An Overview Of Our Solution
Fishing Smarter – Combining Management and Gear Solutions
Who is this solution impacting?
Ecosystem
Océans/Côtes
Community Type
Rural
Additional Information
- Population Impacted:
- Continent: Amérique du Nord
Problem
Describe the problem
A selective bottom trawl was matched with new management tools to promote sustainable fishing practices. The net utilized a recessed sweep 30.5 cm (12 in.) “window†configuration to reduce the capture of flatfish in the small-mesh multispecies fishery. Sector allocation (catch shares)allowed fishermen flexibility in when to fish for certain species. The trawl design is a standard 2-seam squid net with 362 x 12 cm (4.5 in) fishing circle and a hanging line length of 2900 cm (1142 in) with an addition of a 30.5 cm (12 in) extension to the headrope and 30.5 cm (12 inch) “window†between the sweep and footrope. Adjustments allowed the sweep to be positioned behind the footrope and vertical spaces created by the “window†allow flatfish the opportunity to escape from the net.
Biodiversity Impact
By combining selective gear with a catch-share approach, fishermen were able to change fishing behavior of the fleet. Currently summer flounder is managed under seasonal daily quota and this net design allowed industry members to fish for flounder when they wanted to and not use up the allotted quota for the state. The directed nature of this selective gear allows fishermen to maximize the catch of target species, and avoid bycatch of unwanted or endangered species. Conservation gear engineering has been practiced for many years and has been documented to be an effective method to promote sustainable fisheries and overall ecosystem health. Using the best scientific evidence available, gear technologists have been able to come up with solutions designed to ensure the long-term sustainability of fishery resources at levels which promote the objective of their optimum utilization and maintain their availability for present and future generations.
Solution
This modified net was an industry based design voluntarily being used by fishermen to reduce bycatch and discard mortality. Bycatch is the discarding of often legal sized fish because they exceed catch limits or are the wrong species. By minimizing the retention of flounder in the Loligo squid fishery, fishing mortality can be reduced and rebuilding goals for local species are more likely to be achieved, therefore promoting sustainability. The purpose of the experimental management program was to assess the effectiveness and viability of a catch-share approach as an alternative to traditional quota management. The approach offered a promising new way to support fishermen, and the resource they depend upon, by reducing discards, improving economic efficiencies, and supporting safety at sea. The concept of using the modified net in conjunction with sector allocation only enhanced the success of the program. Bycatch has dropped significantly. Data for the first five months of the 2010 fishing year indicated that the discard rate for sector vessels (4%) was nearly four times less than that for common pool vessels (15%). Fishermen stayed under the catch limits for all species under sector management. // The management area in consideration is Statistical Fishing Area 539 in Southern New England off the coast of Rhode Island USA. The approximate size in hectares is 228566.
Replicability
How many years has your solution been applied? 2 years // Have others reproduced your solution elsewhere? Yes // The success of the program has prompted other fishermen to want to engage in this innovative form of fisheries management in the state of Rhode Island. The fishing gear portion of the solution is currently being used on a voluntary basis by local fishermen interested in promoting sustainable fisheries and ecosystem based approach to fisheries management. All members of the sector (Rhode Island Fluke Conservation Cooperative)have chosen to use the modified fishing net to promote more effective fishing practices that ensure the protection of fishery resources. The solution as a whole is being managed collectively by the state agency and the local stakeholders participating in the project. The management portion of the solution has been adopted by the state agency as an effective way to manage the summer flounder (fluke) fishery in Rhode Island. The state has control of how much quota the sector is awarded and tracks how much is caught on each one of the sector boats. The members of the sector are in communication with one another to ensure that quota is not being exceeded. If a vessel is not currently fishing for the quota species, they will sometimes allow other vessels to fish their share of the quota. The solution is being tested for larger vessels on a spatial/temporal scale by Cornell University Cooperative Extension in neighboring Long Island Sound USA. Contact information for the project leader is: Emerson Hasbrouck email: ech12@cornell.edu
Human Well Being and Livelihood Impact
In the local community there have been many changes that have occurred as a result of sector management combined with modified fishing gear. As of 2011 there are 15 fishing boats that participate in the current catch share program. It is anticipated that in 2012 that number will increase and other "sectors" will be formed. The net design demonstrated that it will not reduce the harvest of target species to levels below economic viability in the small mesh fishery. It is of critical importance to design avoidance gear adaptations that do not drastically impact fishermen economically. Revenues, which had been decreasing substantially for years, have stabilized. The price “small boat†fishermen (vessels less than 50 feet) received per pound was up 35% in the 2010 fishing year. This contradicts predictions by some that catch limits would shut the fishery down by mid-season. The sector participants reported that their participation in the program resulted in enhanced economic efficiencies, an improved ability to make sound and safe business decisions, a cooperative and collaborative orientation among fellow participants, and a heightened sense of well-being and job satisfaction. Results of an economic analysis showed that not only did the sector participants benefit economically from the program, but the non-sector members benefited positively as well. // The summer flounder fishery underwent a major transformation with the expansion of the “sector†allocation program. Sector allocations are meant to provide fishermen with greater control, flexibility, and economic efficiency in their fishing businesses, while simultaneously fostering sustainable management through catch limits and improved monitoring. The program gives substantial management responsibilities to groups of fishermen and makes members of sectors jointly liable if the sector exceeds its catch allocation or commits other regulatory violations. These new arrangements represent a significant departure from past management regimens that have not required collaboration between fishermen or joint accountability. The success of any sector depends on the attitudes and capabilities of its members and on relationships among the members – including their degree of trust and ability to collaborate. The results from the 2009 and 2010 pilot programs in Rhode Island were very positive, showing benefits to the resource as well as the fishermen. Participants discarded 98% less fluke than non-participants and were also subject to higher monitoring coverage. The program’s proven ability to reduce regulatory discards ultimately lead to an increase in the State of Rhode Island’s quota, benefiting the entire fishery. The results also showed the program’s proven capacity to provide accurate data that facilitates a sound, scientifically based approach to the continuing analysis of sector allocation as a potential strategy for improving the management of certain fisheries.