This book presents multi-level approaches to the problem of unsustainable fisheries and provides potential solutions to address it. It discusses the importance of fisheries from a global perspective, describes current fisheries failings, and provides recommendations for more sustainable practices (e.g., food and livelihood security, interdisciplinary approaches, ecosystem-based and community-based management, governance reforms, reduced capacity, and accountability).
Analyses the concept of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and the international instruments which provide the legal and policy framework to combat IUU fishing. Palma, Tsamenyi and Edeson, University of Wollongong, Australia.
Fluctuations and declines in marine fish populations have caused growing concern among marine scientists, fisheries managers, commercial and recreational fishers, and the public. Sustaining Marine Fisheries explores the nature of marine ecosystems and the complex interacting factors that shape their productivity. The book documents the condition of marine fisheries today, highlighting species and geographic areas that are under particular stress. Challenges to achieving sustainability are discussed, and shortcomings of existing fisheries management and regulation are examined. The volume calls for fisheries management to adopt a broader ecosystem perspective that encompasses all relevant environmental and human influences. Sustaining Marine Fisheries offers new approaches to building workable fisheries management institutions, improving scientific data, and developing management tools. The book recommends ways to change current practices that encourage overexploitation of fish resources. It will be of special interest to marine policymakers and ecologists, fisheries regulators and managers, fisheries scientists and marine ecologists, fishers, and concerned individuals.
This report provides an overview of the biological status of assessed stocks around the world and relates measures of stock status to the strength of fisheries management. Stock assessment outputs, consisting primarily of time series of abundance and fishing pressure relative to target reference points, were compiled for 548 marine fish and invertebrate stocks in the RAM Legacy Stock Assessment Database. Data summary methods included: global and regional mean trends of abundance and fishing pressure relative to target reference points; bivariate plots of relative abundance and fishing pressure; estimates of potential equilibrium yield foregone at current fishing pressure; and proportions of stocks in different biomass status categories. These measures of stock status were summarized at the global level as well as separated by 16 FAO Major Fishing Areas and ocean basin regions for comparison.
Over the last fifty years, human exploitation of marine resources has become more efficient as the understanding of the habits and behaviour of the various species available in the sea gradually increased. Thus, technologies have developed naturally over time and fishing gears and practices have become more sophisticated. These technical advances in fishing gear have generally led to more efficient economic fishing operations and better access to resources. However, fishing implies the harvesting of marine organisms directly from their natural environment, therefore general awareness of environmental problems due to the exploitation of fishery resources has also increased. In particular, the poor selectivity of some gears is responsible for the capture of juveniles, immature and undersized specimens of many species, with negative consequences on the state of stocks. In addition, bycatch in marine fisheries is a major source of human-caused mortality of marine megafauna, often leading to the capture of vulnerable species. Finally, many bottom-towed gears are responsible for high impacts on bottom communities and habitats, with cascading consequences on the entire marine ecosystem. All these impacts can lead to changes in the structure, function and integrity of ecosystems, including effects on the food webs and multispecies predator-prey relationships.
Aquaculture is a rapidly growing, successful approach to improving diets by providing more high quality fish and shellfish protein. It is also an industry with major unresolved issues because of its negative impact on the environment. This book is a pioneering effort in the development of environmentally benign aquaculture methods.
Infinity Fish: Economics and the Future of Fish and Fisheries is a practical and science-based reference that demonstrates how to value the benefits from restored marine ecosystems to sustain ocean and fishery resources for years to come. It discusses ecological and economical aspects to support the preservation of marine resources by understanding cost-benefits of fishery management systems. The book explains the economic benefits of restoring ecosystems that have been overexploited and how to maintain fisheries in a sustainable level. Infinity Fish: Economics and the Future of Fish and Fisheries is a useful reference to a wide range of audiences. It is for those who wish to make systematic efforts to develop their fisheries sector, scientists and researchers, anyone in fisheries management, marine resource management, economists, fish farmers, policy makers, leaders and regulators, operations researchers, as well as faculty and students. Includes case studies for each topic and provides detailed summaries to further understand them Presents examples and practical applications of cost-benefit concepts Provides models of statistical analysis to optimize decision making
The guidelines are the first comprehensive, global instrument on tenure and its administration to be prepared through intergovernmental negotiations.The guidelines set out principles and internationally accepted standards of responsible practices for the use and control of land, fisheries and forests. They provide guidance for improving the policy, legal and organizational frameworks that regulate tenure rights; for enhancing the transparency and administration of tenure systems; and for strengthening the capacities and operations of public bodies, private sector enterprises, civil society organizations and people concerned with tenure and its governance.The guidelines place the governance of tenure within the context of national food security, and are intended to contribute to the progressive realization of the right to adequate food, poverty eradication, environmental protection and sustainable social and economic development.
All coastal states have ambitions for the development of their fisheries. Not only do fisheries play an important role in sustaining peoples' livelihoods, but also in many countries in the north and the south, fisheries are important for the national economy. Moreover, fisheries are part of the process of globalisation, which, for better or worse, means that fisheries issues and problems have implications that extend beyond the level of the nation state. Fisheries development: the institutional challenge is the result of a long-term research programme on fisheries in developing countries. The book explains how fisheries development strategies changed over the years, from simple ideas of modernising the production equipment (boats and gear) to complex programmes involving management and institution building. It highlights the role of the state and the community in resource management and the challenges offered by new concepts such as ecosystem management in a Third World setting. Book jacket.
