Fisheries management around the world: elements and implementation Ray Hilborn School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences University of Washington

Elements of a fishery A population being exploited A fishery, people and fleets A management system

The fish population The biology of the fish and their productivity –Natural mortality –Recruitment –Growth The ecosystem –predators, competitors and prey Physical Environment –Forcing of productivity –Physical habitat structure Refuge from predators Habitats conducive to prey Need for migration –Larval transport

The Fishery Harvesting fleets, subsistence, commercial recreational –Motivation – commercial profit Processing Markets –Commercial fisheries must have markets –Price sensitivity, need for stability

The Management System Legal Framework –What laws govern the management of the fishery –In the U.S. Federal fisheries these are usually the Magnuson-Steven Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act –International agreements, Law of the Sea, Stradling stocks agreement, U.N. code of conduct for responsible fishing

The management system Data collection and research –Catch data –Index of abundance Surveys CPUE –Size and age distribution –Tagging studies – movement and stock structure –Genetics for stock structure –Basic biology of fish, growth, maturation etc

The management system Regulatory structure –Access – who can fish –The assessment process: how you go from data to best science Reference points Harvest strategies –Setting time area, catch limits

The management system Funding –How much money is allocated to management –Who decides how much –Where does the money come from

The management system Monitoring Compliance Surveillance –How to assure that regulatory limits are being enforced Paper trails Log books Port sampling Observers – human and otherwise VMS – satellite monitoring of vessels On-water observation by air or water Under-cover enforcement

Types of management systems Totally top down –Government runs everything Consultative –Top down with extensive input from stakeholders Co-management –Various shared responsibilities Devolved –Most activities done by users

Roles in fisheries management ActivityManagersScientistsUsersPublicNGO GoalsAlwaysLittleAlways Mostly Harvest strategyAlways UsuallyLittleMostly Data collectionAlways From much to little Little AssessmentnoneAlwaysSame same AccessAlwaysLittleSame same Setting regulationsAlways unless devolved LittleSame same EnforcementAlways unless devolved littleSame same FundingnoneNonesomeMostlyrarely

Status of fish stocks Trends in abundance Stock size relative to MSY target Fishing mortality rate relative to MSY targt

Trends in abundance

Trends in biomass

Trends in fishing mortality

US West CoastUS East Coast European UnionRussia/Japan

Stock Size Fishing Pressure Maximum Sustainable Yield

S Stock Size Stock Size above target level Stock Size below target level

Stock Size Fishing Pressure Fully Exploited Overfishing Under exploited Overfished and overfishing Over fished

Stock Size Fishing Pressure Okay Possible Future Problem Okay Current and Future Problem Current Problem – Better Future

Most recent update of RAM Legacy

Distribution of stock size in FAO catch database

Impact of average catch on status Log 10 average catch

How to measure sustainability Abundance Fishing Pressure Trends The fisheries management system

Country-level fishery governance survey 28 countries 10 species per country (semi-randomized) 46 questions among 5 dimensions: Country X Species 1Species 2Species 3Species 4Species 5Species 6Species 7Species 8Species 9 Species 10 Confidence level ………… ………… NA NA ABAB ………… ………… …………

landings data body size or age data surveys to monitor trends in abundance stock assessments objectives and fishery management plan regulations to limit fishing pressure capacity to adjust regulations and fishing pressure dockside monitoring and at-sea observers penalties and compliance protection of sensitive habitats discarding and by-catch measures controls on access and entry transparency community involvement capacity-enhancing subsidies

Average response by governance dimension n = 191 survey responses

Bristol Bay Salmon Fishery In Alaska

GoalsMaximum yield with owner operator fleet Harvest strategyFixed escapement goal: daily opening and closing of fishery Data collectionState agency AssessmentStage agency with collaborators Access1800 vessel permits and 1000 shore based fishing permits Setting regulationsState agencies EnforcementState agencies FundingState

Pollock Fishery In Alaska

GoalsEcosystem management Harvest strategyTAC Cautious exploitation rates Data collectionFederal agency AssessmentFederal agency AccessFixed shares to 3 gear groups, each group formed cooperatives with sharing agreements Setting regulationsFederal agency with coops doing self enforcement EnforcementFederal agency FundingFederal and fleet shared

Rock Lobster in New Zealand

GoalsMaximum profit through ITQ system and MSY Harvest strategyTarget CPUE with management strategy Data collectionFishing fleet AssessmentQuota holders with government supervision AccessITQ system Setting regulationsState agencies EnforcementState agencies FundingLevy’s on quota holders

Geoduck in Puget Sound

GoalsMSY and revenue to state Harvest strategyRotational harvest Data collectionState agency AssessmentStage agency AccessAuction of annual harvest rights Setting regulationsState agencies EnforcementState agencies FundingState from auction revenues

Role of math and statistics It has traditionally been essential in providing management advice through statistical models For NZ rock lobster and geoduck it has become relatively unimportant as empirical approaches have replaced statistical ones Fisheries provided the cutting edge in resource management of applied decision analysis, Bayesian statistics and formal optimization

Conclusions We generally know how to sustainably manage fisheries The best approaches differ greatly depending on the objectives, nature of the fishery and biology of the fish More than one approach is likely viable Two key issues I would highlight are –Eliminate the race to fish cooperation not competition –Be clear of your objectives

Oxford University Press publication Available in English, Japanese and Chinese

The dynamics of an unregulated fishery Development of a profitable fishing operation Expansion of fleet so long as it is profitable –Fixed and variable costs –Stagnation and overcapacity Movement onto new fishing opportunities

History of the California Current fisheries

Number of trawl vessels in Finnish herring fishery

Where do fishermen go? Tasmanian abalone fishery

Fishing season in halibut fishery

How to incorporate ecosystem aspects By-catch –Commonly dealt with by gear and area regulations or by-catch quotas Sensitive habitats –Usually handled by gear/area restrictions (trawl bans on sensitive habitats) Trophic interactions –Science is immature –Trophic models offer conflicting advice –Requires complex trade-offsq`1`

How to incorporate and socio- economic aspects Primarily done through overall objectives and access agreements –Some countries ignore – usually means aggregation of ownership –Alaska has explicit policy to maintain owner- operators in state fisheries Harvest regulations, and enforcement may differentially affect different sectors –Observer programs