Fish and Fisheries最新文献

Tagging fishes with internal or external electronic tracking devices (acoustic, radio, satellite, or archival tags) is invaluable to behavioural, ecological, and welfare research, but may have adverse effects on the animals studied. While short-term responses to tagging (e.g., days to weeks) have often been investigated, less information is available on longer-term impacts (e.g., months to years) and the potential chronic effects of tagging on basic biological needs such as foraging and reproduction. Here, we synthesize existing knowledge from peer-reviewed acoustic, radio, satellite, and archival tagging articles (n = 149) and anecdotal accounts (n = 72) from 36 researchers to assess the effects of tagging over prolonged periods. We identified a dearth of research that has specifically measured or quantified the impacts of tagging over a period longer than a few weeks or months (e.g., median experimental study duration = 33 days; n = 120 articles). Nevertheless, there was limited evidence to support a net negative long-term impact from the implantation or attachment of electronic devices. Considerations and future research directions are discussed with the goal of generating guidance to the research community and minimizing potentially detrimental impacts to study animals. Given the global application and relevance of electronic tagging research to inform conservation and management of fishes, it is imperative for scientists to continue evaluating how tagging procedures affect animal welfare, fate, and the interpretation of tracking data.

Fishing communities globally continue to face poor health and safety outcomes, driving the expansion of fisheries occupational health and safety (OHS) interventions. However, narrowly focused OHS interventions that neglect the social and structural determinants of health may have unintended consequences. We illustrate this problem through a case study from the UK where a recent OHS intervention, the introduction of compulsory medical certificates to all commercial fishers, led to unforeseen negative impacts. Through analysis of data from interviews, focus groups and a participatory workshop in Cornwall, UK, we highlight three key findings. First, while seeking to improve safety at sea, the regulatory change actually had negative consequences for fishers' health, their access to healthcare and potentially even their safety. Second, a mismatch between the requirements of the regulation and fishers' lived experience undermined the efforts of health promotion and outreach activities. Third, a failure to account for the implications for different sectors of the fleet has contributed to mistrust that may have ramifications for future fisheries governance activity. Our research brings to the fore important implications for the design of OHS regimes in fisheries. These include the broadening of OHS approaches to consider fishers' wider health and well-being; engagement of fishers in the development and implementation of OHS interventions to account for their lived experiences of health and safety at sea and better integrate their knowledge; support for bottom-up fisher-led initiatives aimed at managing health and safety at sea; and improved coordination between agencies responsible for different areas of fisheries governance.

There have been few documented extinctions of fished species, but many bioeconomic models predict that open-access incentives make extinction possible. Open-access multi-species fisheries can cause species' extinction if other, faster-growing species maintain profits at fatal effort levels. Even target species can be profitably harvested to extinction if their prices rise sufficiently as they are depleted. Here, we explore interactions between these potential extinction mechanisms by modelling an open-access multi-species fishery with one or multiple fleets exploiting two species, each with different growth rates, ex-vessel prices, and price dynamics. Increases in the strong stock's (the stock with higher productivity relative to fishing susceptibility) price as it is depleted increase the range of conditions under which the weak stock can be driven extinct and shrinks the range of bioeconomic parameters in which both species can coexist under open-access. Catch hyperstability – whereby species become easier to catch as they are depleted – makes the weak stock weaker as it is depleted and further narrows the scope for coexistence. Fleet diversity in targeting ability can prevent weak stock extinction, as competition or switching balances species abundances. With few documented global fished-species extinctions, our results raise important questions, which we discuss. Is the apparent lack of extinctions largely due to management? Are more species in lightly-managed fisheries threatened with extinction than previously acknowledged? Have more extinctions than we realize already happened in data- and management-poor fisheries? Or have fishes' high fecundity and the oceans' vastness provided protection against extinction that is uncaptured by existing theoretical models?

Climate change is leading to global increases in extreme events, such as drought, that threaten the persistence of freshwater biodiversity. Identification and management of drought refuges, areas that promote resistance and resilience to drought, will be critical for preserving and recovering aquatic biodiversity in the face of climate change and increasing human water use. Although several reviews have addressed the effects of droughts and highlighted the role of refuges, a need remains on how to identify functional refuges that can be used in a drought management framework to support fish assemblages. We synthesize literature on drought refuges and propose a framework to identify and manage functional refuges that incorporate species physiological tolerances, behaviours and life-history strategies. Stream pools, perennial reaches and off-channel habitat were identified as important drought refuges for fish. The ability of refuges to improve species resistance and resilience to drought requires careful consideration of the biology of the target species and targeted management to promote persistence, quality and connectivity of refuges. Case studies illustrate that management of drought refuges can be challenging because of competing demands for water, incomplete knowledge of ecological requirements for target species and the increasing occurrence of multi-year droughts. Climate adaptation is increasingly important, and drought refuges can increase fish resistance and resilience to climate-related drought across the riverscape.

