An ecosystem model of an exploited southern Mediterranean shelf region (Gulf of Gabes, Tunisia) and a comparison with other Mediterranean ecosystem model properties

Hattab, Tarek; Lasram, Frida Ben Rais; Albouy, Camille; Romdhane, Mohamed Salah; Jarboui, Othman; Halouani, Ghassen; Cury, Philippe; Loc’h, François Le

doi:10.1016/j.jmarsys.2013.04.017

Cited by 69 publications

(80 citation statements)

References 66 publications

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“…These groups may be related to possible bottom-up interactions (Hunter and Price, 1992). Additionally, this analysis showed the high impact of small pelagic fish (especially sardine and anchovy) on the higher and lower trophic levels, suggesting a wasp-waist control of these organisms in the system (Cury et al, 2000), in line with results from previous research and ecological models (2013); Hattab et al (2013)). In addition, some top-down processes within the ecosystem were observed, such as between dolphins and benthopelagic cephalopods or between benthopelagic cephalopods and sardine and anchovy, confirming the important role of benthopelagic cephalopods on marine ecosystems (Coll et al, 2013a).…”

Section: Ecological Indicators By Functional Group and Trophic Interasupporting

confidence: 89%

“…These models have been used for a diversity of applications such as analysing fishing impacts (Coll et al, 2006a;Coll et al, 2007), comparing ecosystem structure and functioning traits (Hattab et al, 2013;Tsagarakis et al, 2010), exploring management options (Fouzai et al, 2012), assessing the impact of aquaculture (Forestal et al, 2012), evaluating the effects of the environment Piroddi et al, 2010) and exploring the effects of invasive species in the food web (Daskalov, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ecosystem structure and fishing impacts in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea using a food web model within a comparative approach

Corrales

Coll

Tecchio

et al. 2015

Journal of Marine Systems

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Section: Ecological Indicators By Functional Group and Trophic Interasupporting

confidence: 89%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem structure and fishing impacts in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea using a food web model within a comparative approach

Corrales

Coll

Tecchio

et al. 2015

Journal of Marine Systems

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“…Nevertheless, the picture is coherent with fishing capacity, effort and catches for the overlapping GSAs. Results point to general good conditions for areas dominated historically by artisanal and small scale fisheries such as the Greek Ionian Sea, GSA 20, (Moutopoulos et al, 2013) or where fisheries is developed but still working within profitable conditions such as the Tunisian GSAs (Hattab et al, 2013). Areas such as the western GSA17, with long history of fisheries exploitation (Fortibuoni et al, 2010), with very impacting gears active (such as the rapido trawling; Pranovi et al, 2000), with several ecosystem impacts documented (e.g., Giani et al, 2012) and with several stocks assessed as overfished (Table 2), resulted to be in a condition that can be summarized as a low profitable bio-economic equilibrium.…”

Section: Impact Of Fishing On the Ecosystemmentioning

confidence: 78%

Recent Trends and Impacts of Fisheries Exploitation on Mediterranean Stocks and Ecosystems

2017

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This review focuses on the recent data on Mediterranean fishing fleets and landings, results from stock assessments and ecosystem models to provide an overview of the multiple impacts of fishing exploitation in the different Mediterranean geographical sub-areas (GSAs). A fleet of about 73,000 vessels is widespread along the Mediterranean coasts. Artisanal activities are predominant in South Mediterranean and in the eastern basin, while trawling features GSAs in the western basin and the Adriatic Sea. The overall landings of fish, crustaceans and cephalopods, after peaking during mid 90s at about one million tons, declined at about 700,000 tons in 2013. However, while landings are declining in EU countries since the 90s, in non-EU countries a decreasing trend was observed only in the last 5-10 years. The current levels of fishing effort determine a general overexploitation status of commercial stocks with more than 90% of the stock assessed out of safe biological limits. Indicators obtained from available ecosystem models were used to assess the sustainability of the fisheries. They included primary production required to sustain fisheries (PPR), mean trophic level of the catch (mTLc), the loss in secondary production index (L index), and the probability of the ecosystem to be sustainably exploited (p sust ). In areas exploited more sustainably (e.g., Gulf of Gabes, Eastern Ionian, and Aegean Sea) fishing pressure was characterized by either low number of vessels per unit of shelf area or the large prevalence of artisanal/small scale fisheries. Conversely, GSAs in Western Mediterranean and Adriatic showed very low ecosystem sustainability of fisheries that can be easily related with the high fishing pressure and the large proportion of overfished stocks obtained from single species assessments. We showed that the current knowledge on Mediterranean fisheries and ecosystems describes a worrisome picture where the effect of poorly regulated fisheries, in combination with the ongoing climate forcing and the rapid expansion of nonindigenous species, are rapidly changing the structure and functioning of the ecosystem with unpredictable effects on the goods and services provided. Although this would call for urgent conservation actions, the management system implemented in the region appears too slow and probably inadequate to protect biodiversity and secure fisheries resources for the future generations.

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“…The intertidal flats of this gulf are known to host important numbers of wintering palearctic waterbirds (Van Dijk et al, 1986;Hamdi et al, 2008). They are also used by local people for clam harvesting and artisanal fishing (Hattab et al, 2013). The most abundant and economically important bivalve species extracted by traditional clam harvesting is Ruditapes decussates (FAO, 2011).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Species richness patterns of waterbirds wintering in the gulf of Gabès in relation to habitat and anthropogenic features

Hamza¹,

Hammouda²,

Selmi³

2015

Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science

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An ecosystem model of an exploited southern Mediterranean shelf region (Gulf of Gabes, Tunisia) and a comparison with other Mediterranean ecosystem model properties

Cited by 69 publications

References 66 publications

Ecosystem structure and fishing impacts in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea using a food web model within a comparative approach

Ecosystem structure and fishing impacts in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea using a food web model within a comparative approach

Recent Trends and Impacts of Fisheries Exploitation on Mediterranean Stocks and Ecosystems

Species richness patterns of waterbirds wintering in the gulf of Gabès in relation to habitat and anthropogenic features

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