An empirical model of fleet dynamics in New England trawl fisheries

Abstract

Regulations and changes in market and environmental conditions that change the profitability of one fishery or area will result in a redistribution of fishing effort among alternative fisheries or areas. The magnitude of this effort displacement will depend on the relative profitability of the alternatives for the individual fishers affected. When fishing areas and fishers are heterogeneous, simple aggregate effort models such as those based on ideal free distribution theory may provide inaccurate predictions. We present an empirical model of individual vessel fishery and location choice based on trip data for a group of over 400 large trawlers fishing in New England. The model uses lagged average revenue rates for different alternatives and the individual vessel's past behavior to predict choice of species group and fishing location on a trip-by-trip basis. This model is used to predict aggregate effort levels in different fisheries and areas over time.

Identification and Characterization of Métiers in Multi-Species Artisanal Fisheries. A Case Study in Northwest Spain

“…As it has been underlined by Tzanatos et al [11], in the short-term, the choice of fishing tactics or métiers depends on multitude of factors: recent yield and income, market demand and price, seasonal availability of fishing grounds, tradition, skippers' experience, rumors about other fishermen yields, etc. Hence, changes in the biological or economic conditions results in a rapid redistribution of the fishing effort of artisanal fisheries [50], as it has been also shown in this case study throughout the high alternation between different métiers and gear types along one fishing season. Although the average landings weight was 99.19 kg and the average income was €396.65 per sale bill in 2009, Asturian artisanal métiers showed significant differences: the rod-hook targeting Scomber scombrus is the métier that generates the highest weight (1468 kg) and income (€886), being also important the Merluccius longline and gillnet métier (an average income of €434 and €425 respectively per fishing day) and the Lophius trammel net métier (€423), whereas 50% of Asturian active artisanal métiers registered an average income per fishing day under €350 in 2009.…”

Social networks and fishers’ behavior: exploring the links between information flow and fishing success in the Northumberland lobster fishery

“…Results highlight the tangible value social networks can play in supporting fishers' livelihoods. Information acquired can contribute to fishers' accumulated knowledge of the marine environment, aiding evaluation of decisions about fishing behavior and potentially conferring a comparative advantage (Holland and Sutinen 1999). However, the varying centrality of individuals in the networks shows that positional advantages gained through information sharing may not be equally distributed.…”

Connectivity, sustainability, and yield: bridging the gap between conventional fisheries management and marine protected areas

“…Some representations do not explicitly include economics but rather make simple assumptions about changes in the spatial distribution of effort caused by MPAs (e.g., Beverton and Holt 1957;Holland and Brazee 1996;Halpern et al 2004;Kaplan and Botsford 2005). Other papers explicitly include economics and tend to be more focused on the fishery sector rather than the managed population (e.g., Holland and Sutinen 1999;Wilen 2003, 2004;Hicks and Schnier 2006). Both classes of studies provide insights as to how MPAs can perform as a fishery management tool.…”