A new policy in the Pantanal wetland, Brazil, aims to economically displace thousands of artisanal fishers from one-third of the region. The legislation disregards several FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainability in Small-Scale Fisheries' guiding principles (SSF guidelines). Considering that 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of these guidelines, this policy represents a significant setback for fish and fisheries worldwide. In this paper, we show that the legislation is part of long-term agenda against small-scale fishers in the Pantanal, aiming to use narratives around overfishing to justify physical and economic displacements—albeit no empirical evidence showing impact on fish stocks. We also show that, as in many other small-scale fisheries worldwide, overfishing narratives are, in fact, used to open space for industrial activities and large infrastructure projects. The Pantanal is a telling story of that, since the new legislation will likely open space for the construction of over 50 small hydroelectric dams in the Pantanal and surrounding area. We argue that, first, it is urgent to abolish the new legislation and promote a pro-fishers agenda in the Pantanal to protect the region. However, since this is not unique for the region, it is critical to implement international programmes that celebrate and support local fisheries worlwide and avoid physical and economic displacements. Stands out turning SSF guidelines into international agreements, implementing citizens science programmes and expanding the fisher's tenure rights through innovative mechanizes of ownership. By better protecting local small-scale fishers in the Pantanal and worldwide we are more likely to guarantee a sustainable future for ecosystems and its peoples.

Historical information has provided key insights into long-term ecological change to marine species and ecosystems, with value to fisheries. Yet, pathways to integrate these diverse data sources into fisheries decision-making have not been clear. Here, we identify an array of biological, ecological, and social information suitable for contemporary science-based decision-making, derived from local ecological knowledge, historical archives, archaeological middens and palaeoecological material. We outline two broad pathways to integrate these historical data into fisheries decision-making, demonstrating that data-driven use of historical information is relevant across a range of management contexts. First, historical information can inform fisheries assessments that range from simple to complex, affecting indicators of stock status. Second, it can inform estimates of biological potential and social preference, affecting the choice of fisheries reference points. Using the Caribbean Sea as an example, we illustrate these ideas with case studies representing diverse species and historical data types. Integrating historical data can improve indicators of the current state of fish populations and result in management decisions based on a more complete understanding of a potential range of variation, avoiding shifted baselines. The urgency of this work is underscored by accelerating environmental changes and the rapid loss of invaluable historical information sources. By illuminating pathways, our goal is to increase the accessibility of these types of information and to underscore that scientists, managers, and resource users have roles to play in identifying and integrating relevant long-term data at various spatial and temporal scales to sustainably manage marine fisheries.

The potential threat of fisheries on seabed carbon is a topic of growing concern, yet existing literature presents inconsistencies leaving experts divided on the topic. We conducted a global meta-analysis to synthesize the current knowledge and quantify how demersal fishing impacts various biogeochemical properties. Direct impact studies revealed overall reductions in chlorophyll-a (Chl-a, 17%), phaeopigments (24%), and proteins (32%). Effects on these reactive compounds were more pronounced on surface sediment (0–2 cm), where the impact on total organic carbon (TOC) also became significant, demonstrating the effect of gear penetration, and highlighting that sampling strategies combining sediment layers can mask observed effects. Current velocity and primary productivity significantly influenced the direction and magnitude of fishing impacts. Trawling-induced subsurface reductions of TOC in low-energy habitats may affect carbon sequestration due to the preferential removal of semi-reactive carbon. Intriguingly, fishing intensity gradient studies showed an average increase in TOC in chronically fished areas, possibly reflecting fishing preferences for meso-eutrophic grounds. We estimate a ~300-day recovery period post-fishing for Chl-a, though values for other parameters are less certain. Limited data on seasonality, gear types, and an under-representation of studies in tropical and deep-sea areas pose challenges to quantifying global scale geochemical impacts of demersal fisheries. Knowledge gaps persist in understanding the fate of disturbed organic matter including its mineralization, transport, and sequestration. Nonetheless, our insights and estimates provide foundational knowledge that can contribute to science-based approaches for spatial fisheries management while preserving natural carbon dynamics on the seabed.

