Distant water industrial fishing in developing countries: A case study of Madagascar

White, Easton R.; Baker-Médard, Merrill; Vakhitova, Valeriia K.; Farquhar, Samantha; Ramaharitra, Tendro Tondrasoa

doi:10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2021.105925

Cited by 9 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 56 publications

(92 reference statements)

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“…During 2012–2018, AIS data revealed that Eastern Tropical Pacific fishing effort was dominated mostly by Chinese and Taiwanese flag squid jiggers (64%), followed by tuna purse-seiners (17%) and drifting longlines (15%), both flagged to a wider range of countries [ 59 ]. Similar results have been reported in other EEZs, where distant-water fleets dominate fishing in these areas and often approach protected areas [ 60 , 61 ]. The presence of distant-water fleets in the IEEZ may be due to Ecuador’s fishing agreements and permits with these countries.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Fishing effort dynamics around the Galápagos Marine Reserve as depicted by AIS data

Chinacalle-Martínez,

Hearn,

Boerder

et al. 2024

PLoS ONE

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The waters around the Galápagos Marine Reserve (GMR) are important fishing grounds for authorized artisanal vessels fishing within the reserve as well as for national and foreign industrial fleets operating in the wider Ecuadorian Insular Exclusive Economic Zone (IEEZ). Although it was not originally designed for fisheries management, Automatic Identification System (AIS) data provides useful, open access, near real-time and high-resolution information that allows for increased monitoring, particularly around Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. This study uses AIS data provided by Global Fishing Watch to assess the spatial distribution and seasonal dynamics of fishing effort by vessel flag within the GMR and the IEEZ from 2012 to 2021. Based on kernel density estimation analysis, we determinate the core-use areas (50%) and spatial extent (95%) of fishing activities by fleets (Ecuadorian and foreign), gear types and seasons (warm, from December to May; and cold, from June to November). Our results show that the Ecuadorian fleet recorded the most observed fishing hours in the study area, with 32,829 hours in the IEEZ and 20,816 hours within the GMR. The foreign flags with the most observed fishing hours in the IEEZ were Panama (3,245 hours) and Nicaragua (2,468.5 hours), while in the GMR were the ‘Unknown flag’ (4,991.4 hours) and Panama (133.7 hours). Vessels fished employing different fishing gears, but the waters of the GMR and IEEZ were mostly targeted by tuna purse-seiners and drifting longlines. The spatial distribution of the fishing effort exhibits marked seasonal variability, likely influenced by seasonal migrations of target species such as tunas (e.g., Thunnus albacares, T. obesus and Katsuwonus pelamis), marlins (e.g., Makaira nigricans) and sharks (e.g., Alopias pelagicus). The collection and use of this type of spatial and seasonal information is an essential step to understand the dynamics of fishing activities in national waters and improve fisheries management, particularly in less studied areas and fisheries.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Fishing effort dynamics around the Galápagos Marine Reserve as depicted by AIS data

Chinacalle-Martínez,

Hearn,

Boerder

et al. 2024

PLoS ONE

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“…Therefore, the future sustainability of fisheries in the Indian Ocean is entirely in the hands of Indian Ocean rim governments, which legally have full fisheries jurisdiction over their EEZ waters. However, managing fisheries within national EEZs is a challenge for many Indian Ocean countries (OceanMind 2022; Rattle and Duncan-Jones 2022; White et al 2022). Although there is a gradually increasing trend of high-seas catches for large pelagic species, high-seas fishing remains a very small (5% of Indian Ocean catches), if financially valuable, component (Gillett 2011;Lecomte et al 2017;McKinney et al 2020) of fisheries in the Indian Ocean.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In many East African countries, industrial fisheries historically provided only a minor contribution towards catches and employment, compared with small-scale fisheries (van der Elst et al 2005;van der Elst and Everett 2015;Moustahfid et al 2019). However, there are clear signs that interest in foreign industrial fisheries has been expanding rapidly in some East African countries over the past decade (World Wide Fund for Nature 2012; Mallory 2013; Godfrey 2022; White et al 2022). Such industrialisations should be treated very cautiously by host countries in the Indian Ocean, because they regularly and rapidly lead to detrimental conditions for coastal communities, truly domestic fisheries and a country's marine resources.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trends in Indian Ocean marine fisheries since 1950: synthesis of reconstructed catch and effort data

