Recent international agreements and the precautionary approach: new directions for fisheries management science

1998 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 1545-1552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura J Richards ◽  
Jean-Jacques Maguire
Keyword(s):  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Decision Rules ◽  
International Agreements ◽  
Reference Points ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Precautionary Approach ◽  
Ecosystem Impacts ◽  
Fish Stocks

The dynamics of exploited fish populations can be highly uncertain and the precautionary approach to fisheries management addresses such uncertainties. The precautionary approach is now embodied in several international agreements, including (i) the UN Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks Agreement and (ii) the FAO Code of Conduct. We discuss how application of these agreements will change the daily operations of many fisheries agencies. Contrary to past practices, the absence of adequate scientific information can no longer be a reason for postponing or failing to take conservation measures. Future harvest strategies will be based on stock-specific reference points and predefined decision rules. However, more research is required to quantify uncertainties associated with reference point definitions and their practical application in a management context. In addition, future research will emphasize environmental issues with extensive data requirements, such as ecosystem impacts of fishing. Data collection will remain a core business activity; agencies must address the costs of maintaining shared and documented data archives over the long term.

scholarly journals Reproductive hyperallometry and managing the world’s fisheries

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (34) ◽  
pp. e2100695118
Author(s):  
Dustin J. Marshall ◽  
Michael Bode ◽  
Marc Mangel ◽  
Robert Arlinghaus ◽  
E. J. Dick
Keyword(s):  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Reference Points ◽  
Target Level ◽  
Fish Stocks ◽  
Global Food Security ◽  
Common Reference ◽  
Future Assessment ◽  
Traditional Approaches ◽  
Global Food

Marine fisheries are an essential component of global food security, but many are close to their limits and some are overfished. The models that guide the management of these fisheries almost always assume reproduction is proportional to mass (isometry), when fecundity generally increases disproportionately to mass (hyperallometry). Judged against several management reference points, we show that assuming isometry overestimates the replenishment potential of exploited fish stocks by 22% (range: 2% to 78%) for 32 of the world’s largest fisheries, risking systematic overharvesting. We calculate that target catches based on assumptions of isometry are more than double those based on assumptions of hyperallometry for most species, such that common reference points are set twice as high as they should be to maintain the target level of replenishment. We also show that hyperallometric reproduction provides opportunities for increasing the efficacy of tools that are underused in standard fisheries management, such as protected areas or harvest slot limits. Adopting management strategies that conserve large, hyperfecund fish may, in some instances, result in higher yields relative to traditional approaches. We recommend that future assessment of reference points and quotas include reproductive hyperallometry unless there is clear evidence that it does not occur in that species.

scholarly journals Limits to transparency—exploring conceptual and operational aspects of the ICES framework for providing precautionary fisheries management advice

2007 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 738-743 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kjellrun Hiis Hauge ◽  
Kåre Nolde Nielsen ◽  
Knut Korsbrekke
Keyword(s):  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Reference Points ◽  
Precautionary Approach ◽  
Fundamental Limits ◽  
Risk Levels ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Human Interactions ◽  
Management Advice ◽  
Operational Aspects ◽  
The Ideal

Abstract Hauge, K. H., Nielsen, K. N., and Korsbrekke, K. 2007. Limits to transparency—exploring conceptual and operational aspects of the ICES framework for providing precautionary fisheries management advice. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 64: 738–743. ICES precautionary approach to fisheries management advice is based on limit reference points (LRPs) reflecting stock status and precautionary reference points (PRPs) reflecting risk levels. As LRPs are exclusively science-based, while PRPs are management-based, this framework is deployed towards satisfying the ideal of a clear division of science and management's responsibilities. We discuss the variety of technical definitions of reference points and their use in the advisory process. There are inconsistencies in the use of reference points and a tendency to downplay uncertainty. Although the framework can be improved, we argue that some dilemmas will remain. First, transparency of uncertainty presupposes a simple and understandable framework. However, translation of the complexity of natural and human interactions into simple concepts leads to problematic standardization. Second, a clear-cut division of responsibility between science and management is not feasible because LRPs cannot be purely science-based and PRPs cannot be purely management-based. Such dilemmas set fundamental limits to what can be expected from the framework in terms of handling and communicating uncertainty. We suggest that comprehensive dialogue between science and management and explicit reflection on their respective roles will prove more effective at enhancing precautionary and transparent advice on fisheries than adhering to the ideal of strict separation.

Nothing as Practical as a Good Theory

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Ken H. Andersen
Keyword(s):  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Fish Communities ◽  
Reference Points ◽  
Fish Ecology ◽  
Good Theory ◽  
Fish Stocks ◽  
Fisheries Science ◽  
Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management ◽  
Stock Recovery

This chapter provides some context on the overall themes and theory of this volume. Throughout, the theory is applied to relevant problems in fisheries science: impact of fishing on demography, fisheries reference points, evolutionary impact assessments, stock recovery, ecosystem-based fisheries management, and so on, as well as to basic ecological and evolutionary questions. The chapter begins by addressing the motivations for a new theory of fish stocks and fish communities. It also considers what problems such a theory should address and how such a theory can be formulated. From here, the chapter discusses what makes a good theory and the peculiar challenges fish ecology represents.

