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,

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

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

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

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

Towards transdisciplinary decision-support processes in fisheries: experiences and recommendations from a multidisciplinary collective of researchers

The shifting policy focus towards Ecosystem Based Management in Fisheries (EBFM) requires the integration of knowledge and disciplines and the engagement of stakeholders to support decision-making processes. Scientists contribute to this through (i) participatory research projects, (ii) stakeholder partnerships and (iii) institutional scientific advice processes. Understanding the role of scientists in such processes, the nature of the interactions between scientists, stakeholders and managers in knowledge integration and the link between science and policy is an emerging field of research addressing transdisciplinary challenges. In 2018, Ifremer-UMR AMURE organized the workshop ‘Science, Partnership and Decision-support in Fisheries’ bringing together international scientists from natural and social sciences to conduct a review based on twenty concrete case studies. Findings indicate that science-stakeholder-manager partnerships for decision-support in fisheries can play an essential role in the transition to EBFM. To foster this transition, eight recommendations are presented that cover the roles of the different participants, the expectations of partnerships, capacity building, the integration of the social sciences, and funding structures. Further, it is recommended that future research and innovation framework programmes into sustainable fisheries and other ocean uses should explicitly include mechanisms to foster transdisciplinary approaches and the development of best practices. Building-up networks and developing reflexive approaches to review experiences and practices for transdisciplinary approaches in EFBM decision-support will contribute to design the next generation transdisciplinary platforms and generating actionable knowledge towards EBFM

Les rendements par espèce de la pêche chalutière hauturière française de l'Atlantique Nord-Est entre 1972 et 1989

Multiple correspondance analysis and hierarchical ascending classification were used to study catch rate variations in the French deep-sea trawler fleet between 1972 and 1989. The use of these methods clarifies the sometimes complex relationships between catch rates of the main species landed within the total catch and allows a classification of the typical catch rate structures over this period. Factors such as year and fishing areas are those which best explain the observed variations; seasonal variations play a minor role. Catch rates increased and more species were caught between 1972 and 1989. The study shows the relationship between these developments and changes in fishing effort allocation strategies and in fleet structure. Trawlers which exploited the Bay of Biscay during the beginning of 1970's have shifted their effort to the north (north of Ireland and off the West Coast of Scotland) and have been replaced by larger and more powerful boats. During the 1980s, new vessels appeared in the fishery. These boats are smaller and fish in coastal areasUne analyse des correspondances multiples et une classification ascendante hiérarchique ont été utilisées pour étudier les variations de rendements par espèce entre 1972 et 1989 de navires de la pêche chalutière hauturière française. L'application de ces méthodes permet de mettre en évidence les relations parfois complexes qui lient les rendements des principales espèces débarquées au sein des rendements totaux et de dégager une partition des profils de rendements caractéristique de cette période. Les facteurs comme l'année et les secteurs de pêche sont ceux qui expliquent le mieux les variations observées; les variations saisonnières jouent un rôle secondaire. Les rendements augmentent et se diversifient entre 1972 et 1989. L'étude montre que ces évolutions peuvent être reliées pour une part à des changements dans les stratégies d'allocation d'effort de pêche et dans la composition des flottilles. Les chalutiers qui exploitaient traditionnellement le golfe de Gascogne au début des années soixante-dix ont reporté leur effort sur des secteurs situés plus au nord (nord de l'Irlande et ouest de l'Ecosse) et ont été remplacés par des chalutiers de taille et de puissance plus importantes. Dans les années quatre-vingt, une autre composante fait son apparition. Elle est constituée par des chalutiers de taille plus réduite qui exploitent des secteurs plus côtiers que les précédents

Estimation des coefficients de mortalité et de l'abondance des recrues à partir de l'analyse d'une pseudocohorte dans le cas d'une exploitation par différents métiers

An adaptation to the cohort analysis is suggested when age catches distribution are known only on a year and when the effort datas ot previouses years, for each ot the vessels fishing the considerated stock, are availables. An example to the estimation of fish mortality coefficients and of the recruitment abundancy for the stocks of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) from Morbras (ICES division VIII A) and ling (Molva molva) from west of Scotland (ICES division VI A), is given.Une adaptation de l'analyse des cohortes est proposée dans le cas où l'on ne dispose de la distribution des captures par âge que pour une année et des données d'efforts pour les années précédentes pour chaque métier exploitant le stock considéré. Une application à l'estimation des coefficients de mortalité et de l'abondance des recrues pour les stocks de bar (Dicentrarchus labrax) du Morbras (division CIEM VIII A) et de lingue tranche (Molva molva) de l'ouest de l'Ecosse (division CIEM VI A) est présentée

Monthly spatial dynamics of the Bay of Biscay hake-sole-Norway lobster fishery: an ISIS-Fish database

Abstract We propose a database to describe the Bay of Biscay mixed demersal European fishery over the period 2010–2020 for the ISIS-Fish simulation tool. It was built upon national and European fishing databases, scientific survey datasets, models estimates, literature, and the formulation of assumptions. It accounts explicitly for spatial and seasonal processes, and for mixed fisheries phenomenons. This database encompasses population dynamics for 3 stocks, hake, sole and Norway lobster, exploitation dynamics for numerous fleets and métiers, and the description of current fishing management, as well as fishers adaptation. A calibration procedure was designed to ensure consistency between all these diverse and heterogeneous parameters compiled and estimated in the ISIS-Fish database and to ensure the model reproduces closely historical catch patterns. This database is a starting point towards operational simulations, of use for understanding the functioning of the fishery, the assessment of management strategies, or delivering short and long-term scenarios. It can be used to reproduce historical catch patterns, with room for improvement on some inter-annual and spatial dynamics