we show that fishers generally conform to IFD. However, there were differences in catch: effort relationships between fishers using different gear types as well as other revealing deviations from the predictions of IFD. Fishers report routine as the primary determinant of their choice of fishing location, explaining why they do not quickly respond to changes in catch at a site. Understanding the influences on fishers’ spatial behaviour will allow better estimates of costs of fishing policies on resource users, and help predict their likely responses. This can inform management strategies to minimise the negative impacts of interventions, increasing local support for and compliance with rules.     

To fish or not to fish: factors at multiple scales affecting artisanal fishers' readiness to exit a declining fishery

Globally, fisheries are challenged by the combined impacts of overfishing, degradation of ecosystems and impacts of climate change, while fisheries livelihoods are further pressured by conservation policy imperatives. Fishers' adaptive responses to these pressures, such as exiting from a fishery to pursue alternative livelihoods, determine their own vulnerability, as well as the potential for reducing fishing effort and sustaining fisheries. The willingness and ability to make particular adaptations in response to change, such as exiting from a declining fishery, is influenced by economic, cultural and institutional factors operating at scales from individual fishers to national economies. Previous studies of exit from fisheries at single or few sites, offer limited insight into the relative importance of individual and larger-scale social and economic factors. We asked 599 fishers how they would respond to hypothetical scenarios of catch declines in 28 sites in five western Indian Ocean countries. We investigated how socioeconomic variables at the individual-, household- and site-scale affected whether they would exit fisheries. Site-level factors had the greatest influence on readiness to exit, but these relationships were contrary to common predictions. Specifically, higher levels of infrastructure development and economic vitality - expected to promote exit from fisheries - were associated with less readiness to exit. This may be due to site level histories of exit from fisheries, greater specialisation of fishing households, or higher rewards from fishing in more economically developed sites due to technology, market access, catch value and government subsidies. At the individual and household scale, fishers from households with more livelihood activities, and fishers with lower catch value were more willing to exit. These results demonstrate empirically how adaptive responses to change are influenced by factors at multiple scales, and highlight the importance of understanding natural resource-based livelihoods in the context of the wider economy and society.     

An unlikely partnership: fishers’ participation in a small-scale fishery data collection program in the Timor Sea

Traditional fisheries stock assessment methods and fishery independent surveys are costly and time consuming exercises. However fishers trained in data collection and utilising other skills can reduce costs and improve fishery assessments and management. A data collection program was conducted by Australian and Indonesian scientists with small-scale Indonesian sea cucumber fishers to evaluate the approach and then capture its benefits. The data fishers recorded allowed for the first stock assessment of this trans-boundary fishery during its centuries-long existence at Scott Reef in north-western Australia. The program also included interviews with fishers capturing the social, economic, and demographic aspects of the fishery. Economic inputs to fishing were complemented by fishery revenue data voluntarily submitted when fishers returned to port and sold their catch. Catch data recorded by fishers demonstrated much higher abundances than estimates obtained using standard visual transect methods and accurately reflected the true catch composition. However, they also showed extreme rates of exploitation. Interviews revealed social and economic factors that would be important considerations if management interventions were made. The program’s approach and the time scientists spent on the fishers’ vessels were key ingredients to fishers’ participation and the utility of the results. Despite the program’s achievements the information generated has not led to improved management or had any direct benefits for the participants. Sustaining the program in the longer term requires that its value is better captured.     

