Trends in the Alaskan Bottom-Trawl Fishery from 1993 to 2015: A GIS-based Spatiotemporal Analysis

Abstract

Using fishery-dependent observer data from National Marine Fisheries (NMFS) provides insight into the location and intensity of bottom-trawl fishing effort, and allows those areas most exposed to fishing pressure to be identified. In this study, the spatial and temporal extent of Alaskan bottom-trawl fishing effort in the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska between 1993 and 2015 is explored within a space-time cube in ArcGIS Pro. The variables analysed were number of hauls per area and total catch per area. Statistical techniques were used to examine spatiotemporal clustering within the data. Results indicate that fishing was significantly clustered over space and time. A three-dimensional hotspot analysis shows which areas were most intensely fished and illustrates the trends over the relatively long study period. The data were then compared with sea ice concentration to determine the effect of changing climate on fishing activity. Sea ice had a limited effect on the spatial patterns of fishing effort, but certain areas in the Bering Sea exhibited increased fishing effort in years with less sea ice.