et al. 2023

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Context Contrary to other ocean basins, Indian Ocean catches have increased consistently since 1950, although reported data are known to be incomplete. Fish is a crucial food source in the Indian Ocean; however, ineffective management often empowers over-exploitation. Aims We synthesised and reviewed Indian Ocean reconstructed catch and effort data by fishing sector and fishing country at the ocean-basin scale. Methods We aggregated reported and reconstructed unreported catch and effort data for the Indian Ocean and derived catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) time-series by sector. Key results Indian Ocean rim country catches dominated in the Indian Ocean. Small-scale catches in the Indian Ocean have grown continuously by over 300% from 1.9 × 106 tonnes (Mg) year−1 in 1950 to 6.5 × 106 tonnes year−1 by 2018. By contrast, total industrial catches from the Indian Ocean have reached a plateau at ~8.5 × 106 tonnes year−1 since the late 1990s, after having steadily risen from very low levels in the early 1960s. Unreported catches declined from 45 to 25% of total catches. Total fishing effort, driven by the industrial sector, has increased 30-fold since 1950 from 0.4 × 109 to 11 × 109 kW-days by 2010, whereas CPUE has declined 78%, with steeper declines in the small-scale (>80% since 1950) than in the industrial sector (65% from its 1981 peak). Conclusions The different sectoral patterns in the Indian Ocean compared with other ocean basins are likely to be due to the region’s high dependence on small-scale fisheries and the later onset but swift growth of industrial fishing. The declining CPUE suggests strong decreases in stock biomass caused by strongly increasing fishing effort, especially in the industrial sector. Implications Indian Ocean countries should prioritise lower-impact well-managed domestic small-scale fisheries to maximise long-term, sustainable nutrient supply for local livelihoods.

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“…Distant water fleets are largescale fishing fleets operating beyond the maritime boundaries of their home states. Usually, these fleets are owned by high-income countries and operate in low-income countries, which do not necessarily benefit from increased fish supplies or higher government revenues (Nash et al, 2022;White et al, 2022). Some of these fleets are known to operate illegally, either fishing without permits in other countries' jurisdictional waters or hiding their position by turning off their monitoring systems.…”

Section: Non-renewable and Renewable Resource Extractionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Blue justice: A review of emerging scholarship and resistance movements

Blythe

Gill²,

Claudet³

et al. 2023

Camb. prisms Coast. futures

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Coastal communities, Indigenous peoples, and small-scale fishers are intimately connected with the ocean. Yet, these historically and structurally marginalized groups often bear a disproportionate distribution of coastal and marine harms, and are culturally and politically excluded from marine decision-making. In response, calls for blue justice are emerging. Here, we review key perspectives, new developments, and gaps in the emerging blue justice scholarship. We also synthesize existing case studies of blue injustices and review some of the many successful examples of grassroots resistance efforts to help define what blue justice entails. We aim to help centre the knowledge, strength, and agency of coastal communities responding to blue injustice. Ultimately, concerted efforts are needed by all to support and empower coastal communities to reject blue injustices and to achieve their diverse aspirations for blue justice.

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Distant water industrial fishing in developing countries: A case study of Madagascar

Cited by 9 publications

References 56 publications

Fishing effort dynamics around the Galápagos Marine Reserve as depicted by AIS data

Fishing effort dynamics around the Galápagos Marine Reserve as depicted by AIS data

Trends in Indian Ocean marine fisheries since 1950: synthesis of reconstructed catch and effort data

Blue justice: A review of emerging scholarship and resistance movements

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