What do individuals, communities and nations think of marine issues?

A wonderful happy new year to all of our readers on Sustainable Seas! 2012 promises to be the biggest yet for the blog with plans for further expansion and coverage of sustainable marine and coastal issues around the world.

We're starting the new year with a bang.

One of the huge gaps in marine policy research is understanding the views of the public when it comes to valuing and managing the marine environment. While as engaged researchers or activists we naturally place the marine environment high within our own values - but are the the views of the public substantially different? What is the importance of public discourse?

This recent report by the European Knowseas project charts public opinion of 7000 people across 7 European countries concerning marine values and management approaches. The results highlight that while the oceans are generally low in public opinion, there is a strong call for more civil society involvement in governance. Approaches such as MPAs and marine spatial planning, while in early development, are strongly supported by the public. Views across countries differed dramatically with countries such as the UK, despite a strong maritime heritage, displaying a disconnect from the sea whereas countries such as Portugal and Spain showed a strong connection. The emerging 'ecosystem approach' was important with the public highlighting that non-economic values are as important as traditional economic outputs.

The results raise several interesting questions and consequences - notably the demand for more co-management, public involvement and democratic accountability in the governance of the coasts and seas.

We have a NEW LINK to download the report.

Tuna fished 'illegally' during Libya conflict

 

Evidence is emerging of unregulated and probably illegal tuna fishing in Libyan waters during this year's conflict. Signals recorded from boats' electronic "black boxes" show a large presence inside Libyan waters, a major spawning ground for the endangered bluefin tuna. Several strands of evidence, including a letter from a former industry source, suggest the involvement of EU boats. The issue will be aired this week at the annual meeting of ICCAT, which regulates tuna fishing in the region. The details on this sordid story can be seen here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15597675

In the light of this disturbing information, WWF and Greenpeace wrote today an urgent letter to ICCAT and ICCAT contracting parties urging them to:

1. urgently, identify in a public and transparent manner the names and flags of those vessels which - according to the VMS signals transmitted to the ICCAT Secretariat - operated in 2011 inside the Libyan fisheries protection zone and the Gulf of Sirte.

2. Include such vessels and their owners in the ICCAT IUU list.

3. Formally declare as IUU any recorded catch of bluefin tuna by these vessels during 2011.

4. In case of farming of the above mentioned catches, urge the concerned farms to immediately release an equivalent amount of fish.

5. Call on ICCAT CPCs to explicitly ban any fishing in Libyan waters in 2012.

Illegal fishing on this scale in a key nursery ground for Atlantic Bluefin tuna could prove catastrophic for this recently red listed species. Sustainable Seas calls for the listing of Bluefin on CITES Appendices 1and the implementation by the EU of coastal, port and market state controls on the fishery including the black listing of IUU vessels and the immediate implementation of a fisheries restoration zone across the range of the species.

Isle of Man bans Scottish scallop dredgers

Interesting press release by the Scottish Government. This is no surprise considering the move by Isle of Man scallop fleet to go for MSC certification and recognise the value of conservation, including putting into place significant closed areas,  as a means of securing the future of the industry. The Scottish scallop fleet has been very reluctant to engage in either the MSC program or a conservation agenda - the fleet would do better by engaging, learning and applying the lessons to its own waters rather than undermining the attempts of the Isle of Man fleet to secure its fishing future. Read on....

Scallop fishing 02/11/2010

Following a by-law by the Isle of Man excluding part of the Scottish scallop fleet from its waters, it has not been possible to reopen Luce Bay to scallop fishing this month. The action by the Isle of Man Government mean that all vessels over 300 Horsepower that have not fished at least 50 days in the area over the past 18 months are now excluded from its territorial seas.

Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead said: "The Scottish Government believes that the Isle of Man by-law is unnecessary and unwarranted and I have been in contact with the Isle of Man Fisheries Minister - and UK Ministers who gave the go-ahead - to make my concerns clear. "This measure excludes many Scottish scallop vessels from Isle of Man waters that generate part of their earnings in that fishery. Although a number of Scottish vessels are still able to continue fishing in Isle of Man waters those that have been excluded are being deprived of their historic fishing rights.

"Despite vigorous objections from Scotland over many months, the UK Government chose to sanction the new bye-law in the absence of robust scientific evidence."

