The Governance Perspective

The use of limited-access privilege programs (LAPP’s) in fi sheries management offers an incentive for collaborative management while also addressing economic incentives. This paper provides an overview of the development and use of limited access privilege programs by looking at a review of potential benefi ts and the arguments against them. It focuses on examining Introduction A catch share program is a generic term associated with fi shery management strategies that allocate a specifi c percentage of the fi shery catch to individuals, cooperatives, communities, or other entities. It includes more specifi c programs such as Limited Access Privilege Programs (LAPP’s). The Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 (later renamed Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act and then Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act) created a new national program for the conservation and management of marine fi shery resources. Fishery Management Plans (FMP’s) were to be developed by eight regional fi shery management councils and implemented by NMFS. In 2006, Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act (hereafter referred to as the Reauthorization Act), urged regional councils to use more LAPP’s in federal fi sheries management (NMFS, 2007). LAPP’s had also been specifi ed as a priority in the U.S. Ocean Action Plan1 and Executive Order 12866, signed by President William J. Clinton in 1993, which established the guiding principles agencies must follow when developing regulations. In 2005, under President George W. Bush, NMFS pledged to double the number of fi sheries managed under LAPP’s (from 8 to 16) by 2010. In 2010, the Obama administration solidifi ed its commitment to catch shares by issuing a Catch Share Policy (NOAA, 2010) to provide guidance and support on the design, implementation, and monitoring of catch share programs. This policy provides a foundation for facilitating the widespread consideration of catch share fi shery management plans (FMP’s) while enabling local fi shermen and communities to be part of the process. This article explains what LAPP’s are, how they work, and what benefi ts and costs can be expected from their implementation. First, a brief history of fi sheries management helps explain how LAPP’s evolved. This is followed by an explanation of the economic incentives behind LAPP’s, in the context of two fi sheries in the U.S. Mid-At1The plan, subtitled The Bush Administration’s Response to the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, is available online at http://www.cmts. gov/downloads/US_ocean_action_plan.pdf. lantic Region—the Atlantic surfclam/ ocean quahog, Spisula solidissima/ Arctica islandica, fi shery and the tilefi sh (also known as the golden tilefi sh), Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps, fi shery. Limited-Access Privilege Programs Prior to 1976, U.S. marine fi sheries were managed in a completely openaccess environment, with few restrictions placed on foreign or domestic fi shermen or their activities. Competition among fi shermen under open-access conditions creates incentives for the industry to expand, over-exploit, and eventually deplete the resource (as described by the popular phrase “tragedy of the commons”), resulting in overcapacity and overfi shing (Anderson and Holliday, 2007). With the passage of the Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976, fi sheries management began to evolve, using various combinations of input and output controls. Input controls were put in place to restrict vessel activity in various manners, by regulating the type and/or amount of gear, or by restricting fi shing areas or fi shing times. Output controls were also established that aimed to limit the amount of catch or harvest in a fi shery, such as limits on a total allowable catch (TAC) or individual trip catch. These too had a downside. A hard TAC (a predetermined catch level that is paired with a within-season closure provision) implemented for a fi shery as a whole often leads to heightened competition to catch as much fi sh as possible before the annual limit is reached; a “derby fi shery” in which there is a “race to fi sh.” Gear restrictions and trip limits the historical context of two specifi c applications in the Mid-Atlantic—the Atlantic surfclam, Spisula solidissima, and ocean quahog, Arctica islandica, fi shery, and the tilefi sh, Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps, fi shery. Structural components of these programs are presented along with a description of notable changes in these two fi sheries since the implementation of LAPP’s.

The precautionary approach has been widely accepted as an important guideline in international, regional, and national fisheries management. The United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement provided a foundational framework for the application of the precautionary approach in fisheries management. Several Regional Fisheries Management Organizations explicitly referenced the precautionary approach in their conventions. Additionally, several significant fishing countries integrated the precautionary approach into their domestic legislation and actively implemented a precautionary approach in practice. However, China has not yet formally integrated the precautionary approach into its fishery legislation and management practices. Given the acceptance and effectiveness of the precautionary approach in fisheries management globally, China should incorporate the precautionary approach into its legislative and administrative frameworks for fisheries. We reviewed current Chinese laws and regulations for the precautionary approach and identified gaps, challenges, and opportunities for the precautionary approach and recommend the application of the precautionary approach in China's fisheries management. Recent advances in China's fisheries management, including the ongoing revision of the Fishery Law and the fishery quota system pilot program, established favorable circumstances for the potential adoption of the precautionary approach.

