MAXIMIZING RESOURCE RENT FROM THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL PACIFIC TUNA FISHERIES

Rent generated by the tuna fisheries occurring in the waters of Pacific Islands Nations is estimated for various levels and combinations of purse-seine, pole-and-line, frozen tuna longline, and fresh tuna longline fishing effort, using a multi-species, multi-fleet bioeconomic model. The underlying population model integrates available information on the population dynamics of skipjack, yellowfin, bigeye, and Southern albacore tunas in the Pacific Ocean. The economic model utilizes the most recent data on fishing effort costs for the purse seine, pole-and-line, and longline fleets operating in the western and central Pacific Ocean, along with recent estimates of prices by species, method of capture and market, and estimates of demand elasticities. The results of the model indicate that fishery rent could be increased substantially above the current level by decreasing the size of all fleets, with the possible exception of the tuna longline fleet. The results also suggest that the countries of the region could benefit significantly by changing the level and structure of access fees levied as a percentage of total catch revenue.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries. Impact assessment of Bay of Biscay sole (STECF-11-01)

This report is one of two reports to the STECF of EWG 11-01 of the STECF Expert Working Group on management plans, (28 February to 4 March 2011) and provides an Impact Assessment report on the Bay of Biscay sole fisheries. It summaries biological modelling of a range of different stock dynamics incorporating uncertainty in stock recruitment function and measurement error. The results from an integrated bio-economic model showing economic impact on the sole fishery in the Bay of Biscay are presented. The simulations carried out show that a target F of 0.26 (Fmsy ) can be accepted as precautionary in the long term. Target Fs between 0.15 and 0.35 will give yields within 5% of yield at F=0.26. Economic considerations suggest that the management plan is expected to have slight long term gains and short term negative economic impacts for all the fleets involved in the sole fishery. The economic viability of fleets is not endangered and effort reallocation is expected to offset losses although it is difficult to predict such reallocation. The report provides details of approaches that could be used if the ICES assessment fails. The report has been endorsed by the STECF during its 36th plenum in April 2011

A multidisciplinary approach to the spatial dimension in ecosystem-based fisheries management

This study considers how to reconcile different spatial scales to find the best common denominator to be used as an ecosystem-based management unit. For this, two fishery production zones differing ecologically, economically, legally and institutionally were investigated. The first case study is located within French territorial waters, in a MPA created in 2007- the Parc Naturel Marin d'Iroise (PNMI). The second case study, the Bay of Biscay, covers both territorial waters and the French exclusive economic zone. The paper adopts a multidisciplinary approach. Relevant questions concern how marine space is shared between exploited species and fishing fleets, especially the spatial mobility strategies they employ. An assessment of the institutional system established for the PNMI contributes to the discussion of changes in coastal space use. It is obvious that the area in need of protection, defined on the basis of essential fish habitats, does not solely concern the fisheries located within the coastal zone. Experiments conducted by scientists and professionals in the Bay of Biscay provide other key points for the discussion in terms of what institutional frameworks to promote

Estimating MSY and MEY in Multi-Species and Multi-Fleet Fisheries: The Case of the Bay of Biscay Mixed Fisheries

Most fish stocks worldwide are not optimally exploited and are therefore are producing less in biologic and economic terms that what it could be obtained. MSY objective for all the stocks by 2015 is put forward by several countries as management target to be achieved, while other countries such as Australia have moved towards MEY as target. In multi-species and multi-fleet fisheries however single species assessments and MSY and MEY reference points are often not valid. In this paper, we analyze the calculation of MSY and MEY in multi-species and multi-fleet fisheries, applied to the Bay of Biscay demersal fisheries. Estimations of MSY and MEY performed in this paper show that increases of the overall landings and economic performances can be obtained by fishing effort reductions and global selectivity improvements in the Bay of Biscay demersal fishery. In this paper we have also shown the importance of accounting for the multi-fleet nature of the fisheries, and so the capacity to allocate fishing effort between fleets to obtain better yields taking into account joint production processes, various métiers and reallocation of effort (both in production and economic terms). Estimating profitability changes when fishing at MEY and in the current situation of overcapacity and overexploitation offers an estimation of the costs of not fishing at MSY and MEY

Addressing the Distribution of Bio-Economic Impacts of Management Measures Between Fleets: the Case of the Demersal Fisheries in the Bay of Biscay

Assessing distribution of the expected bio-economic impacts of management measures between fleet segments is a main issue for decision making in fisheries management. This requires as a first step a good description of the system and of the interactions between fleets through stocks. Making this assessment operational also needs flexible and fast capabilities to mobilize appropriate data to perform the impact analysis. Bio-economic modelling of the system allows performing simulations of management scenarios and to analyze expected costs and benefits at short, middle and long terms. The paper addresses the question of differentiated impacts on fleets in the case of the demersal fisheries in the bay of Biscay. As mixed fisheries, they are characterized by high technical interactions mainly derived from targeting or by-catching hake, Nephrops, anglerfish or sole and are relevant illustrations to address this question. The fleets involved in the Nephrops, hake, sole and anglerfish fisheries in the bay of Biscay are first characterized in terms of contributions to fishing mortality of these species and gross revenue dependence and their activity, productions and economic profitability are described. The paper then analyzes the impacts of effort and selectivity measures for these fleets through a multi-fleets, multi-metiers, multi-species bio-economic model. Methodological issues are underlined for operational bio-economic modelling and management plan assessment.Keywords: Fisheries Economics, Bioeconomic Analysis of Fisheries, Fish and Aquaculture Sectors Developmen

37^th plenary meeting report of the scientific, technical and economic committee for fisheries (PLEN-11-02)

The Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries hold its 37th plenary on 11-15 July 2011 in Copenhagen (Denmark). The terms of reference included both issues assessments of STECF Expert Working Group reports and additional requests submitted to the STECF by the Commission. Topics dealt with ranged from fisheries economics to management plan evaluation issues

WORKSHOP ON GUIDELINES FOR MANAGEMENT STRATEGY EVALUATIONS (WKGMSE2)

The purpose of the meeting was to bring up to date the methodologies and technical specifications that should be incorporated in Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) work in ICES. The workshop was tasked with reviewing recent methodological and practical MSE work conducted in ICES and around the world, as well as the guidelines provided by the 2013 ICES Workshop on Guidelines for Management Strategy Evaluations (WKGMSE). The Terms of Reference indicated that the revision should include all aspects involved in MSE, while paying specific attention to several issues that had been identified through ICES practice. The Terms of Reference also requested WKGMSE 2 to consider how best to disseminate the guidelines to experts within the ICES community and the need for training courses. The workshop addressed all its Terms of Reference. The main results of the workshop are the revised MSE guidelines, as well as recommendations in relation to the ICES criterion for defining a management strategy as precautionary and in relation to the evaluation and advice on rebuilding strategies.publishedVersio

Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries. Evaluation of fishing effort regimes - Deep sea and Western waters (STECF-11-12)

EWG-11-11 meeting was held on 26 – 30 September 2011 in Cadiz (Spain). This Section of the report covers the Deep Sea and Western Waters and provides fleet specific trends in catch (including discards), nominal effort and catch (landings) per unit of effort in order to advise on fleet specific impacts on stocks under multiannual management plans. STECF reviewed the report during its November 2011 plenary meeting