Quantifying the Short-Term Costs of Conservation Interventions for Fishers at Lake Alaotra,Madagascar

Artisanal fisheries are a key source of food and income for millions of people, but if poorly managed, fishing can have declining returns as well as impacts on biodiversity. Management interventions such as spatial and temporal closures can improve fishery sustainability and reduce environmental degradation, but may carry substantial short-term costs for fishers. The Lake Alaotra wetland in Madagascar supports a commercially important artisanal fishery and provides habitat for a Critically Endangered primate and other endemic wildlife of conservation importance. Using detailed data from more than 1,600 fisher catches, we used linear mixed effects models to explore and quantify relationships between catch weight, effort, and spatial and temporal restrictions to identify drivers of fisher behaviour and quantify the potential effect of fishing restrictions on catch. We found that restricted area interventions and fishery closures would generate direct short-term costs through reduced catch and income, and these costs vary between groups of fishers using different gear. Our results show that conservation interventions can have uneven impacts on local people with different fishing strategies. This information can be used to formulate management strategies that minimise the adverse impacts of interventions, increase local support and compliance, and therefore maximise conservation effectiveness.     

Use of dolphins and caimans as bait for Calophysus macropterus (Lichtenstein, 1819) (Siluriforme: Pimelodidae) in the Amazon

A new fishery has been developing in the Amazon that uses dolphin and caiman species as bait to catch piracatinga (Calophysus macropterus), having thus the potential to cause adverse food‐web impacts; however a lack of basic understanding of this fishery is a limitation to the necessary management action. Interviews with fishers and analyses of fishing records in Brazil were used for the study, including harvest methods, types of baits used, commercialization chains, and the rate of increase of piracatinga yields in recent years. Piracatinga fishers are subsistence fishers who harvest piracatinga as a means to alleviate economic constraints when the catch of other species is not profitable or banned due to (reproductive) closed seasons. Harvesting is done with wooden and nylon crates and cages in which whole or pieces of caimans and dolphins are placed to attract the piracatinga, entrapping them. The piracatinga are then sold to intermediate sellers for resale to a few large fish freezing and processing plants for export to Colombia. Annual piracatinga yields in the study area increased at an average rate of 446.5% per year, from 865 kg in 2003 to 23 176 kg in 2009. Because dolphins and caimans comprise various endangered species, the Brazilian government has recently implemented a ban on this fishery, which can be enforced at fish freezing and processing plants. However, there is a danger that such enforcement will lead to the development of a geographically dispersed chain of commercialization and export, such as currently exists for other species including caimans, which would be impossible to control.     

Modelling the Spatial Behaviour of a Tropical Tuna Purse Seine Fleet

Industrial tuna fisheries operate in the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, but concerns over sustainability and environmental impacts of these fisheries have resulted in increased scrutiny of how they are managed. An important but often overlooked factor in the success or failure of tuna fisheries management is the behaviour of fishers and fishing fleets. Uncertainty in how a fishing fleet will respond to management or other influences can be reduced by anticipating fleet behaviour, although to date there has been little research directed at understanding and anticipating the human dimension of tuna fisheries. The aim of this study was to address gaps in knowledge of the behaviour of tuna fleets, using the Indian Ocean tropical tuna purse seine fishery as a case study. We use statistical modelling to examine the factors that influence the spatial behaviour of the purse seine fleet at broad spatiotemporal scales. This analysis reveals very high consistency between years in the use of seasonal fishing grounds by the fleet, as well as a forcing influence of biophysical ocean conditions on the distribution of fishing effort. These findings suggest strong inertia in the spatial behaviour of the fleet, which has important implications for predicting the response of the fleet to natural events or management measures (e.g., spatial closures).     

Bio‐economic analysis of the Mar Menor (Murcia,SE Spain) small‐scale lagoon fishery

An integrated fisheries management tool based on a bio‐economic model was applied to the demersal fishery in the Mar Menor coastal lagoon in SE Spain, with the objective of exploring solutions to ensure the sustainability of this activity. The hypothesis is that excess harvesting in recent years by fishers trying to offset growing production costs has led to the inefficient use of lagoon fishery resources. The authors established the basic bio‐economic conditions of the fishery in 2012 by means of field sampling and personal interviews with producers, and analyzed the response of several biological and economic indicators (target species biomass and yield, fleet profits) to a management scenario based on limiting the fishing season of one of the main types of fishing gear (fish traps, locally known as ‘paranzas’). Results show that a reduction in fishing mortality of two overexploited species (Sparus aurata and Lithognathus mormyrus) will help recover the biomass of these stocks by more than 40% as well as increase the economic value of the fishery, with profits increasing by 17% over a 4‐year period.     

