Fishermen's perception on the sustainability of small‐scale fisheries and dolphin–fisheries interactions in two increasingly fragile coastal ecosystems in western Greece

Abstract

Despite their geographic proximity, the Gulf of Ambracia and the Inner Ionian Sea Archipelago are remarkably different in terms of environmental features, human activities, and dolphin species composition and densities. Interviews of small‐scale professional fishermen (n = 100) showed that younger generations do not see any future in fisheries and that the traditionally‐oriented fishing community is rapidly changing. Fish captures have reportedly decreased dramatically during the last 20 years. The main factors having an adverse impact on the sustainability of small‐scale fisheries differed significantly between areas. Net damage as a consequence of dolphin predation was almost unanimously reported. Hence, fishermen seemed genuinely interested in collaborating in future research initiatives to evaluate the damage caused by dolphins and to explore potential mitigation strategies. Dolphins were not the only animals held responsible for net damage, nor those reportedly causing the largest economic loss to small‐scale fisheries, which was attributed to either sea turtles or the critically endangered monk seal, depending on the area. The fishermen of the Gulf of Ambracia advocated the introduction of measures to curtail habitat degradation as the top priority, while their colleagues of the Inner Ionian Sea Archipelago identified fisheries management measures and effective law enforcement as the most urgently needed actions. Given the high dependency of local communities on fisheries, ensuring their sustainability is crucial to providing local fishers with sufficient income. The top management measures identified by local small‐scale fishermen perfectly match the priorities set out within the Natura 2000 network, achievable through an ecosystem‐based approach. Failure to take action in a timely manner may lead to irreversible environmental damage coupled with the need for harsher regulatory measures. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Caught in the Same Net? Small-Scale Fishermen's Perceptions of Fisheries Interactions with Sea Turtles and Other Protected Species

“…Respondent characteristics (age, years as a fisherman, type of boat used, fishing activity, etc.,) were similar to those previously reported for small-scale fisheries in Greece (Tzanatos et al, 2005(Tzanatos et al, , 2006; Greek Ministry of Agriculture, 2007; Stergiou et al, 2011; Gonzalvo et al, 2014), and other areas in the world (Chuenpagdee et al, 2006;Chuenpagdee, 2012;Silva and Lopes, 2015). These studies show an aging population of small-scale fishermen due to lack of recruits and a high dependence on fishing as a source of family income.…”

“…Our respondents almost unanimously reported severe declines in numbers of fish caught, and in fish populations in general over the last 5-10 years. Small-scale fishermen report similar declines in Western Greece, (Gonzalvo et al, 2014) and in the Aegean Sea (Glain et al, 2001). Further, this perception is supported by research indicating overexploitation and declines of fish stocks in Greece (Stergiou and Koulouris, 2000;Moutopoulos and Stergiou, 2012;Moutopoulos et al, 2015) and the Mediterranean as a whole (Sala, 2004;Coll et al, 2010;FAO, 2016).…”

“…Fishermen working in the Amvrakikos Gulf (Western Greece) view resident sea turtles as causing more damage than dolphins. In the Ionian Archipelago, Mediterranean monk seals are named "worst offenders" by fishermen (Gonzalvo et al, 2014). In Turkey, dolphins and Mediterranean monk seals are reported by fishermen as having the greatest impact on gear, while in Cyprus, local fishermen view sea turtles as most impactful (Godley et al, 1998).…”

An integrated approach for cetacean knowledge and conservation in the central Mediterranean Sea using research and social media data sources

“…Areas with higher relative abundance estimates and identified as suitable habitat for bottlenose dolphins are likely to be influenced by other anthropogenic factors as well. In particular, bottlenose dolphins were observed both by citizens and researchers to regularly follow trawlers or move near different fishing gears, resulting in the overlap between recreational, artisanal, and professional fishing operations and the species; this well‐known interaction behaviour, already reported in numerous coastal areas in the Mediterranean Sea and worldwide, where animals are attracted towards easily accessible and concentrated food sources (Bonizzoni et al, ; Fertl & Leatherwood, ; Gonzalvo, Giovos, & Moutopoulos, ; Lauriano, Fortuna, Moltedo, & Notarbartolo di Sciara, ; Pace, Pulcini, & Triossi, , ; Pennino, Rotta, Pierce, & Bellido, ; Pulcini et al, ), was then documented for the first time in the study area, conferring further support to the reliability of the approach applied.…”

Identifying recreational fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea through social media

“…Catches of these species were also dominant in recreational fishing catches from Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas in Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Slovenia, Croatia, Tunisia (Font et al., ), and were thus interacting most frequently and in conflict with the commercial small‐scale fisheries throughout the Mediterranean (Greece: Tzanatos, Dimitriou, Katselis, Georgiadis, & Koutsikopoulos, ; France: Herfaut, Levrel, Thébaud, & Véron, ; Spain: Maynou et al., ; Lloret & Font, ). This seems to amplify the contest between professional small‐scale and recreational fishers for the sharing of common resources (Gonzalvo, Giovos, & Moutopoulos, ; Matić‐Skoko et al., ; Tzanatos et al., ), apart from the overlap in the spatio‐temporal operational strategies used by both (Tzanatos et al., ). Moreover, the above is an indication of the validity of this work and in general of the use of social media for such surveys.…”