Fisheries

Identifying greening efforts There is widespread agreement that the world’s fisheries are currently operating at overcapacity. Advances in technology have made it possible for a much smaller global fleet to catch the maximum sustainable yield, but the global fishing capacity keeps on growing owing to the common property nature of fisheries and the provision of fishing subsidies by many maritime countries of the world. Also, the use of sometimes damaging fishing methods such as bottom-trawling, unselective fishing, pollution and human-induced variations in climate has changed the productivity of many aquatic environments.

The issue of overcapacity can be addressed by investigating some of the common sources of excess fishing capacity. In several places, fishing is considered employment of last resort, attracting people with few other job options. Investing in re-training and education programmes for fishers and creating alternative employment has been successful in reducing fishing pressure, especially in places that are known for artisanal fishing.

Fishing capacity can be curtailed by taking steps to decommission fishing vessels or by reducing the number of permits or licences. Much attention has been given to decommissioning programmes, which are intended to reduce effort by reducing the number of fishing vessels. Unfortunately, some research suggests that vessel buy- back schemes may actually increase fishing effort if not properly implemented (Hannesson 2007). This occurs when loopholes allow decommissioned vessels to find their way to other fisheries and increase their catching capabilities (Holland et al. 1999). Fishing enterprises may also act strategically in anticipation of a buy-back by accumulating more vessels than they would otherwise (Clark et al. 2005).

Many fishing grounds that have been over-exploited have suffered lasting damage to the sea bed by trawl nets, affecting the ability of certain species to reproduce (Morgan and Chuenpagdee 2003). In these cases, as well

as in instances where pollution or climate change have had an impact, mitigating investment in the natural environment is essential if ecosystems are to be brought back to past levels of health and productivity.

The cost of fishing fleet adjustment The world’s current fishing capacity is widely estimated to be 2.5 times more than what is needed to land the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) (Pauly et al. 2002). This implies that in order to shift the fishing industry to MSY levels, we would need to trim excess fishing capacity. However, the cumulative power of the global fleet is presently increasing at a rapid rate, notably in Asia (Anticamara et al. in press).

It is estimated that some 4 million boats6 are actively

engaged in marine fisheries. If we assume that current fishing capacity is between 1.5 and 2.5 times the level needed to maximise sustainable catch, fishing effort would need to be reduced by between 40 and 60 per cent. This means that the active fishing fleet may need to be reduced by up to 2.4 million vessels. This calculation does not, however, account for differences in fishing capacity by vessel type. For instance, areas dominated by large-scale vessels (i.e., vessels larger than a given size, which varies from one country to another) may need to reduce fewer vessels than areas with more small-scale boats because large-scale operations represent greater fishing effort per unit.

It is estimated that the fishing industry employs more than 35 million people, which implies that between 15 and 22 million fewer fishers would be required in a green-fisheries scenario. However, research indicates that up to 75 per cent of fishers in Hong Kong would be willing to leave the fishing industry if suitable compensation were available (Teh et al. 2008). Alternative livelihood programmes that have been successful involve activities such as seaweed farming

6. Based on 2002 data and stagnant growth in fleet size as suggested by FAO trends. Available at http://www.fao.org/fishery/topic/1616/en.

Box 4: How improvement in fishing gear can contribute to green fisheries

The potentially devastating impact of trawling, especially in terms of damage to the sea bed and bycatch, is well known (Hall 1996; NRC 1999; Watling and Norse 1998) and has given rise to legislation such as the mandatory use of turtle- excluder devices in shrimp trawls and bans of trawlers in the in-shore waters of many nations. In California, a shift from trawls to traps in the state’s spot prawn fishery in 2003 resulted in a significant

reduction of rockfish bycatch (Morgan and Chuenpagdee 2003). Recent improvements to the design and use of fishing gear to minimise seafloor contact and to reduce bycatch, such as the use of the Nordmore grate in shrimp fishery (Richards and Hendrickson 2006) have been encouraging, but more investment is needed to address the impacts of large scale trawling and other high-impact fishing gear.

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