Foraging Strategies of Artisanal Fishers in a Brazilian Reservoir

Ecological models derived from Optimal Foraging Theory have been used to understand the decision-making processes and optimization of artisanal fisheries. However, many studies do not consider the influence of fishing techniques or seasonality on foraging strategies. We analyzed the optimization strategies and decision-making processes of the fishers at a Brazilian reservoir. Data were collected through interviews and questionnaires involving 65 artisanal fishers, and daily catches were monitored in July/2015 and January/2016. Fishing techniques and seasonality influenced the fishers’ behavior. The fishery activities monitored here were partially or totally consistent with the predictions of the Central-Place Foraging model, but due to the complexity of these activities, other factors also influenced the decision-making of individual fishers. Furthermore, the adoption of strategies that involve “non-ideal” behaviors may be advantageous for the fishers in the context of their individual necessities.     

Management strategies for sustainable invertebrate fisheries in coastal ecosystems of Galicia (NW Spain)

Artisanal coastal invertebrate fisheries in Galicia are socio-economically important and ecologically relevant. Their management, however, has been based on models of fish population dynamics appropriate for highly mobile demersal or pelagic resources and for industrial fisheries. These management systems focus on regulating fishing effort, but in coastal ecosystems activities that change or destruct key habitats may have a greater effect on population abundance than does fishing mortality. The Golfo Artabro was analysed as a representative example of a coastal ecosystem in Galicia, and the spider crab Maja squinado used as a model of an exploited coastal invertebrate, for which shallow coastal areas are key habitats for juvenile stages. The commercial legal gillnet fishery for the spider crab harvests adults during their reproductive migrations to deep waters and in their wintering habitats. Illegal fisheries operate in shallow waters. The annual rate of exploitation is >90%, and <10% of the primiparous females reproduce effectively at least once. A simple spatially-explicit cohort model was constructed to simulate the population dynamics of spider crab females. Yield- and egg-per-recruit analyses corresponding to different exploitation regimes were performed to compare management policies directed to control the fishing effort or to protect key habitats. It was found that the protection of juvenile habitats could allow increases in yield and reproductive effort higher than in the present system, with such protection based in the control of the fishing effort of the legal fishery. Additionally, there is an urgent need for alternative research and management strategies in artisanal coastal fisheries based on the implementation of a system of territorial use rights for fishers, the integration of the fishers into assessment and management processes, and the protection of key habitats (marine reserves) as a basic tool for the regulation of the fisheries.     

Assessing Fishers' Support of Striped Bass Management Strategies

Incorporating the perspectives and insights of stakeholders is an essential component of ecosystem-based fisheries management, such that policy strategies should account for the diverse interests of various groups of anglers to enhance their efficacy. Here we assessed fishing stakeholders’ perceptions on the management of Atlantic striped bass (Morone saxatilis) and receptiveness to potential future regulations using an online survey of recreational and commercial fishers in Massachusetts and Connecticut (USA). Our results indicate that most fishers harbored adequate to positive perceptions of current striped bass management policies when asked to grade their state’s management regime. Yet, subtle differences in perceptions existed between recreational and commercial fishers, as well as across individuals with differing levels of fishing experience, resource dependency, and tournament participation. Recreational fishers in both states were generally supportive or neutral towards potential management actions including slot limits (71%) and mandated circle hooks to reduce mortality of released fish (74%), but less supportive of reduced recreational bag limits (51%). Although commercial anglers were typically less supportive of management changes than their recreational counterparts, the majority were still supportive of slot limits (54%) and mandated use of circle hooks (56%). Our study suggests that both recreational and commercial fishers are generally supportive of additional management strategies aimed at sustaining healthy striped bass populations and agree on a variety of strategies. However, both stakeholder groups were less supportive of harvest reductions, which is the most direct measure of reducing mortality available to fisheries managers. By revealing factors that influence stakeholders’ support or willingness to comply with management strategies, studies such as ours can help managers identify potential stakeholder support for or conflicts that may result from regulation changes.     

