Evaluation of collaboratively developed management measures to reduce coral and sponge bycatch in a fully monitored multispecies trawl fishery

Gale, Katie S. P.; Forrest, Robyn E.; Rooper, Christopher N.; Nephin, Jessica; Wallace, Scott; Driscoll, John; Rubidge, Emily

doi:10.1139/cjfas-2021-0274

Cited by 3 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 51 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“… Undercapacity . Fleet size has reduced markedly in recent years, with the number of active bottom trawl vessels halving between 2007 and 2019 (Gale et al., 2022). The fleet has also restructured, with fewer smaller fresh fish market vessels that catch a wide range of species, and the addition of several larger freezer trawlers specializing in fewer species (notably Pacific whiting, arrowtooth flounder ( Atheresthes stomias, Pleuronectidae) and walleye pollock ( Gadus chalcogramma, Gadidae)).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quota use in mixed‐stock fisheries

Karp,

Melnychuk,

Forrest

et al. 2023

Fish and Fisheries

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Although most fisheries assessment and management focuses on the status of individual stocks, and regulations are commonly established as single‐species total allowable catch limits (TACs), much of the catch from global fisheries comes from mixed‐stock fisheries where species cannot be harvested separately. We show that in some fisheries where TAC and catch of demersal fish stocks are tracked, the average fraction of TAC harvested ranges from 21% to 68% overall and is declining. This is, in part, related to efforts to protect all species from overfishing, leading to ‘choke species’, which limit fishing pressure on other target species. While some choke species arise from a mix of low and high‐productivity species, others result from allocation processes, which can be aggravated by shifting distributions due to climate change. Underutilization of TACs can also result from market limitations, low value of individual species, undercapacity or management measures. Proposed methods for increasing long‐term yield require species to be managed in stock groups, or allowing the abundance of some stocks to fall below target reference points. We suggest that the observed low and declining aggregate harvests are due, primarily, to the focus on single‐stock sustainability measures, rather than performance of the fisheries in relation to potential overall yield. While there is a growing consensus that single‐species management should be replaced by an ecosystem‐based approach, this will require clear legislative directives regarding management of the trade‐offs involved. Time series considered in this analysis do not extend beyond 2019.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quota use in mixed‐stock fisheries

Karp,

Melnychuk,

Forrest

et al. 2023

Fish and Fisheries

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Within this nearshore fishing area, fishers have both fewer choices of fishing grounds and increased chances of interactions with species that occupy shallower and rockier nearshore areas than fishers with access to larger management areas (e.g. Forrest et al., 2020; Gale et al., 2022). Our analysis evaluated the potential to reduce cumulative yelloweye catches and yelloweye to halibut catch ratios if fishing across any number of cells under a scenario of a CDA extended into deeper waters and more than doubled in size, versus fishing the same number of cells within the much smaller nearshore area of the CDA.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Each survey also uses a different gear type and targets different habitats. The fully monitored BC groundfish fishery collects some of the most finely resolved spatial logbook data in the world (Forrest et al., 2020; Gale et al., 2022; Stanley et al., 2009; Turris & Shotton, 2000), which allowed us to augment the survey data with commercial data. Within the CDA, there were more than twice as many summer sets of commercial longline gear as there were survey sets.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial restrictions hinder avoidance of choke species in an Indigenous rights‐based fishery

