Wealthy countries dominate industrial fishing

McCauley, Douglas J.; Jablonicky, Caroline; Allison, Edward H.; Golden, Christopher D.; Joyce, Francis H.; Mayorga, Juan; Kroodsma, David

doi:10.1126/sciadv.aau2161

Cited by 91 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…In general, AIS data lacks small scale fisheries and is biased toward industrial fisheries and wealthier nations. The vast majority of large vessels (>24m), which are more likely to carry AIS, are from upper middle income or high-income countries [28]. AIS regulations exacerbate this bias, as they are generally stricter in wealthier nations, with some of the strongest regulations being in European Union, where all fishing vessels 15 m or larger are mandated to broadcast AIS.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal variability in global industrial fishing effort

et al. 2019

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Human beings are the dominant top predator in the marine ecosystem. Throughout most of the global ocean this predation is carried out by industrial fishing vessels, that can now be observed in unprecedented detail via satellite monitoring of Automatic Identification System (AIS) messages. The spatial and temporal distribution of this fishing effort emerges from the coupled interaction of ecological and socio-economic drivers and can therefore yield insights on the dynamics of both the ecosystem and fishers. Here we analyze temporal variability of industrial fishing effort from 2015-2017 as recorded by global AIS coverage, and differentiated by fishing gear type. The strongest seasonal signal is a reduction of total deployed effort during the annual fishing moratorium on the numerically-dominant Chinese fleet, which occurs during boreal summer. An additional societally-controlled reduction of effort occurs during boreal winter holidays. After accounting for these societal controls, the total deployed effort is relatively invariant throughout the year for all gear types except squid jiggers and coastal purse seiners. Despite constant deployment levels, strong seasonal variability occurs in the spatial pattern of fishing effort for gears targeting motile pelagic species, including purse seiners, squid jiggers and longliners. Trawlers and fixed gears target bottom-associated coastal prey and show very little overall seasonality, although they exhibit more seasonal variation at locations that are further from port. Our results suggest that societal controls dominate the total deployment of fishing effort, while the behavior of pelagic fish, including seasonal migration and aggregation, is likely the most prominent driver of the spatial seasonal variations in global fishing effort.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal variability in global industrial fishing effort

et al. 2019

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“…Van Mulekom et al 2006, McCauley et al 2018 Redistribution of profits from export-oriented seafood trade Béné et al 2010, Bjørndal et al 2015 Development of national markets and support for intra-regional trade networks Béné et al 2010 Institutional support for fishing cooperatives and federations Jentoft 1989, Pomeroy and Berkes 1997 Development of management strategies sensitive to local rules-in-use Berkes et al 2000 With the field of social-ecological systems becoming increasingly influential across international policy arenas it is important to challenge many of its normative assumptions about human behavior and systems organization (Cote andNightingale 2012, Fabyini et al 2014). In practice, decision-making processes and practices are not products of consensus and homogeneity, but rather are shaped by the tensions between classes, economies, and political systems.…”

Section: Globalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental and institutional degradation in the globalized economy: lessons from small-scale fisheries in the Gulf of California

Frawley¹,

Finkbeiner²,

Crowder³

2019

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External drivers increasingly impact small-scale fisheries worldwide. As globalization accelerates the flow of information, commodities, and capital across geographic space, neoliberal reforms have fueled the development of the international seafood trade. Small-scale fisheries traditionally driven by local forces and market demands are increasingly nested within the broader structures of global markets and international institutions. Building on existing work that integrates social-ecological systems thinking and critical social science theory, we address how globalization has transformed the social fabric of coastal fishing communities and consider the implications for institutional and environmental integrity. Using small-scale fisheries across the Gulf of California as an empirical example, we extend a theory of small-scale fisheries interactions proposed by development scholars to incorporate global market forces, considering how drivers operating at multiple temporal and geographic scales have influenced outcomes in one of the world's most diverse and productive marine ecosystems. We suggest that neoliberal reforms promoting the growth and development of an exportoriented seafood industry have restructured the relationships between small-scale fishermen, coastal communities, and the marine environment. As the benefits of trade liberalization have been captured by local elites, small-scale fishermen have been left increasingly vulnerable to the shocks and uncertainties associated with political, economic, and environmental change. By situating our findings within an emerging body of scholarship documenting parallel dynamics across diverse geographies, we argue that efforts to avoid and/ or mitigate the tragedy of the commons within small-scale fishery systems must address the relationships between global markets, social and economic inequality, and local capacities for self-organization and collective action.

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“…The issues raised by our modelling of slavery, fisheries and seafood trade suggest four broad areas of policy engagement: (1) regulation and enforcement, specifically universal minimum standards for crew pay and conditions, such as those specified in the International Labour Organisation’s Work in Fishing Convention (C-188), and improved monitoring and enforcement of currently weak jurisdictions, including the high seas, to reduce the scope for unsustainable and unethical fishing practices 68 ; (2) supply chain transparency, specifically by adopting supply chain legislation, such as the UK’s Modern Slavery Act (Modern Slavery Act 2015, s 54), which can bolster industry-led efforts such as SeaBOS to leverage businesses’ market position to tackle sustainability and ethical issues 58 . Policing supply chains can be supported by technologies, such as Blockchain ledgers and smart seafood labelling, which improve the security and lower the cost of reliable supply chain data 69 ; (3) industry restructuring, specifically by reducing harmful subsidies that currently overcapitalise fishing capacity 5 , 70 , and redirecting subsidies towards enforcement and the rebuilding of sustainably managed small-scale fisheries capable of providing more and better livelihoods 11 , 71 ; and (4) improving equity between stakeholders in fisheries, specifically by restricting high seas fishing, which is currently dominated by higher-income countries 72 . Complete closure of the high seas to fishing has been modelled to reduce income inequality among fishing countries by 50%, by ensuring more equitable access to valuable migratory fish stocks 73 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modern slavery and the race to fish

et al. 2018

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Marine fisheries are in crisis, requiring twice the fishing effort of the 1950s to catch the same quantity of fish, and with many fleets operating beyond economic or ecological sustainability. A possible consequence of diminishing returns in this race to fish is serious labour abuses, including modern slavery, which exploit vulnerable workers to reduce costs. Here, we use the Global Slavery Index (GSI), a national-level indicator, as a proxy for modern slavery and labour abuses in fisheries. GSI estimates and fisheries governance are correlated at the national level among the major fishing countries. Furthermore, countries having documented labour abuses at sea share key features, including higher levels of subsidised distant-water fishing and poor catch reporting. Further research into modern slavery in the fisheries sector is needed to better understand how the issue relates to overfishing and fisheries policy, as well as measures to reduce risk in these labour markets.

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Wealthy countries dominate industrial fishing

Abstract: Five wealthy nations control most of the world’s industrial, affecting the future of food, health, and poverty.

Cited by 91 publications

References 40 publications

Seasonal variability in global industrial fishing effort

Seasonal variability in global industrial fishing effort

Environmental and institutional degradation in the globalized economy: lessons from small-scale fisheries in the Gulf of California

Modern slavery and the race to fish

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