Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) - Landing Obligation - Part 6 (Fisheries targeting demersal species in the Mediterranean Sea) (STECF-15-19)

Sala, Antonello ... et al.-- This report was reviewed by the STECF during its winter plenary meeting held from 9 to 13 November 2015 in Brussels.-- 269 pages, 166 figures, 7 tables, 5 annexesThis report presents the responses of the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries to requests from the Eur opean Commission for advice on the implementation of the EU Common Fisheries Policy. Advice is given in relation to the following: Landing Obligation (Fisheries targeting demersal species in the Mediterranean Sea)Peer Reviewe

Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) : 64th Plenary Report (PLEN-20-02)

The Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) held its 64th plenary as a virtual meeting from 6-10 July 2020.-- 128 pagesCommission Decision of 25 February 2016 setting up a Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries, C(2016) 1084, OJ C 74, 26.2.2016, p. 4–10. The Commission may consult the group on any matter relating to marine and fisheries biology, fishing gear technology, fisheries economics, fisheries governance, ecosystem effects of fisheries, aquaculture or similar discipline

Estimating Trends of Population Decline in Long-Lived Marine Species in the Mediterranean Sea Based on Fishers' Perceptions

We conducted interviews of a representative sample of 106 retired fishers in Italy, Spain and Greece, asking specific questions about the trends they perceived in dolphin and shark abundances between 1940 and 1999 (in three 20 year periods) compared to the present abundance. The large marine fauna studied were not target species of the commercial fleet segment interviewed (trawl fishery). The fishers were asked to rank the perceived abundance in each period into qualitative ordinal classes based on two indicators: frequency of sightings and frequency of catches (incidental or intentional) of each taxonomic group. The statistical analysis of the survey results showed that both incidental catches and the sighting frequency of dolphins have decreased significantly over the 60+ years of the study period (except for in Greece due to the recent population increase). This shows that fishers' perceptions are in agreement with the declining population trends detected by scientists. Shark catches were also perceived to have diminished since the early 1940s for all species. Other long-lived Mediterranean marine fauna (monk seals, whales) were at very low levels in the second half of the 20th century and no quantitative data could be obtained. Our study supports the results obtained in the Mediterranean and other seas that show the rapid disappearance (over a few decades) of marine fauna. We show that appropriately designed questionnaires help provide a picture of animal abundance in the past through the valuable perceptions of fishers. This information can be used to complement scientific sources or in some cases be taken as the only information source for establishing population trends in the abundance of sensitive species

Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) : 65th Plenary Report (PLEN-20-03)

The Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) held its 65th plenary as virtual meeting from 9-13 November 2020.-- 152 pagesCommission Decision of 25 February 2016 setting up a Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries, C(2016) 1084, OJ C 74, 26.2.2016, p. 4–10. The Commission may consult the group on any matter relating to marine and fisheries biology, fishing gear technology, fisheries economics, fisheries governance, ecosystem effects of fisheries, aquaculture or similar disciplinesPeer reviewe

Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) - Assessment of Mediterranean sea stocks - Part 1 (STECF 14-17)

Cardinale, Massimiliano ... et al.-- The report was reviewed by the STECF during its winter plenary held from 10 to 14 November 2014 in Brussels, Belgium.-- 393 pagesThe Expert Working Group meeting of the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries EWG 14-09 was held from 14 - 18 July 2014 in Rome, Italy to assess the status of demersal and small pelagic stocks in the Mediterranean Sea against the proposed FMSY reference pointPeer Reviewe

"Once upon a Time in the Mediterranean" Long Term Trends of Mediterranean Fisheries Resources based on Fishers' Traditional Ecological Knowledge

22 pages, 6 figures, 7 tables, supporting information http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0119330.s001We investigate long-term changes in the Mediterranean marine resources driving the trawl fisheries by analysing fishers' perceptions (Traditional Ecological Knowledge, TEK) throughout the Mediterranean Sea during the last 80 years. To this end, we conducted an extended set of interviews with experienced fishers that enabled us to classify species (or taxa) as 'decreasing' or 'increasing' both in terms of abundance, as well as average size in the catch. The aspect that most clearly emerged in all the investigated areas over time was the notable increase of fishing capacity indicators, such as engine power and fishing depth range. Atlantic mackerel, poor cod, scorpionfishes, striped seabream, and John Dory demonstrated a decreasing trend in the fishers' perceived abundance, while Mediterranean parrotfish, common pandora, cuttlefish, blue and red shrimp, and mullets gave indications of an increasing temporal trend. Although, as a rule, trawler captains did not report any cataclysmic changes (e.g. extinctions), when they were invited to estimate total catches, a clear decreasing pattern emerged; this being a notable finding taking into account the steep escalation of fishing efficiency during the past century. The overall deteriorating status of stocks in most Mediterranean regions calls for responsible management and design of rebuilding plans. This should include historical information accounting for past exploitation patterns that could help defining a baseline of fish abundance prior to heavy industrial fisheries exploitation. © 2015 Damalas et al.The data acquisition was supported by the European Commission through project EVOMED (“The 20th Century evolution of Mediterranean exploited demersal resources under increasing fishing disturbance and environmental change” (no MARE/2008/11: Lot 4)Peer Reviewe

