Comparative fishery yields of African Large Marine Ecosystems

Zeller, Dirk; Hood, Lincoln; Palomares, M.L.D.; Sumaila, U. Rashid; Khalfallah, Myriam; Belhabib, Dyhia; Woroniak, Jessika; Pauly, Daniel

doi:10.1016/j.envdev.2020.100543

Cited by 9 publications

(11 citation statements)

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“…This trend is in general agreement with a recent assessment of the biomass patterns of exploited stocks for the tropical Indian Ocean region, which suggested general declines in stock biomass of around 60-70% from levels in 1950 (Palomares et al, 2020). Furthermore, the overall levels of catches, including industrial and foreign fishing, in the Agulhas Current Large Marine Ecosystem, which includes the Mozambique Channel entities considered here, have been declining steadily since peaking in the late 1960s (Figure 3 in Zeller et al, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Fishing Effort and Associated Catch per Unit Effort for Small-Scale Fisheries in the Mozambique Channel Region: 1950–2016

et al. 2021

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The Mozambique Channel region in East Africa has diverse marine ecosystems and serves as a migratory corridor for economically important species. Local and foreign industrial fisheries operate in the Mozambique Channel, but regional small-scale fisheries are the crucially important fisheries that provide food security, livelihoods, and economic opportunities for rural coastal communities. This study reconstructed and investigated trends in the fishing effort and catch per unit effort (CPUE) of small-scale marine fisheries in four Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) that constitute the Mozambique Channel, i.e., Union of Comoros, Madagascar, Mayotte, and Mozambique, from 1950 to 2016. Effective fishing effort for small-scale fisheries in the form of fishing capacity in kWdays (i.e., kilowatt days) was derived using the number, length, motorization (engine power) by fishing vessels, as well as an approximate human-powered equivalent for shore-based fishers without vessels, as well as days of fishing per year. Effective small-scale fishing effort in the Mozambique Channel increased by nearly 60 times from just over 386,000 kWdays in 1950 to over 23 million kWdays in 2016. Correspondingly, the overall small-scale CPUE, based on previously and independently reconstructed catch data declined by 91% in the region as a whole, from just under 175 kg⋅kWday–1 in the early 1950s to just over 15 kg⋅kWday–1 in recent years. All four EEZs showed the strongest declines in the small-scale CPUE in the earlier decades, driven by motorization and growth in vessel numbers impacting effective fishing effort. Increased motorization combined with a substantial growth in overall vessel numbers were the drivers of the increasing fishing effort and decreasing CPUE, and clearly suggest that continuing to increase the fishing capacity of small-scale fisheries in the absence of effective and restrictive management actions may exacerbate overexploitation risk.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Fishing Effort and Associated Catch per Unit Effort for Small-Scale Fisheries in the Mozambique Channel Region: 1950–2016

et al. 2021

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“…Unequal seafood displacement is a form of "ocean grabbing", when inadequate governance results in the grabbing of resources (e.g., fish) that cause negative social and ecological consequences 38,39 . For example, Africa has witnessed declines in ecosystems and fisheries due to foreign fishing in their waters, usually by European and Asian nations, leading to the erosion of food self-sufficiency, food security, and disappearance of livelihoods for many coastal communities in these regions 40,41 . The displacement of environmental and social impacts from one jurisdiction to another is recognised as a fundamental challenge to environmental and conservation policies 20,24 , but requires more attention in global fishing and seafood trade given the important role that seafood has in sustainably feeding our growing population.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global fishing and seafood trade burdens places with ineffective fisheries management

Klein

Kuempel

Watson

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Seafood is the most traded food commodity globally, but is underpinned by unsustainable fishing practices. When a country obtains seafood from outside its jurisdiction, any negative social and environmental impacts associated with fishing are displaced to the fished location. ‘Unequal displacement’ occurs when seafood is obtained from a place with poorer, less-effective, fisheries management than the country that catches or imports the seafood. We found that up to 22% (19.9 MT) of wild-capture seafood was unequally displaced, much of which is caught in the high seas, Russia, Malaysia, and Angola. Unequal displacement occurs for up to 50% (10.0 MT) of traded seafood. Almost all 172 countires that we assessed unequally displace seafood, but few are responsible for the majority (China, India, Thailand, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Netherlands, UK, USA). Achieving both sustainable food provision and ocean health requires new policies that encourage the reduction of unequal seafood displacement.

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“…These coastal states have jurisdiction over some of the world's most productive fishing grounds (Sambe et al, 2016), many of which have experienced overfishing (Link et al, 2020;Maskun et al, 2020;Zeller et al, 2020). In particular, West Africa's coastal fisheries operating on the continental shelf have long been accessed by foreign, distant water trawl fleets and small-scale fishers from within the region (Alder & Sumaila, 2004;Belhabib et al, , 2019.…”

Section: West Africa As a Case Study In The Outcomes From Distant Wat...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Coastal governments in this region have traditionally negotiated access agreements with flag state governments or directly licensed foreign fishing companies (Alder & Sumaila, 2004; Belhabib et al, 2015; Bonfil et al, 1998; Hammarlund & Andersson, 2019; Mallory, 2013; OECD & ECOWAS., 2008; Pauly et al, 2014). These coastal states have jurisdiction over some of the world's most productive fishing grounds (Sambe et al, 2016), many of which have experienced overfishing (Link et al, 2020; Maskun et al, 2020; Zeller et al, 2020). In particular, West Africa's coastal fisheries operating on the continental shelf have long been accessed by foreign, distant water trawl fleets and small‐scale fishers from within the region (Alder & Sumaila, 2004; Belhabib et al, 2015, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A snapshot of the economic benefits from foreign bottom trawling in coastal West Africa: A mutually‐beneficial trade in services, no winners or extractivism?

Virdin

Vegh

Akester³

et al. 2022

Fish and Fisheries

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Large‐scale fishing effort in the waters of tropical and lower income countries is predominantly driven by ‘distant water fishing fleets’ often owned by companies based in a small number of countries and has been associated with a range of negative environmental and social outcomes. West Africa is an example where such fleets are a dominant feature. In the waters of Guinea‐Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Ghana, 75% of all licensed bottom trawl vessels in 2017 either registered (‘flagged’) or largely owned in China. In this context, we examined the size and distribution of the economic outcomes from operation of these vessels in above five countries to better understand the impacts of these coastal states’ decision for allocating access to the distant water bottom trawl fleet. Based on analysis of heterogeneous sources of data, we estimate that in 2017 the China‐flagged or owned coastal bottom trawl fleets generated little to no net economic benefits in terms of resource rent for either the companies or the coastal states in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Ghana. Significantly higher economic benefits were generated from the offshore fishery in Guinea‐Bissau (US$31 million) and Guinea (US$25–38 million), largely captured by the companies owning the China‐flagged fleet. The size and distribution of the resource rent suggest that based solely of economic measures, the five coastal states may want to better assess the terms of these access arrangements for the foreign‐flagged or owned bottom trawl fleets. The fishing companies may need to reassess the sustainability of their operations, particularly in the southern states for long‐term economic benefits.

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Comparative fishery yields of African Large Marine Ecosystems

Cited by 9 publications

References 57 publications

Fishing Effort and Associated Catch per Unit Effort for Small-Scale Fisheries in the Mozambique Channel Region: 1950–2016

Fishing Effort and Associated Catch per Unit Effort for Small-Scale Fisheries in the Mozambique Channel Region: 1950–2016

Global fishing and seafood trade burdens places with ineffective fisheries management

A snapshot of the economic benefits from foreign bottom trawling in coastal West Africa: A mutually‐beneficial trade in services, no winners or extractivism?

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