Seasonal dynamics of small-scale fisheries in the Adriatic Sea

Abstract

The main aim of the present study is to increase the knowledge on the seasonal dynamics of the set gears used by Adriatic small-scale fisheries (SSFs) through the collation of data (landings, fishing effort, composition of catches, length-frequency distributions of target species and economic value of landings) on target species,. The study focused on the three set gears mainly used in the basin: gillnets, trammel nets and traps. The results confirmed that SSFs are diverse, complex and dynamic, representing an economic and social engine and providing seafood and employment to local economies. In the Adriatic Sea, SSFs exploit coastal fishing grounds where the seasonal fluctuations of the physical and chemical parameters of the water column strongly influence the occurrence of the different species. Because of this, many different types of set gears are currently used to catch a pool of target species over the year. Fishermen use more than one set gear during the year and tend to increase the fishing effort when the target species concentrate inside the coastal areas during the recruitment or the spawning season. Accordingly, landings reached the highest values during such periods and often include a large portion of juveniles and/or spawners. The study highlighted that the lack of appropriate data and complete statistics is still one of the main constraints for most of the Adriatic coastal countries, as few countries have in place routinely monitoring programs while others are dealing mostly with estimates. These gaps often have the effect of marginalizing and undervaluing the real role of SSFs in a Blue Growth process.

A Contribution to the Sustainable Development of Maritime Transport in the Context of Blue Economy: The Case of Montenegro

“…First, we emphasize the research work of Cobani et al [36] that reported a study by the FAO AdriaMed Working Group on small-scale fisheries (SSFs), which has identified the gaps and priorities for the fisheries sector in the observed region. This research is followed up by the recent scientific work of Grati et al [37] that considered the seasonal dynamics of the set gears. They observed regional small-scale fisheries including Montenegro and collected the data (landings, fishing effort, the composition of catches, and length-frequency distributions of target species and economic value of landings) on target species.…”

Structure and spatio-temporal dynamics of the artisanal small-scale fisheries at the future MPA of “Taza” (Algerian coast, SW Mediterranean)

“…They are characterized by a diversity of target species, gear, and fishing tactics. As a result, this activity is very variable in time and space (Farrugio & Le Corre 1993;García-Rodríguez et al, 2006;Maynou et al, 2013;Moutupoulos et al, 2014;Grati et al, 2018). Despite the fact that SSFs are a primordial activity around the Mediterranean, including within Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) (Francour et al, 2001), the diversity and the great variety of their métiers create great uncertainty from the perspective of the protection and sustainable management of marine resources.…”

Population Characteristics of the European Lobster, Homarus gammarus in the Adriatic Sea: Implications for Sustainable Fisheries Management

“…Small-scale fishers (SSF) along the Mediterranean coast operate with a variety of fishing gears on a seasonal basis, and catches are composed of a wide range of species [7]. Although the European lobster, Homarus gammarus, is not a target species of SSF, it is often a bycatch in gillnets targeting different fish and other marine organisms [8][9][10].…”