Mapping small‐scale fisheries through a coordinated participatory strategy

Abstract

The knowledge of small-scale fisheries (SSFs) is important to develop management policies and mitigate the competition for marine resources. However, spatially explicit information is often unavailable at the regional and subregional scale. We designed and tested a novel participatory approach to map the SSF fishing effort using the Mediterranean sea as a case study. We applied the approach in eight countries (

Multi‐specific small‐scale fisheries rely on few, locally essential, species: Evidence from a multi‐area study in the Mediterranean

“…inverse of variability) for CPUE and RPUE between ISC and AOC. The average effect size for all areas is reported ±95% CI SSF investigated, as also pointed out in studies (Battaglia et al, 2010;Grati et al, 2022), other gears (e.g., longlines and traps) can represent a relevant portion of SSF activity in multiple areas of the Mediterranean.…”

“…From this perspective, catch descriptors assessed should not be considered as representative of the entire SSF sector of the Mediterranean. In fact, although fixed nets are the most frequently used gears and the only ones always present in the SSF communities investigated, as also pointed out in other studies (Battaglia et al, 2010; Grati et al, 2022), other gears (e.g., longlines and traps) can represent a relevant portion of SSF activity in multiple areas of the Mediterranean.…”

“…This choice was motivated by the fact that, although potential differences in the type of nets may exist, focusing on a single category of gears allows for a reliable comparison of fishery descriptors (e.g., catch per unit of effort, CPUE, and revenue per unit of effort, RPUE) between areas. In this sense, fixed nets were the only category of gears always present in all investigated areas and often representing the fishing gear most commonly used (see Section 3 and Figure 1, see also Grati et al, 2022).…”

“…In this sense, fixed nets were the only category of gears always present in all investigated areas and often representing the fishing gear most commonly used (see Section 3 and Figure 1, see also Grati et al, 2022).…”

Addressing Gaps in Small-Scale Fisheries: A Low-Cost Tracking System

“…Limitations in logbook information for the small-scale fleet, as well as in VMS or AIS broadcasts, results in scant possibilities for securing the compliance of the fisheries [ 21 ] and in the insufficient reliability of spatial fishing pressure indicators, which, at best, now rely on local approaches that include interviews [ 22 ], participatory mapping [ 23 , 24 ], or modeling using generalized behavior rules such as distance from the shore and fishing depths [ 25 , 26 ].…”