Table_1_“The people’s fish”: Sociocultural dimensions of recreational fishing for Atlantic mackerel in Nova Scotia.docx

Atlantic mackerel or Amalamaq (Scomber scombrus) has been subject to diverse fishing pressures in Atlantic Canada for commercial, bait, recreational, and Indigenous food-social-ceremonial (FSC) fisheries, resulting in its substantial social and cultural significance in the region. Recent stock declines have led to closures of the commercial and bait mackerel fisheries, while recreational and FSC harvesters retain respectively the ability or right to fish. Here we assess the human dimensions of the recreational mackerel fishery through administration of a voluntary questionnaire shared at wharfs and through online/social media channels. A total of 285 responses were received, with results providing a rich picture of this poorly-engaged stakeholder community. The operational dimensions of this fishery and benefits derived from recreational fishing are explored. While recommendations for conservation and management measures were not solicited explicitly, many respondents shared comments and suggestions regarding management of the stock. Engaging more actively with recreational mackerel anglers may allow for enhanced assessments of the fishery and foster local stewardship toward more effective fisheries management.</p

Table_1_Subsidies and allocation: A legacy of distortion and intergenerational loss.DOCX

One of the greatest threats to the conservation of transboundary stocks is the failure of Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) to equitably allocate future fishing opportunities. Across RFMOs, catch history remains the principal criterion for catch allocations, despite being recognized as a critical barrier to governance stability. This paper examines if and how subsidies have driven catch histories, thereby perpetuating the legacy of unfair resource competition between distant water fishing nations (DWFNs) and coastal States, and how this affects ongoing allocation negotiations in the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC). Using limited publicly available data on subsidies to Indian Ocean tuna fleets, we show that subsidies have inflated catch histories of many DWFN's. As long as historical catch remains the key allocation criterion, future fishing opportunities will continue to be skewed in favor of DWFNs, in turn marginalizing half of the IOTC member States, which collectively account for a paltry 4% of the current catch. Without better transparency in past subsidies data, accounting for this distortion will be difficult. We provide alternative allocation options for consideration, with our analysis showing that re-attributing DWFN catch to the coastal State in whose waters it was caught may begin to alleviate this historical injustice.</p