Management of China's capture fisheries: Review and prospect

Simple SummaryEvery year an estimated 1.5–2.7 billion wild fish are caught by UK commercial sea fishing fleets subjecting most to severe stressors. Scientific research shows that fish are sentient beings, but UK animal welfare laws do not protect commercially caught wild fish. For example, stunning fish before slaughter is rare and gutting them alive is a common practice. There are therefore major welfare issues in wild capture sea fisheries, no laws to protect the welfare of wild fish at sea, and great potential to reform practice to improve the lives of billions of sentient fish. The article investigates this through reporting findings from interviews with 18 experts with a stake in wild fish welfare. The article reviews the UK fishing industry, policy context and scientific evidence that fish are sentient, linked to stakeholder views about what fish experience during wild capture. The article then analyses industry practices, resultant welfare harms and stakeholder attitudes towards them. No participant disputed that fish are sentient and all were able to identify key stressors to fish in different stages of the capture process, together with potential mitigations. Interviews revealed that harms can be worsened by their hidden nature along with conservative industry attitudes towards brutal practices which would be unacceptable in other areas of animal food production. The article raises awareness of an under-researched welfare problem in UK wild capture sea fisheries but should have wider significance to many fishing nations.An estimated 1.5–2.7 billion wild fish are caught by UK commercial sea fishing fleets annually. Most are subjected to severe stressors during capture; stunning is rare and gutting alive is common practice. Fish are recognised in UK law as sentient beings, but commercially caught wild fish are excluded from welfare protections. Animal welfare impacts in wild capture sea fisheries are therefore on a massive scale, with major potential for legislative and market-based reforms. Interviews were conducted with 18 experts working within the fishing and seafood industry, fisheries management, scientific research and animal/fish advocacy organisations. The findings reveal a significant welfare gap between societally acceptable ways to treat sentient animals and the reality of capture fisheries. The participants pointed to harms caused to fish throughout different stages of the capture process caused by combinations of variables from fishing gear and methods to biological, environmental and other factors, noting that all require mitigation. Interviews revealed that the nature of harms may be exacerbated by conservative attitudes towards brutal practices in the industry, driven by profit and efficiency and free from legal restraint. To address the welfare gap, stakeholders favour engagement with the industry to improve understanding of harms and to identify mutually beneficial and shared objectives through alleviating stressors to fish in the capture process. This empirical research is focused on UK wild capture sea fisheries. However, given the dearth of welfare legislation globally, it has significance for fishing nations and the many billions of wild sea fish captured each year around the world.

Increasing population and expansion of urban areas are often associated with degradation of aquatic ecosystems. Although water quality is a major concern for worldwide authorities, several emerging contaminants can threaten long term status of aquatic ecosystems and human health. UV filters are widely used in industrial products such as plastics, paints and coatings, to enhance their photo protective properties. Personal care products, such as shampoos, body creams, make-up and sunscreens, used in humans’ daily routine, also comprise a wide variety of chemicals, such as organic UV filters and parabens. Some UV filters are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic. Parabens prevent bacterial growth and extend products shelf-lives, but they can have endocrine disruption properties. Wastewater is a potential vehicle of UV filters and parabens to the aquatic ecosystems, where they tend to accumulate in suspended sediments. This study investigates the presence of organic UV filters and parabens in Ribeira dos Covões peri-urban catchment, in central mainland Portugal. The catchment has been deeply urbanized over the last decades, due to its proximity to Coimbra city center. Urban areas cover 40% of the catchment land-use and include several health services, such as a hospital, and a relatively large pharmaceutical company. Wastewater is piped and transported into a treatment plant (WWTP) located outside the catchment. The sewer system, however, is sometimes subject to failure, leading to leakages which affect local streams. In September 2018, fluvial sediment samples (0-3 cm depth) were collected in 10 sites across Ribeira dos Covões stream network. The freeze-dried sediment samples were extracted using an accelerated solvent extractor (ASE-350, DIONEX, Germany) method, and analysed for 17 UV filters, 5 parabens and 2 synthetic musks, using an Agilent UHPLC-MS/MS system operating with dopant-assisted atmospheric pressure photoionization (DA-APPI). The results show the presence of methylparaben (10.3 ng/g dw) at the catchment outlet. UV filters were found in sediments from several sites in Ribeira dos Covões. Compounds revealing highest concentrations were octocrylene, quantified in 8 of the 10 sampling sites and reaching 286.3 ng/g dw, and ethylhexyltriazone, quantified in half of the monitored sites in concentrations up to 67.7 ng/g dw. The largest number of compounds and with highest concentrations, were recorded in two stream sections that received wastewater, based on reports from local citizens about sewer pipe leakages. Wastewater contamination can represent a major problem for the good status of aquatic ecosystems in urban environments.