Luce Bay in the south west of Scotland, within close vicinity of the Isle of Man, is a designated Special Area of Conservation and under a wider Irish Sea agreement scallop dredging is banned from June to October each year. With Isle of Man territorial waters now closed to a number of vessels that would normally fish there the extension of this ban for a further four months, with industry support, has been necessary to stop Luce Bay being damaged.

"Luce Bay would normally re-open to scallop fishing at this time of year. But the actions of the Isle of Man Government have dramatically increased the risks to Luce Bay if a fishery were to be permitted.The Fisheries Agreement between the administrations that has been in place for decades has been ignored and the Scottish Government is arranging urgent meetings with DEFRA and Isle of Man to discuss the absence of the scientific case to justify this new bye-law and how we manage the scallop fishery from now on in a way that does not discriminate against Scottish vessels. The Isle of Man scallop fishery in the Irish Sea usually opens to the UK scalloping fleet at this time. Last week the Isle of Man Government enacted a bye-law that will exclude half larger vessels in the Scottish scalloping fleet from its waters. The Isle of Man measures are said to be to reduce scallop fishing, however banning larger vessels alone is without any scientific basis and excludes half of the Scottish scallop fleet."

Vessels that would normally have fished off the Isle of Man will be obliged by the bye-law to go elsewhere if they are to stay in business. The bye-law bans from Isle of Man territorial seas any fishing vessel of over 300 Horsepower, unless it fished there for more than 50 days over a period of 18 months up to May this year. In 2009, the total catch by such vessels registered in Scotland is estimated to have been worth 750,000 pounds.

Luce Bay is a designated Special Area of Conservation and is included in a wider area of the Irish Sea where scallop dredging is prohibited from 1 June to 31 October each year under the Irish Sea Order 1984. The extension of the scallop fishing closure has been necessary to stop the features of European importance for which Luce Bay has been designated being damaged by mass displacement of scallop fishing effort.

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Sometimes a picture says a thousand words..from the Marine Scotland Fisheries Status Report 2010

– LEGISLATORS AGREE GLOBAL MARINE RECOVERY STRAGEGY TO ADDRESS COLLAPSE OF WORLD FISHERIES

London, Tuesday 8th June, On World Oceans Day 40 senior Members of Parliament from 15 key fishing nations and regions, including Japan, US, Europe, Canada, Indonesia, Mexico and Brazil agreed a Global Marine Recovery Strategy on world fisheries intended to reverse the decline of global fisheries. The legislators were advised by the world’s leading scientific and policy experts who presented a bleak outlook for fishery stocks if immediate political action was not taken.

The meeting was organised by the Global Legislators Organisation for a Balanced Environment, (GLOBE) to challenge the current international political failure to address the rapid decline of global fisheries stocks. The legislators each pledged to advance the Strategy through their respective parliaments and participants included the former UK Biodiversity Minister, Barry Gardiner MP, the Chair of the European Parliament Fisheries Committee, Patrao Neves Maria MEP, the Vice President of the Brazilian Senate, Senadora Serys Slhessarenko, the Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian Upper House, Representative Laode Ida, the Chairman of the South African National Assembly Committee on Fisheries, Mlungisi Johnson. The Chair of the United States Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard, Senator Maria Cantwell and Committee Member Senator Daniel Inouye both submitted addresses to the meeting and offered their support for the Strategy.

The GLOBE Fisheries Commission Chairman and former UK Biodiversity Minister, Barry Gardiner MP, said, “Due to the failure of existing international political processes to address the collapse of global fisheries, GLOBE, has convened legislators from the world’s major fishing nations and those countries most affected by current policies.

“The science is clear we must act now and we must act decisively and today as parliamentarians from fishing nations we have agreed a package of far reaching measures. We begin today to advance this strategy through our parliaments and into our governments. Ultimately, this Strategy offers a sustainable future for those that depend on fisheries for their livelihoods, be it for food or employment. If we do not act we will see the collapse of fish stocks over a very short period of time.”

‘Since the industrialisation of fishing in 1950s, global fish stocks have been dramatically decreasing. Thirty percent of fish stocks have already collapsed, with other high profile species, such as the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna rapidly approaching extinction in whole areas of our oceans. As the oceans are a global common good, it is essential that there is a coordinated response by the world’s key fishing nations to restore the marine environment to a healthy and productive state.”