Preferred Resource Spaces and Fisher Flexibility: Implications for Spatial Management of Small-Scale Fisheries

Many fisheries management interventions are in the form of spatial regulations that change fishers?? access to fishing grounds. How fishers respond to regulations directly affects the ecological and socioeconomic outcomes of management objectives, but little attention is paid to fishers?? willingness and ability to make spatial adjustments. We investigate the spatial preferences of small-scale fishers in Sabah, Malaysia, within a framework of mental maps and perceptions. We find that the majority of fishers fish within preferred resource spaces that were heavily influenced by perceptions of safety. Most fishers exhibit low flexibility to adapt to spatial changes, based on i) unwillingness to travel beyond preferred resource spaces; ii) unwillingness to leave the fishery; and iii) low to no alternative employment opportunities. We emphasize the need to uncover and understand human dimension parameters to reduce uncertainty surrounding human behaviour, and ultimately facilitate the attainment of fisheries management objectives.     

Composition of the Aboriginal harvest of fisheries resources in coastal New South Wales,Australia

A key aspect of equitable management of the world’s fishery resources is the provision of traditional fishing access for Indigenous peoples. In Australia, increased recognition of the importance of fisheries to Indigenous culture and livelihoods over recent years has created a need for information on the species targeted to support policy and management. In the State of New South Wales (NSW), research on Indigenous fisheries catch composition is limited to two major studies. Here, we compare and combine data on Indigenous catch composition from these two studies to produce a comprehensive synthesis of current knowledge of Indigenous fisheries in NSW. The species harvested include more than 150 species of finfish and invertebrates, over 90 % of which are also harvested by commercial and recreational fishers. Our findings provide an empirical basis for future development of policy and management initiatives to meet the needs of Indigenous fishers and other stakeholders, as well as the principles of sustainable fisheries harvest.     

A comparative study on socio-economic indicators and viability in small-scale fisheries of six districts along the Turkish coast

The study evaluates the status of small-scale fishermen and fishing operations, using socio-economic indicators and economic viability estimates in six selected fishing areas of Turkey during the 2002–2003 fishing season. Fifty-six percent of all small-scale fishing boats investigated achieved a positive net profit, fully recovering their operational and investment costs. Considering the viability of the fishery, 56% can be considered as economically viable. Percentages of negative gross cash flow (GCF) for each of the vessels in the district was 56% in Foça, 57% in Karaburun, 15% in Mordoğan, 16% in Akyaka, 65% in Akçapınar, and 44% in Marmaris. On the other hand, when sustainability is defined with more than an economic performance ratio of 10%, only 41% of the small-scale fishing vessels seem to have shown favourable results. Criteria such as comparatively higher catch, smaller crew size and lower labour costs, structure of the fishery or misreporting might have had a slight role in affecting the overall results which indicate that livelihood and economic viability are threatened by irregular and relatively low income levels in the small-scale fisheries sector. Given the economic conditions of small-scale fishing communities, it is suggested that all persons concerned at the community, industry and government levels should take a fresh look at the problem of sustainability. As such, more attention needs to be paid to the fishery management option by looking at performance data and having long-term monitoring of the socio-economic indicators.     