The Precautionary Approach to Fisheries Management: An Environmental Perspective

1996 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grant J. Hewison
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Reference Points ◽  
Precautionary Approach ◽  
Customary International Law ◽  
Management Procedures ◽  
The Status ◽  
Considerable Controversy ◽  
Legal Meaning ◽  
International Fisheries

AbstractDespite the precautionary approach being only recently applied to the management of international fisheries, it has raised considerable controversy. There are concerns over the precise legal meaning of the precautionary approach. There are also worries that strict application of the approach will be used to shut down some international fisheries. Moreover, there is continuing debate about how precaution should be applied to the management of fisheries where there has always been, and probably always will be, sparse scientific knowledge. Much of the demand for a precautionary approach to international fisheries management has come from environmentalists, but there has been little analysis of their views. This article seeks to explore the precautionary approach to fisheries management from an environmental perspective. The first part of the article discusses the status of the precautionary approach at international law and, in particular, addresses the question whether the approach has become founded in customary international law. The second part of the article provides an environmental perspective of the precautionary approach and its application to international fisheries. This part covers issues such as the demand by environmentalists for science-based management procedures, the setting of stock levels, anticipatory reference points, ecological safeguards and participation in decision-making.

scholarly journals Status and targets for rebuilding the three major fish stocks in Lake Victoria

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laban Musinguzi ◽  
Mark Olokotum ◽  
Vianny Natugonza
Keyword(s):  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Nile Tilapia ◽  
Lake Victoria ◽  
Maximum Sustainable Yield ◽  
Reference Points ◽  
Nile Perch ◽  
Fish Stocks ◽  
Illegal Fishing ◽  
Stock Status ◽  
Low Levels

AbstractWe determined fisheries management reference points for three major fish stocks in Lake Victoria (Nile tilapia, Nile perch and Dagaa) for Uganda and the whole lake. The aim was to ascertain stock status and define reasonable objectives and targets for rebuilding to sustainable levels. Dagaa was found to be healthy in Uganda and the whole lake but tending to overfished status. In Uganda, the stock status of Nile tilapia and Nile perch was recruitment impaired but tending more towards collapsed and overfished status respectively. In the whole lake, the stock status of Nile tilapia and Nile perch was collapsed and overfished respectively with the latter tending more towards recruitment impaired. Estimates of maximum sustainable yield (MSY) showed that catches could be increased under good management. Rebuilding the Nile tilapia and Nile perch stock biomasses to MSY level (Bmsy) could respectively increase the catches above the current level by 9.2% and 29.5% in Uganda and by 72.8% and 15.1% in the whole lake. The immediate objective for fisheries management should be to rebuild biomass for the Nile tilapia and Nile perch stocks to Bmsy. Elimination of illegal fishing practices has proved to be effective. In addition, management needs to keep catches at low levels until biomass for the stocks is ≥Bmsy for at least three consecutive years.

Implementing the precautionary approach into fisheries management: Biomass reference points and uncertainty buffers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias K. Mildenberger ◽  
Casper W. Berg ◽  
Alexandros Kokkalis ◽  
Adrian R. Hordyk ◽  
Chantel Wetzel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Reference Points ◽  
Precautionary Approach

scholarly journals Assessment of Regional Fisheries Management Organizations Efforts toward the Precautionary Approach and Science-Based Stock Management and Compliance Measures

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8128
Author(s):  
Mervin Ogawa ◽  
Joseph Anthony L. Reyes
Keyword(s):  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Stock Management ◽  
Precautionary Approach ◽  
Fish Stocks ◽  
Performance Reviews ◽  
Government Mandates ◽  
The Right ◽  
Regional Fisheries Management Organizations ◽  
Regional Fisheries Management

The sustainable management of the ocean as a global food source has been prominent in recent debates due to the disproportionate rate of human consumption, depletion of fish stocks and shortcomings in conservation efforts. Criticisms from various sectors on the effectiveness of Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMO) in relation to their mandates have prompted performance reviews (PRs) to evaluate their efforts in fisheries management. Among concerns are slow implementation of comprehensive harvest strategies which use science-based indicators and management principles. Moreover, RFMOs are expected to apply the precautionary approach, in the hopes of anticipating, monitoring, preventing and mitigating potential threats. The emergent themes are revealed through content analysis pertaining to cooperation and compliance being essential to fisheries management activities in conjunction with choosing the right operational approaches and the proper implementation of various fisheries regulations. Government mandates and stakeholder’s recommendations support fisheries management organizations to function more effectively. This article discusses the role of coercive, normative and mimetic pressures in RFMOs activities, as described in recent performance reviews. It then analyses how RFMOs have implemented the precautionary approach together with science-based stock management and compliance measures, utilizing recent PRs to assess progress on relevant recommendations.