The "discard problem" in Mediterranean fisheries, in the face of the European Union landing obligation: The case of bottom trawl fishery and implications for management

18 pages, 12 figures, 3 tablesSince the first introduction of the landing obligation (a.k.a. Discard ban) in 2015, the EU Mediterranean fisheries are facing some unforeseen challenges. The demersal bottom trawl fisheries, being the most significant contributors to the so-called 'discard problem', are confronted with the greatest challenges. Data from the Italian and the Greek fleet, spanning over two decades (1995-2015), were analysed with the intention of revealing the diversity and heterogeneity of the discard problem, especially for regulated species. Species composition of discards, as well as discarding rates, were shown to be irregular, fluctuating among areas, depth strata, seasons and years. Although fish dominated the discarded gross catch in weight, benthic invertebrates (other than commercial cephalopods and crustaceans) were the taxa discarded almost exclusively. The established minimum conservation reference size was largely ignored by fishers. From a management point of view, the present investigation suggests that the recently established Discard Management Plans lack scientific evidence (given the high intrinsic variability of the parameters and confusion regarding the rules) and provide exemptions from the landing obligation that will in practice allow the average Mediterranean bottom trawl vessel to continue business as usual. Moreover, detecting if these rules are actually respected is an almost impossible task for the Mediterranean control and enforcement authorities. Incentivizing the adoption of fishing technologies and practices that reduce pre-harvest mortality and post-harvest discards, while avoiding damage to sensitive marine species and habitats, seems the only way to move forward, rather than dealing with the problem after it has occurred.This research was funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No. 634495 for the project Science, Technology and Society Initiative to minimize Unwanted Catches in European Fisheries (MINOUW

Historical discarding in Mediterranean fisheries: a fishers’ perception

9 pages, 3 figures, 4 tables, supplementary data http://icesjms.oxfordjournals.org/content/72/9/2600/suppl/DC1Discarding of commercially important fish species in the bottom trawl fisheries in the northern Mediterranean Seawas investigated by soliciting the long-term recollections of fishers engaged or formerly engaged in such fisheries. The main aim of our investigationwas to describe the prevalence of discarding and its evolution over the past 70 years using information gathered through individual questionnaire-based interviews with fishers from ports in Spain, Italy, and Greece, following a standardized sampling protocol. Although it proved impossible to derive absolute estimates of the volume of discarded catches over the period investigated, we conclude that over the past 70 years, discarding as a practice has gradually increased in the northern Mediterranean trawl fisheries and has been accompanied by a shift in the species composition of the discarded catch. While discarding can occur for a number of reasons, our investigations indicate that discarding in the past was mostly driven by market demand, but recent legal and regulatory constraints have led to changes in fishing strategies and became a significant reason for discardsData acquisition was supported by the European Commission through the EU project EVOMED (“The 20th Century evolution of Mediterranean exploited demersal resources under increasing fishing disturbance and environmental change”). European Commission, Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. Open Call for Tenders n8 MARE/2008/11, Proposal for Lot 4, (Contract. N8 SI2 539097)Peer Reviewe

Results of the Generalized Linear Mixed Models on ordinal outcomes in each study area.

<p>The null hypothesis tested is the absence of a time effect in the responses to questions on catches or sightings of large marine fauna in each Mediterranean case study. The full model (including time effect) was significant when the log-likelihood value was smaller than in the null model, and the coefficient of the time effect was significant at the 5% level (Z-test).</p

Results of the Generalized Linear Mixed Models on ordinal outcomes combining all cases studies.

<p>The null hypothesis tested is that the responses to questions on catches or sightings of large marine fauna in the combined Mediterranean case studies do not change over time. The full model (including time effect) was significant when the log-likelihood value was smaller than in the null model, and the coefficient of the time effect was significant at the 5% level (Z-test).</p