An interdisciplinary evaluation of fishery production systems off the state of Pará in North Brazil

The performance of 20 fishery production systems off the state of Pará in the northern region of Brazil was compared using the 'RAPFISH' methodology, with 57 identified attributes distributed among five evaluation fields: economics, sociology, ecology, technology and politics. The results indicated the existence of three large groups of fishery sectors: (i) industrial (red snapper with traps, the Laulao catfish, shrimp trawl) and semi-industrial (lobster) fisheries; (ii) large-scale artisanal fisheries (acoupa weakfish, red snapper with lines, king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, coco sea catfish); and (iii) small-scale artisanal fisheries (shellfish, crab, estuarine longline, fish traps, etc.). While the industrial and large-scale artisanal systems demonstrated greater sustainability from an economic and social standpoint, small-scale fisheries appeared to be more ecologically sustainable. Based on the results, a reduction in industrial fishing efforts is recommended, along with the establishment of licensing quotas for fishing vessels, as well as an increased investment in research on proper guidance and management of the semi-industrial and large-scale artisanal fisheries sectors. For small-scale artisanal fisheries, economic incentives are suggested for the aggregate value of the products and to assist fishers in the development of an appropriate social organization. Finally, it is believed that a greater stakeholder involvement in the decision-making process would improve management actions for all modalities.     

Management implications of the biodiversity and socio-economic impacts of shrimp trawler by-catch in Bahía de Kino, Sonora, México

The shrimp fishery is the most economically important fishery in Mexico. The trawler-based portion of this fishery results in high rates of by-catch. This study quantifies and describes the biodiversity of by-catch associated with trawling in the Bahía de Kino region of Sonora, Mexico. Data were collected from 55 trawls, on six boats, over 14 nights, during November of 2003, 2004, 2006-2009. By-catch rates within trawl samples averaged 85.9% measured by weight. A total of 183 by-catch species were identified during the course of this study, including 97 species of bony fish from 43 families, 19 species of elasmobranchs from 12 families, 66 species of invertebrates from eight phyla, and one species of marine turtle; seven of the documented by-catch species are listed on the IUCN Red List, CITES, or the Mexican NOM-059-ECOL-2010; 35 species documented in the by-catch are also targeted by local artisanal fishers. Some of the species frequently captured as juveniles in the by-catch are economically important to small-scale fishers in the region, and are particularly sensitive to overexploitation due to their life histories. This study highlights the need for further research quantifying the impacts of high levels of by-catch upon small-scale fishing economies in the region and presents strong ecological and economic rationale for by-catch management within the shrimp fishery of the Gulf of California. Site-specific by-catch management plans should be piloted in the Bahía de Kino region to address the growing momentum in national and international fisheries policy regimes toward the reduction of by-catch in shrimp fisheries.     

Dynamics of artisanal fisheries in two Brazilian Amazonian reserves: implications to co-management

In this study we compare the dynamics of artisanal fishery in two adjacent reserves located in the Brazilian Amazon, Mamirauá (being managed for more than 12 years) and Amanã (initiating a management process), through the record of 485 fish landings in one fishing community in each reserve during high and low water seasons in 2003. Our goals were, first, to make a rapid and comparative assessment of some main aspects of fisheries in these two communities (fish species caught, CPUE, fishing gear and habitats exploited). Second, we used such data to evaluate if management strategies already in place in Mamirauá would be also valid for Amanã. Third, we compared fishing CPUE between the two communities, in order to check if co-management measures have contributed, at least partially, to preclude over-fishing, maintaining a higher fishing reward in Mamirauá reserve. We analyzed fisheries directed to the two most important marketable fishes in the region: the pirarucu (Arapaimas gigas) and the tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum), besides those fisheries aimed to subsistence and lower valued fishes. Our results indicated that the tambaqui was intensively fished year-round in Mamirauá, while Amanã fishers caught a higher variety of fishes, including catfishes and migratory scale fishes. Such differences might reflect differences in gear used and habitat exploited by fishers during the high water season. Mamirauá fishers caught a higher fish biomass considering both marketable and all fishes. Differences in gear used, habitats exploited and fishes caught during high water season indicate that distinct management initiatives might apply for each reserve. Notwithstanding their differences, both communities exploited the commercial fishes (tambaqui and pirarucu) in a similar way during the low water season. Therefore, the higher mean fishing yield (CPUE) observed in Mamirauá may be partially attributable to co-management measures, considering that Mamirauá has possibly been experiencing a higher fishing intensity than Amanã. Fishing related data are seldom available in Brazil and other tropical developing countries. We thus provided a framework of fast assessment of fishing dynamics, which may represent a first and useful step for management initiatives in the absence of more detailed data.     