The increased use of nitrogen fertilizer in the Mississippi River Basin since the 1950s has been blamed for declining water quality, the degradation of aquatic ecosystems and the growth of a seasonal hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico. In this study, we use the IBIS terrestrial ecosystem model and the HYDRA aquatic transport model to examine how agricultural practices and climate influenced terrestrial and aquatic nitrogen cycling across the Mississippi Basin and the nitrate export to the Gulf. The modeling system accurately depicts the observed trends and interannual variability in nitrate export by the Mississippi River (r2 > 0.83), and several of the major tributaries, between 1960 and 1994. The challenge of simulating nitrate export from the central western sub‐basins highlights the key role of processes like denitrification. The simulations demonstrate that three factors led to the doubling of nitrate export by the Mississippi River since 1960: (1) an increase in fertilizer application rates, particularly on maize; (2) an increase in runoff across the basin; and (3) the expansion of soybean cultivation. By the early 1990s, fertilized crops may have accounted for almost 90% of the nitrate leached to the river system, despite representing only 20% of the watershed area. The majority of the nitrate exported to the Gulf appears to originate from “hot spots,” including a stretch of the “Corn Belt” across Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana. The relative contribution of such heavily fertilized lands, particularly those in close proximity to higher order streams, can be even greater during wet years.

Chapter 5 - Ecorestoration of Polluted Aquatic Ecosystems Through Rhizofiltration

Salinization of freshwaters is a serious problem leading to a decrease in biodiversity and degradation of aquatic ecosystems. In conditions of climate warming, the toxic effect of salinization can increase. The aim of this study was an experimental assessment of the survival of the pre-larvae of the Eurasian perch Perca fluviatilis under conditions of different concentration of two types of salt (salt mining wastes and sodium chloride), and also under two temperature regimes. We found that under temperature conditions of 8–15 ° C, the mortality of pre-larvae was significantly lower compared to the values obtained with an increase in temperature by 5 °C. The tolerance limit (LC50 ) under exposition to salts for 24 hours was a mineralization value equal to 9.8 g/l and 8.7 g/l under an exposition of 72 hours. There were no significant differences between the two types of salts — salt mining wastes and sodium chloride in terms of LC50. There were also no significant differences in the time of death of 100 and 50% of the tested prelarvae. At the same time, a higher mortality of pre-larvae was revealed in solution of salt-mining wastes at concentrations of 7 and 8 g/l. At concentrations above 9 g/l, the opposite trend was observed — a greater mortality rate was found in sodium chloride solution. For both types of salts, a greater survival rate of prelarvae was revealed at a salt concentration of 8 g/l compared to a concentration of 7 g/l, which requires more detailed studies. These results are important for understanding the limits of tolerance to salinity in the larval stage of development of one of the most widespread ecologically flexible freshwater fish species. The relevance of the study is determined by current trends in climate change and the increasing level of salinization of boreal freshwaters as a result of salt pollution.

This study aims to investigate a new and sustainable approach for the reuse of industrial by-products from wastewater treatment. The dairy industry produces huge volumes of wastewater, characterized by high levels of phosphate that can result in eutrophication and degradation of aquatic ecosystems. This study evaluated the application of acid mine drainage (AMD) sludge, coal fly ash, and lignite as low-cost adsorbents for the removal of phosphate from dairy wastewater. Material characterization using X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analysis revealed significant amounts of crystalline/amorphous Fe/Al/Si/Ca-based minerals and large surface areas of AMD sludge and fly ash. Batch adsorption isotherms were best described using the Freundlich model. The Freundlich distribution coefficients were 13.7 mg0.577 L0.423 g−1 and 16.9 mg0.478 L0.522 g−1 for AMD sludge and fly ash, respectively, and the nonlinearity constants suggested favourable adsorption for column applications. The breakthrough curves of fixed-bed columns, containing greater than 10 wt% of the waste materials (individual or composite blends) mixed with sand, indicated that phosphate breakthrough did not occur within 100 pore volumes while the cumulative removal was 522 and 490 mg kg−1 at 10 wt% AMD sludge and 10 wt% fly ash, respectively. By contrast, lignite exhibited negligible phosphate adsorption, possibly due to small amounts of inorganic minerals suitable for phosphate complexation and limited surface area. The results suggest that both AMD sludge and fly ash were potentially effective adsorbents if employed individually at a ratio of 10 wt% or above for column application.

Global warming and the excessive exploitation of water resources have raised significant concerns regarding water scarcity and the degradation of aquatic ecosystems. To enhance integrated water resource management, a multi-objective optimization model integrated water allocation and water quality has been developed, in which there are trades-off between average economic benefit efficiency maximization and social welfare for long-term sustainability. In the social welfare maximization objective, an adapted Bentham–Rawls criterion is incorporated to addresses intergenerational trade-offs in high-quality water resource allocation, and the overlapping generations structure is employed to analyze the intertemporal dynamics of water pollution, thereby alleviating the conflicts between economic growth and environmental quality in the basin. Besides, total economic efficiency maximization objective is also important as it ensures the effective utilization of water resources. Using the heavily polluted Tuojiang River basin in China as a case study, the feasibility and rationality of this model have been demonstrated. Scenario analysis further validates the model’s effectiveness and explores the impacts of varying control parameters. Results indicate that improving sewage treatment capacity, reducing water pollution accumulation, and accounting for the reasonable needs of future generations for high-quality water can promote the sustainable development of the basin. Compared with the previous models, the proposed optimization model is capable to increase the social welfare by 13.83% and total economic efficiency by 15.97%.

