Unveiling unselective fishing in China: A nationwide meta‐analysis of multispecies fisheries

Abstract

Fishing selectivity describes the process of catching primarily target species of a specific size and minimizing non-target catch (Fauconnet & Rochet, 2016). Selective fishing has been widely appreciated by fisheries practitioners for numerous observed benefits. Economically, targeting commercially valuable species is profitable (Breen et al., 2016). From a conservation perspective, selective fishing can minimize non-target catch and reduce negative fishing impacts to marine ecosystems (FAO, 1995(FAO, , 2010. On the other hand, fisheries

Evaluation of Yellow Sea anchovy (Engraulis japonicus) fishery for management strategies using a data-limited management toolkit

“…With the prevailing of unselective and non-target fisheries in China, anchovy is mainly captured by mid-water trawlers and set nets [ 30 ]. Unfortunately, trawl net and set net tend to work without a primary target species [ 30 ]. In that instance, anchovy, as a small-size fish, most likely to be a by-production.…”

“…In the past years, China has employed mainly the input control management methods. Because of the larger differences in fishing boats and gears, as well as the implementations of diversified input control management measures, the fishery management in China has vast challenges [ 30 , 32 ]. In the mixed fisheries in China, the fishing effort is hard to be recorded by species.…”

“…Because of the importance of anchovy in the marine ecosystems, more investment is required in ecosystem-based management centered on these small-size fish species to promote the development of integrated fisheries management based on food chains, such as recognizable prey–predator interaction between E. japonicus and S. niphonius [ 47 ]. Furthermore, tailor-made fisheries management procedures which advocated by Sun et al [ 30 ] and how to be extended in models are highly anticipated.…”

Fisheries subsidies reform in China

“…On the one hand, conservation gains from reduced fleet capacity could be eroded by increased capacity utilization and/or the transition to a fleet of newer, bigger, and more technically efficient vessels. On the other hand, prohibiting the construction of vessels with trawling gear, which tend to be more productive and indiscriminate in their harvests ( 46 ), could result in a fleet of vessels with lower CPUE harvesting technology and drastically different catch compositions of species. All of this must also be considered within the historical context of China’s persistent high fishery catches, despite the perception of overfishing for decades ( 47 , 48 ).…”

Evaluation of Biological Reference Points of Two Important Fishery Resources in the East China Sea

“…Therefore, reducing bycatch is of great significance to the sustainable development of fisheries. Policies about selective fisheries for China are highly anticipated [38].…”