English,

Picco,

Edwards

et al. 2023

People and Nature

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Nutrient‐rich waters along the Pacific coast of North America support diverse fish communities that have helped sustain coastal peoples for millennia. Five Nuu‐chah‐nulth First Nations on the west coast of what is now known as Vancouver Island, Canada, hold constitutional Indigenous rights to conduct a multispecies community fishery, which includes Pacific Halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis). A 2009 court decision defined the extent of these Indigenous rights to be within 9 nm of the coast, thereby not fully recognizing the knowledge and authority of the traditional leadership and raising concerns about the potential for an increase in rockfish bycatch. Yelloweye Rockfish (Sebastes ruberrimus) are a potential ‘choke’ species for this fishery because the two species occupy similar depth ranges. A choke species is one that is caught incidentally while targeting other species and, if caught in excess of its quota limits, can trigger a halt to fishing on the target species. Guided by the insights of local Indigenous peoples and using both fishery‐independent survey and commercial longline catch data, we investigated the effects of fishing depth and spatial restriction on the relative catch weights of these two species using spatiotemporal models. We find evidence that a confined fishing area can limit opportunities for avoiding choke species. Specifically, fishing at depths deeper than 175 m, which occur outside the court defined area (CDA), would provide more opportunities for catching halibut while avoiding Yelloweye Rockfish than are currently available within the CDA. This Indigenous‐informed, analytical approach to a management problem is just one example of how Western scientists can engage in coproduction of knowledge with Indigenous peoples to transition from the ‘status quo’ towards a practice of ‘Two‐Eyed Seeing’ that more effectively balances Indigenous rights and species conservation. Policy implications: Our study highlights (1) the importance of considering choke species distributions and opportunities for their avoidance when implementing spatial harvest restrictions and (2) how related analytical and management decisions can benefit from being guided by the advice of Indigenous knowledge holders. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

show abstract

“…These changes include shifting to 100% at‐sea and dockside monitoring with ITQs, freezing the trawl footprint and introducing coral and sponge bycatch quotas (Davis, 2008; Wallace et al, 2015). These measures have largely reduced impacts on corals and sponges (Gale et al, 2022) and unintended catches of long‐lived rockfishes (Branch & Hilborn, 2008; Forrest et al, 2020).…”

Section: Applying Two‐eyed Seeing To Offset Current Gaps In the Pa Po...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Aspatial approaches in Western fisheries management, like those of IKS, aim to control fishing mortality and species selectivity, applying quota systems and gear, season, license and size restrictions. Although fleet industrialization and non‐selective fishing gear have curtailed species selectivity by many commercial fisheries (Davies et al, 2009), bycatch mitigation measures are on the rise (Gale et al, 2022; Hannah et al, 2015; Sullivan, 2022), suggesting that species selectivity by commercial fisheries could eventually align with that of IKS.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Re‐imagining the precautionary approach to make collaborative fisheries management inclusive of Indigenous Knowledge Systems

Frid

Wilson²,

Walkus

et al. 2023

Fish and Fisheries

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Fisheries science uses quantitative methods to inform management decisions that reflect cultural preferences which, in turn, indirectly influence the states of ecosystems. To date, it has largely supported Eurocentric preferences for the commodification of marine organisms under the tenets of maximum sustainable yield, whereby abundances are intentionally maintained far below their historical baselines despite broader socio‐ecological trade‐offs. In contrast, Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) adhere to the principle of “take only what you need and leave lots for the ecosystem,” implementing lower fishery removals to support socio‐ecological resilience. Despite the power imbalance favouring Eurocentric preferences in decision‐making, fisheries scientists increasingly recognize that the pairing of IKS and Western science, or Two‐Eyed Seeing, would lead to more holistic management goals. For recognition to transcend tokenism, meaningful collaborations and co‐governance structures underlying knowledge co‐production must carry through to legislated policy changes. Using recent co‐governance developments for fisheries management and spatial protections involving federal, provincial and Indigenous governments in Pacific Canada, we illustrate how the precautionary approach, including reference points and harvest control rules broadly applied in international fisheries, could be revised to make collaborative fisheries management compatible with IKS and improve biodiversity and fisheries protections. Our recommendations may create socio‐economic trade‐offs at different timescales for commercial fishers. Pre‐empting that challenge, we discuss IKS‐compatible economic approaches for addressing shorter term costs arising from reduced exploitation rates. Although our case study derives from Pacific Canada, the insights provided here are broadly applicable elsewhere in the world.

show abstract

Evaluation of collaboratively developed management measures to reduce coral and sponge bycatch in a fully monitored multispecies trawl fishery

Cited by 3 publications

References 51 publications

Quota use in mixed‐stock fisheries

Quota use in mixed‐stock fisheries

Spatial restrictions hinder avoidance of choke species in an Indigenous rights‐based fishery

Re‐imagining the precautionary approach to make collaborative fisheries management inclusive of Indigenous Knowledge Systems

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About