The Strategy set out the following Priority Actions:

Parliamentary Legislation
• Ratify and adopt robust implementing legislation for all existing UN and FAO international fishery agreements.
• Redirect inappropriate fishing subsidies into programmes that improve fisheries management.
• Implement flexible rights-based management schemes for both coastal and high seas fisheries.
• Prevent fisheries authorities from setting catch limits above scientific recommendations.
• Involve the fishing industry in data collection and co-management of fisheries.
• Mandate environmental impact and stock assessments for all commercially fished species.
• Integrate fisheries and environment policy within government.
• Provide economic incentives for industry initiatives to source legal and sustainable fish.
• Introduce legislation to ban the import and domestic trade of illegally-caught fish (e.g. US Lacey Act).
• Implement a ‘Cap and Restore’ approach for all severely depleted fisheries.
• Adopt modern MPA network targets to propel domestic implementation of MPAs that link in to national and regional networks, alongside comprehensive fisheries management outside of protected areas.

Regional Cooperation

RFMO Members
• Review and reform of RFMO conventions to promote sustainable, ecosystem-based management of marine biotic resources.
• Construct new RFMOs or expand existing RFMOs to manage species and areas currently unmanaged.
• Implement UNFSA requirements for a precautionary, ecosystem-based approach.
• Agree new RFMO rules that prevent decision-making bodies from setting catch limits above scientific recommendations.
• Incentivise RFMO membership by linking it to capacity-building assistance, and agree economic sanctions against non-compliant states.
• Establish RFMO mandates for all flag states to ensure their vessels carry tamper proof monitoring and surveillance equipment.


Coastal and Port States
• Increase and harmonise sanctions against illegal fishing and transhipment vessels across coastal and port states in key regions.
• Establish regional agreements for sharing data on fishing activities and resources for monitoring and enforcement, especially in developing country coastal and port states.
International Actions
New Agreements
• Mandate the UN to review and monitor RFMO performance based on existing benchmark standards for RFMOs in the UNFSA.
• Support the development of a multilateral and enforceable agreement on fishing subsidy reform within the World Trade Organisation.
• Require all fishing and reefer vessels to carry unique identification, such as IMO numbers.
• Hold non-compliant states accountable using the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea.
• Adopt modern MPA network targets to propel the creation of marine reserves and networks globally.
• Investigate a new Global Framework Agreement for Marine Spatial Planning in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
New Multilateral Institutions
• Continue and increase support for the International Monitoring Control and Surveillance Network, expanding its mandate to conduct and coordinate global high seas fisheries intelligence-gathering.

The Luddites Lament

If, contrary to all modern trends, we were to adopt the opening stance that the profits of the ‘fruits de mer’ should be distributed as widely as to afford its ‘fruit pickers’ a fair living – we might chose to distribute that wealth through the medium of jobs, such that we would look to marine management systems that delivered the maximum sustainable employment, as well as the maximum sustainable yield.

Unfortunately, the unstoppable march of the machine has produced such hi-tech vessels, capable of gargantuan catches with just a hand full of operators, that even these jobs are vulnerable as their catching efficiency threatens the long-term viability of the stocks. These vessels are far beyond the means of mere mortals, so behind their helms sits a bevy of bankers looking for a quick return on their investors money, with little concern for maximum sustainable yields, and even less for maximum sustainable employment.

In search of a management regime that could protect jobs as well as stock, I have long been intrigued by the luddite tendencies of the Port of Truro oyster fisheries, where dredging is only allowed under sail. Could such draconian management systems protect stock levels, maximise employment potential, as well as providing a spin off benefit to the tourist industry? Perhaps there could be long line fisheries from rowing boats, lobster fisheries where only hand hauled pots were allowed, or shallow scallop grounds restricted to free diving? Or maybe we should consider the electronic fishing aids - how about banning ‘fish-finders’ from pelagic fisheries?

Such artificial measures applied across the market place might be able to increase the market price and hence the profitability and employment potential of a fisheries sector, though such a system would seem more suited to the un-mechanised fisheries of the developing world. It may be unrealistic to think that such restricted fisheries could ever be economically viable in competition with more mechanised fisheries, however, with low licence costs, low initial investment (no banker cut), limited competition, increased stocks and specialised niche marketing -perhaps such fisheries management systems could prove to be profitable and even find a toe hold in our ‘winner takes all’ system.

Posted: Owen Kilbride, H2 Marine Resources