Tono Reservoir fishery contribution to poverty reduction among fishers in northern Ghana

Fishery characteristics and livelihood status of fishers at Tono Reservoir, Ghana, were investigated between January 2015 and June 2016. Data on fisher demography, fishing gears, fishing methods, perceptions of the state of fish stocks, management practices, income and consumption of fishers were obtained through structured interviews. Censuses of fishers and fishing gears were conducted through direct observation and counts. The population of fishers was 950 and the majority (74%) of the sampled respondents fell within the ages of 24–41 years. Gillnet, cast net, trap and hook and line were the four main gears utilised. Illegal methods of fishing observed included the use of mosquito nets (nets with mesh <1.0 cm) and the use of brewer’s waste (pito mash) as bait. Brycinus nurse, Synodontis spp., Parailia spiniserrata and Chrysichthys spp. were perceived to have disappeared from the reservoir. The fishers were unaware of the existence of any fisheries regulations, hence there was no adherence to management practices. Their daily income was derived mainly from fishing. The incidence of poverty among fishers was low (8%). The Tono Reservoir has a great potential for supporting livelihood if it is properly managed.     

A quantitative comparison of recreational spearfishing and linefishing on the Great Barrier Reef: implications for management of multi-sector coral reef fisheries

This study compared the catch composition, catch per unit effort, and incidental impacts of spearfishers and linefishers engaged in a structured fishing program whereby fishing effort was standardized across time, space and skill level. It was found that (1) the catch composition of both groups of fishers overlapped considerably, (2) the numbers of target fish caught by spearfishers (156) and linefishers (168) were not significantly different, (3) the mean size of target fish caught by spearfishers (1.95 ± 0.1 kg, ±SE) was significantly larger than the mean size of target fish caught by linefishers (1.27 ± 0.06 kg), and (4) spearfishers retained 43% more biomass of target species than did linefishers (304 versus 213 kg, respectively). However, linefishers used ∼1 kg of bait for every 3 kg of target fish that were captured. Linefishers also caught far more undersized, undesirable, or protected fishes (i.e., bycatch) and caused far more pollution (i.e., lost gear) than did spearfishers. It is concluded that the overall impacts of recreational spearfishing and linefishing on fishery resources of the Great Barrier Reef are broadly equivalent (per unit of fishing effort), and that management regulations should be applied equitably across both fishing sectors. A management strategy of this type will simplify enforcement of fisheries regulations and avoid discrimination of particular fishers in local communities where both fishing methods are socially or culturally important.     

Environmental variability and the fishery dynamics of the Okavango delta, Botswana: the case of subsistence fishing

The hydrological regime of the Okavango River Basin is the main driver of ecological change in the delta. The delta supports a small-scale fishery which is a source of livelihood for communities within its fringes. The fish resource is particularly important to subsistence fishers, who have limited access to socio-economic opportunities. However, fish availability is subject to 'concentration and dilution' effects because of the hydrological regime. As a copying strategy, fishers use a variety of fishing methods to effectively harvest the delta's fish community across all its trophic levels. This exploitation regime helps to maintain the delta's species diversity and only reduces fish biomass proportionally across the different trophical levels. Furthermore, fishers have developed different fish-processing techniques to preserve their harvest for low fishing season periods to cope with low food availability. The aim of this paper therefore, was to explore spatio-temporal variations in fish availability and to show how the delta's subsistence fishers cope with this dynamicity.