Forecasting the recruitment of fish populations with skill has been a challenge in fisheries for over a century. Previous large-scale meta-analyses have suggested linkages between environmental or ecosystem drivers and recruitment; however, applying this information in a management setting remains underutilized. Here, we use a well-studied database of groundfish assessments from the West Coast of the USA to ask whether environmental variables or ecosystem indicators derived from long-term monitoring datasets offer an improvement in our ability to skilfully forecast fish recruitment. A secondary question is which types of modelling approaches (ranging from linear models to non-parametric methods) yield the best forecast skill. Third, we examine whether simultaneous forecasting of multiple species offers an advantage over generating species-specific forecasts. We find that for approximately one third of the 29 assessed stocks, ecosystem indicators from juvenile surveys yields the highest out of sample predictive skill compared to other covariates (including environmental variables from Regional Ocean Modeling System output) or null models. Across modelling approaches, our results suggest that simpler linear modelling approaches do as well or better than more complicated approaches (reducing out of sample Root Mean Square Error by ~40% compared to null models), and that there appears to be little benefit to performing multispecies forecasts instead of single-species forecasts. Our results provide a general framework for generating recruitment forecasts in other species and ecosystems, as well as a benchmark for future analyses to evaluate skill. The most promising applications are likely for species that are short lived, have relatively high recruitment variability, and moderate amounts of age or length data. Forecasts using our approach may be useful in identifying covariates or mechanisms to include in operational assessments but also provide qualitative advice to managers implementing ecosystem based fisheries management.

Patterns of cohort decline are key demographic traits that provide a unique temporal perspective vital to understanding population dynamics. The discovery of multidecadal lifespans in tropical surgeonfishes in the 1990s created a paradigm shift to the notion that they are highly vulnerable species with low population recovery rates; however, research into the mortality patterns of surgeonfishes (Acanthuridae) has been sparse until recently. Recent studies on this family have demonstrated an unusual (possibly unique), two-phase pattern of adult catch-at-age, whereby there is a population-level shift from higher-than-expected rates of decline early in life to lower-than-expected decline rates for the remainder of the lifespan. To examine the geographic and phylogenetic ubiquity of this pattern, we compiled age-based information from demographic samples of 70 populations of 25 tropical species spanning the Indo-Central Pacific and Central-Western Atlantic. Overall, we found that 79% of populations exhibited strong biphasic patterns, including 88% of populations across the Indo-Central Pacific. By accounting for empirical relationships instead of using linear catch curves or classical assumptions of natural population decay based on lifespan, we demonstrate that surgeonfishes have turnover times that are two to four times faster than previously believed. Faster turnover times may suggest a higher level of sustainability for surgeonfish fisheries throughout the global tropics than previously estimated.

Policies aiming to restore ecosystems, achieve thriving fisheries and reverse biodiversity loss require knowledge of their former status and long-term variation. As quantitative fish data is typically only available for recent decades long after changes may have occurred, a greater use of qualitative sources has been encouraged in marine historical ecology. We examined diverse historical information (including maritime history, fisheries reports, naturalists' accounts, recipes, nautical charts and newspapers) across a multi-century time span (13th–20th century) for a wide range of species to document their long-term trajectories in an understudied Northeast Atlantic ecosystem (Irish Sea coast of Wales). We find strong evidence of the loss of both a pelagic fishery for herring, which was of fundamental socio-ecological importance since at least the 13th century, and the loss of significant multi-species demersal and intertidal fisheries. Local, commercial and/or functional extinction has occurred for taxa spanning a wide range of diversity (crustacean, elasmobranchs, sturgeon, and teleosts), body size and ecological role, suggesting far-reaching changes to food webs. This raises fundamental questions about the present-day health and integrity of this coastal ecosystem and the long-term viability of current fisheries which depend on a few shellfish species. Our century-scale synthesis of qualitative data for multiple taxa allows the collective breadth of losses to be fully appreciated and may reduce the risk of ‘shifting baselines’. Restoration to historical baselines may not be achievable, but our findings provide evidence of long-term change relevant to policies for recovery, and prevention of further decline of fishes, fisheries and ecosystems.