A socio-economic sustainability indicator for the Basque tropical tuna purse-seine fleet with a FAD fishing strategy

Arantza Murillas-Maza

Spain

AZTI, Technological Institute for Fisheries and Food, Department of Fisheries Resources, Sukarrieta.

Gala Moreno

Spain

AZTI, Technological Institute for Fisheries and Food, Department of Fisheries Resources, Sukarrieta.

Jefferson Murua

Spain

AZTI, Technological Institute for Fisheries and Food, Department of Fisheries Resources, Sukarrieta.

|

Accepted:

|

Published: 2014-01-02

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7201/earn.2013.02.01
Funding Data

Downloads

Keywords:

Purse-seiners, FAD, Rapfish, Sustainability, Tropical tuna stocks

Supporting agencies:

Financiación recibida del proyecto MADE (Mitigating Adverse Ecological Impact of Open Oceans Fisheries

www.made-project.eu) co-financiado por la UE y el Gobierno Vasco. Este artículo es la contribución número 632 de AZTI-Tecnalia (U. de Investigación).

Abstract:

This article applies the Rapfish methodology, a non-parametric and multi-disciplinary technique, with the objective of defining and evaluating a Sustainability Index of the Basque purse-seine fleet, fishing tropical tuna in the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. The estimated Sustainability Index for the fleet fishing in the Indian Ocean is above a critical sustainability threshold and improves between 1998 and 2009. The opposite occurs for the fleet in the Atlantic Ocean. The influence of the growing use of Fish Aggregating Devices on the behaviour of fishers in the Indian Ocean is also analysed.
Show more Show less

References:

Alder, J., Pitcher, T.J., Preikshot, D.B., Kaschner, K. and Ferriss, B. (2000). “How good is good? A rapid appraisal technique for evaluation of the sustainability status of fisheries of the North Atlantic”. In Pauly, D. and Pitcher, T.J. (Eds.): Methods for Evaluating the Impacts of Fisheries on North Atlantic Ecosystems. University of British Columbia, Vancouver: 136-182.

Allen, R. (2010). “International management of tuna fisheries. Arrangements, challenges and a way forward”. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture technical paper. No. 536. FAO, Rome. 45 p.

Andalecio, M.N. (2010). “Multi-criteria decision models for management of tropical coastal fisheries. A review”. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 30: 557-580. http://doi.org/frttbr.

Arrizabalaga, H., Murua, M. and Majkowski, J. (2012). “Global status of tuna stocks: Summary sheets”. Revista de Investigación Marina, 19(8): 645-676.

Baeta, F., Pinheiro, A., Corte-Real, M., Costa, J.L., Raposo de Almeida, P., Cabral, H. and Costa, M.J. (2005). “Are the Fisheries in the Tagus estuary sustainable?” Fisheries Research, 76(2): 243-251. http://doi.org/frttbr.

Castro, J.J., Santiago, J.A. and Santana-Ortega, A.T. (2002). “A general theory on fish aggregation to floating objects: An alternative to the meeting point hypothesis”. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 11(3): 255-277. http://doi.org/c6rd62.

Dagorn, L., Holland, K.N., Restrepo, V. and Moreno, G. (2012). “Is it good or bad to fish with FADs? What are the real impacts of the use of drifting FADs on pelagic marine ecosystems?” Fish and Fisheries, 14(3): 391-415. http://doi.org/pz3.

Fonteneau, A., Lucas, V., Delgado, A. and Demarcq, H. (2006). Meso-scale exploitation of a major tuna concentration in the Indian Ocean. Indian Ocean Tuna Commission Document. IOTC-2006-WPTT-24.

Franco, J., Dagorn, L., Sancristobal I. and Moreno, G. (2009). Design of ecological FADs. Indian Ocean Tuna Commission Document. IOTC-2009-WPE 16.

García, S.M. and Staples D.J. (2000). “Sustainability reference systems and indicators for responsible marine capture fisheries: A review of concepts and elements for a set of guidelines”. Marine Freshwater Research, 51(5): 385-426. http://doi.org/fv7b7g.

Garmendia, E., Prellezo, R., Murillas, A., Escapa, M. and Gallastegui, M.C. (2010). “Weak and strong sustainability assessment in fisheries”. Fisheries Ecological Economics, 70(1): 96-106. DOI: http://doi.org/cznhj6.

Guillotreau, P., Salladarré, F., Dewals, P. and Dagorn, L. (2011). “Fishing tuna around Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) vs. free swimming schools: Skipper decision and other determining factors”. Fisheries Research, 109(2-3): 234-242. http://doi.org/bj72sp.

Kavanagh, P. and Pitcher, T.J. (2004). “Implementing Microsoft Excel Software for Rapfish: A Technique for the Rapid Appraisal of Fisheries Status”. Fisheries Centre Research Reports, 12(2). University of British Columbia, Vancouver.

Kingsford, M.J. (1993). “Biotic and abiotic structure in the pelagic environment: Importance to small fish”. Bulletin of Marine Sciences, 53(2): 393-415.

Moreno, G., Dagorn, L., Sancho, G. and Itano, D. (2007). “Fish behaviour from fishers’ knowledge: the case study of tropical tuna around drifting fish aggregating devices (DFADs)”. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 64(11): 1517-1528. http://doi.org/fkz7b2.

Moron, J., Areso, J.J. and Pallares, P. (2001). “Statistics and Technical Information about the Spanish Purse Seine Fleet in the Pacific”. Paper presented at 14th Meeting of the Standing Committee on Tuna and Billfish, Noumea.

Murillas, A., Prellezo, R., Garmendia, E., Escapa, M., Gallastegui, M.C. and Ansuategi, A. (2008). “Multidimensional and intertemporal sustainability assessment: A case study of the Basque trawl fisheries”. Fisheries Research, 91(2-3): 222-238. http://doi.org/cj7785.

Pauly, D., Christensen, V., Guénette, S., Pitcher, T.J., Sumaila, U.R., Walters, C.J., Waltson, R. and Zeller, D. (2002). “Towards sustainability in world fisheries”. Nature, 418: 689-695. http://doi.org/c2mnrr.

Parin, N.V. and Fedoryako, B.I. (1999). “Pelagic fish communities around floating objects in the open ocean. Fishing for Tunas associated with floating objects”. Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission Document. Special Report, 11: 447-458.

Pitcher, T.J. and Preikshot, D. (2001). “RAPFISH: A rapid appraisal technique to evaluate the sustainability status of fisheries”. Fisheries Research, 49(3): 255-270. http://doi.org/b79vk2.

Preikshot, D., Nsiky, E., Pitcher, T. and Pauly, D. (1998). “An interdisciplinary evaluation of the status and health of African lake fisheries using a rapid appraisal technique”. Journal of Fish Biology, 53: 381-393. http://doi.org/b6zdtp.

Tesfamichael, D. and Pitcher, T.J. (2006). “Multidisciplinary evaluation of the sustainability of Red Sea fisheries using Rapfish”. Fisheries Research, 78(2-3): 227-235. http://doi.org/fdh9kk.

Show more Show less