Lecture 5: Managing Fisheries
Gaytha A. Langlois, Ph.D.
Site
Map
Managing Mixed Use Coastal Areas
Fisheries
in Trouble
World is running out
of fish
More than 40% of world’s
fish have been overfished
(U.S. National Marine
Fisheries data)
Four of the 17 major
fisheries are commercially depleted; nine others in serious decline
(United Nations Food
and Agriculture Office data)
Cambodia, Thailand,
and Taiwan expanding navies to protect fishing grounds
Fisheries
in Trouble (continued)
New England fishing
grounds in crisis
Dramatic declines
in fish stocks
Haddock, cod, and
flounder were 75% of the catch in 1960s (now about 25%)
Few menhaden in the
Gulf of Mexico
Economic losses due
to depleted fish stocks
About $350 million
in 1990
Loss of around 14,000
jobs
Fisheries
in Trouble (continued)
Abundance Statistics
for Rhode Island
Oysters (15 million
lbs. of meat in 1910; 0.01 million lbs. from 1955 to 1996)
Winter flounder (<0.1
million lbs. in early 1950’s, to 9 million lbs. in early 1980’s, to 1 million
lbs. in the late 1990’s)
Fish populations vary
widely; e.g. Striped bass fishery collapsed (1970’s) and rebounded to 1
million lbs.(1990’s)
Economic
Threats in RI
Landings of commercial
fisheries in RI are valued at approximately $75 million
Economic impact of
seafood production in RI is estimated to be approximately $700 million
Recreational fishers
make about 1 million fishing trips annually in RI, valued at approximately
$150 million
Reasons
for Decline
Three main reasons
for fishery decline
Overfishing
Habitat Destruction
Bycatch (“collateral
damage”)
Stakeholders
in fishery problems
Commercial fishermen
& marine industries
Tourists & tourism
providers; consumers
Seafood industry (restaurants
& suppliers)
Scientists and policy
makers
Role
of Magnuson Act
Magnuson Act: Fishery
Conservation & Management Act
Set 200 mile limit
as U.S. waters
Restricted foreign
vessels from overfishing; did not prevent U.S. boats from overfishing
Technological improvements
on boats, e.g., Factory trawlers (400 ft. vessels that catch and process
fish onboard)
Other
Proposed Legislation
Gilchrest Bill to
limit overfishing
Defined and prohibited
overfishing
When in doubt, biology
would outweigh economics
Restrict construction
on wetlands and shorelines
Ban mechanisms that
cause bycatch
Tighten conflict of
interest rules for members of regional fishery councils
Other
Proposed Legislation (continued)
Sen. John Kerry and
Rep. Larry Studds from Massachusetts
Require Mass. Fisheries
Management Council to develop a plan for rebuilding New England groundfish
stocks
Create a $5 million
annual fisheries reinvestment program to encourage fishing for underutilized
species
Technological
Issues
Bottom trawlers that
scrape away the living benthic community, e.g., used for scallops and bottom
fish
http://www.sfos.uaf.edu/npmr/projects/fisheries/108/pgal/photo08.html
Small mesh nets that
capture unwanted fish that are killed or injured and then thrown overboard
E.g., Shrimp boats
capturing finfish as bycatch
GIS equipment for
fish-finding
Widespread utilitization
Precision of satellite
technology
Achieves broader reach
of fishing vessels
Economic
Issues
Global markets create
insatiable need for fish and fish byproducts
Fishing boats and
gear are expensive and most fishing companies are in debt
Operating expenses
are also high
Pushing the limits
of the resource become crucial in order to survive
Fisheries
Planning
Historically, fisheries
management plans are usually based on a single-species model
Do not accurately
reflect how different species of fish depend on each other
Fish species are connected
with their surroundings
Regional
Fishery Management Councils
Regional Councils
are required by federal law
Controversy regarding
membership on the councils (representative of all stakeholders, or industry-controlled?)
Principles
of Management
Management for species
preservation and long term viability of fishery (limit catch by species
or quantity)
Management for short
term economic relief to fishing industry (short term limits, or no limits)
Switch to underutilized
species
Management of marine
ecosystems (need solid science and extensive data)
Managing
Marine Ecosystems
Using past trends
to design better fishery management plans
Long history of exploitation
Harvesting (fishing)
based on economic value of a species, not on its ecological role in the
marine ecosystem
Leads to local extinctions
and worldwide ecosystem damage
Resultant loss of
keystone species may be irreversible
Shift toward pelagic,
rapid-turnover, low-value species
Harvest limits may
seem safe for a single species, but cannot maintain ecosystem viability
Fishing patterns have
resulted in less sustainable ecosystems
Managing
Marine Ecosystems (continued)
Aim toward a “rebuilding”
policy, not one for “sustaining” current catches and biomass
Planning needs to
integrate local and traditional environmental knowledge (TEK)
associated with aboriginal
and indigenous peoples
Neet to set aside
large, “no-take” reserves
Reintroduction of
high-value species which once were endemic to an area
Impacts
of Catch Limits
Major economic impact
in the fishing industry (lost jobs, loan defaults, etc.)
Reduction of fish
and shellfish for seafood industry
Reduced supply of
fish and shellfish
Higher consumer prices
Changes competitive
dynamics for seafood restaurants
Other
Solutions
Use of mariculture
or aquaculture to provide new sources of seafood
Culturing processes
also generate pollution in the coastal zone (BOD levels, algal blooms,
oxygenation problems)
Must be linked with
efforts by seafood industry to market new products
Readings
(Available as Handouts
or on Bryant’s Electronic Reserve)
Pitcher, T.J. 2001.
“Fisheries managed to rebuild ecosystems? Reconstructing the past to salvage
the future.” Ecological Applications 11(2):601-617.
DeAlteris, J.T., M.
Gibson, L.G. Skrobe. 2000. Fisheries of Rhode Island
(Working Draft, prepared for the Narragansett Bay Summit, 4/14/00).
Margolis, J.
“World running out of fish.” Chicago Tribune (Handout)
Saltus, R. “Scientists:
Big picture needed to up fish stocks.” (Handout)
Oceans & Fisheries
Data Table 13.1. World Resources 1998-99. (Handout)
Summary
Fish are an important
food item
Fisheries are in decline
worldwide
Causes include overfishing,
expanded technology, deteriorated coastal wetlands, ocean pollution,
mining and extraction
activities
Solutions are complex
and difficult to implement
Glossary
Demersal fish
Flounder, halibut,
sole, cod, hake, haddock, bass
Pelagic fish
Jack, herring, mullet,
sardines, anchovies, tuna, mackerel
Overfishing
Catch exceeds replacement
rate
Bycatch
Taking unwanted species
while fishing
Regional Fishery
Mgmt. Councils
Develop Mgmt. Plans
to protect fisheries
GIS Techniques
Geographic Informations.
Systems used for computer mapping
Questions
to be Addressed
How should quotas
be set for fish? Can we depend on computer models?
Who should have the
last word on fishery management plans?
How can we avoid bycatch?
Protection plans will
cause seafood prices to rise; how will consumers react?
How does fishing for
“underutilized” species affect food chains?
What is the relative
role of coastal wetlands in preserving fisheries?
Can we manage marine
fisheries in a sustainable way? Is ecosystem management a better
approach?
What countries are
heavily dependent on fish as a food item (see chart)?
Will declining fisheries
have a great effect on developing nations than on developed nations?
Will global
warming affect fish species?