scholarly journals Integrating fishing spatial patterns and strategies to improve high seas fisheries management

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raul Vilela
Keyword(s):  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Target Species ◽  
Fishing Activity ◽  
Southwest Atlantic ◽  
Fish Stocks ◽  
Heterogeneous Behavior ◽  
National Jurisdiction ◽  
High Seas

Fishing activity in waters beyond national jurisdiction generates multiple management issues, such as data poor fisheries, management of straddling fish stocks and lack of impact assessments on deep-sea Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs). Fishing strategy is the key to understanding and managing high seas fisheries, targeting highly migratory resources that are widely distributed. An international fleet, including Spanish flag bottom trawlers, operates along the Patagonian shelf in Southwest Atlantic waters, which includes an unregulated strip of continental shelf beyond national jurisdiction. The Spanish fleet’s fishing strategy was analyzed, and based on on-board observer data collected from 1989 to 2015, three main fishing seasons were identified: a first season mainly targeting Argentinean squid (Illex argentinus) from January to March, a second season targeting hake (Merluccius hubbsi) from April to August, and a third season from September to December showing an opportunistic and heterogeneous behavior. Findings were framed within current knowledge on resource distribution. A preliminary observation of the inter-annual CPUE rates of target species during their respective fishing seasons highlights the possible existence of species linkages and bioclimatic cycles which may affect species distribution and abundance in the area and might require future research. Even if current fishing activity from the Spanish fleet does not overlap deep-water VMEs, any slight change in the fishing strategy to deeper waters (i.e. the fleet targeting high density I. argentinus areas below 300 m, or a change in the target species) would be critical for the conservation of VMEs in these waters.

scholarly journals Bridging science and law across jurisdictions in Canadian species at risk policy : four case studies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria-Lena Di Giuseppe
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
British Columbia ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Precautionary Approach ◽  
Loggerhead Shrike ◽  
Definition Of

1.0 Introduction -- 2.0 Methods -- 3.0 Federal Legal Measures for Species at Risk in Canada -- 4.0 Provincial Legal Measures for Species at Risk in Ontario -- 5.0 Ontario Species at Risk: Two Case Studies -- 6.0 Provincial Legal Measures for Species at Risk in British Columbia -- 7.0 British Columbia Species at Risk: Two Case Studies -- 8.0 Policy Recommendations -- 9.0 Conclusions and Applications for Future Research. The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the effectiveness of current legal measures for protecting species at risk in Canada through an interpretive qualitative method. Four species case studies were analyzed: The Eastern Loggerhead Shrike, Jefferson Salamander, Northern Spotted Owl, and Vancouver Island Marmot. Policy recommendations for reforms arising from the research are: i) inter-jurisdictional cooperation is imperative for protecting species at risk; ii) dedicated species at risk legislation is crucial, and it is recommended that such legislation exist at both federal and provincial levels; iii) flexibility instruments and exemptions to existing law should be scientifically informed and used cautiously; iv) private landowners are significant stakeholders and stewardship efforts are important; v) scientific information and the definition of critical habitat for species at risk are crucial. The thesis concludes that a science-based precautionary approach to species protection is fundamental to address the plight of species at risk in Canada.

scholarly journals Bridging science and law across jurisdictions in Canadian species at risk policy : four case studies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria-Lena Di Giuseppe
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
British Columbia ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Precautionary Approach ◽  
Loggerhead Shrike ◽  
Definition Of

1.0 Introduction -- 2.0 Methods -- 3.0 Federal Legal Measures for Species at Risk in Canada -- 4.0 Provincial Legal Measures for Species at Risk in Ontario -- 5.0 Ontario Species at Risk: Two Case Studies -- 6.0 Provincial Legal Measures for Species at Risk in British Columbia -- 7.0 British Columbia Species at Risk: Two Case Studies -- 8.0 Policy Recommendations -- 9.0 Conclusions and Applications for Future Research. The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the effectiveness of current legal measures for protecting species at risk in Canada through an interpretive qualitative method. Four species case studies were analyzed: The Eastern Loggerhead Shrike, Jefferson Salamander, Northern Spotted Owl, and Vancouver Island Marmot. Policy recommendations for reforms arising from the research are: i) inter-jurisdictional cooperation is imperative for protecting species at risk; ii) dedicated species at risk legislation is crucial, and it is recommended that such legislation exist at both federal and provincial levels; iii) flexibility instruments and exemptions to existing law should be scientifically informed and used cautiously; iv) private landowners are significant stakeholders and stewardship efforts are important; v) scientific information and the definition of critical habitat for species at risk are crucial. The thesis concludes that a science-based precautionary approach to species protection is fundamental to address the plight of species at risk in Canada.

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