The Barandabhar corridor forest (BCF) has a very high biodiversity and in terms of wildlife is globally significant. This study on the status of Ciconiidae (storks) in the BCF was conducted by means of direct observation along bird routes, line transects, roads, man-made tracks and riversides. A seasonal count was used to determine the actual status of the storks. Four species of the family Ciconiidae, the lesser adjutant stork (52 individuals); black stork (6); woolly-necked stork (148) and Asian open bill stork (363) were recorded during the course of this study. The population of storks was highest in the rainy season. Among the species studied, the Asian open bill stork, woolly-necked stork and lesser adjutant stork were resident in the area, whereas the black stork is migratory and only present in winter. Storks were recorded mainly around lakes and ponds (675 individuals) followed by marshy and swampy land (325), grassland (293), paddy fields (251), rivers and streams (187). The most abundant species is the Asian open bill stork, followed by the woolly-necked stork, lesser adjutant stork and black stork. All the diversity indices values showed that the Asian open bill stork was the dominant species in the study area, followed by the woolly-necked stork, lesser adjutant stork and black stork. Many wetlands inside the Chitwan National Park and the Barandabhar corridor forest dry out in summer, which directly affects the survival of these birds, as they are confined to protected areas in the dry season, when there is no water in the paddy fields. Degradation of aquatic ecosystems, overuse of pesticides in fields and over-fishing of rivers and lakes using poisons and electricity, are the major threats to these species.

Fishers, scientists and policy makers need to describe, understand and “agree on” variations in fish catches caused by exploitation and climate change for effective fisheries management. To achieve this, relevant data with sufficient spatiotemporal resolution is a necessity. In regions of the Global South, such as the Western Indian Ocean (WIO), fish catch data useful for management is scarce or non-existing. Still, the potential of local ecological knowledge to provide such information has not been fully utilised in these regions. In this study, we evaluated fishers’ local ecological knowledge (based on interviews) against detailed seasonal fish catch variability data based on catch per unit effort (CPUE) records. Because of the importance of the monsoon seasons for marine resource variability, differences in fish catches during the northeast (NE) and southeast (SE) monsoon seasons were investigated. Fishers’ perceptions generally agreed with catch data records, both showing that the NE monsoon season generally provides higher catch rates than the SE monsoon season. The fishers’ perceptions at two of the landing sites (Nyamisati and Shangani) contradict the recorded observations by showing highest fish catches during the SE monsoon season. It was clear, however, that fishers’ perceptions in these two sites focused on the most valuable target species (prawn and tuna in Nyamisati and Shangani, respectively) rather than total catches. In this particular case, fishers’ perceptions facilitated the significance of taking target species into consideration. The findings of this study highlight the importance of integrating local ecological knowledge into scientific research to help understand the complex dynamics of coastal fisheries and improve the management of data-poor fisheries.

The distribution of age classes is a key demographic parameter of populations and thus proper age estimation is crucial for fisheries management and for conservation biology. Age estimation in fishes has traditionally relied on the analysis of growth marks in hard structures such as otoliths. However, besides being lethal this method is time-consuming, can have low accuracy in some species and cannot be applied in others. Thus, there is a need for the development of new methods. DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification consisting in the addition of a methyl group in cytosine-guanine loci. Aging is associated with changes in DNA methylation. Among a background of global and weak genome hypomethylation, there are some loci in which age-associated DNA methylation changes are of a “clock-like” nature and thus predictable. Chronological age estimators built from DNA methylation are termed ‘epigenetic clocks’. Epigenetic clocks have been developed in the last ten years for many species, notably vertebrates, including already several fish species. Here, we review the piscine epigenetic clocks built so far and outline the major considerations to be taken into account for the development of new epigenetic clocks for additional species, which include the number of samples to be collected and tissues to be targeted. The steps on how to develop such a clock and the techniques available to do so are also discussed. Next, we focus on the features of epigenetic clocks as measuring devices, considering aspects such as accuracy, precision and reproducibility. Finally, we discuss the possibility of developing a multi-species piscine epigenetic clock and how processing automation can greatly reduce the cost per sample. One important knowledge gap is to determine how environmental changes, especially temperature and food availability, may affect the tick rate of piscine epigenetic clocks. Improved age prediction through the use of piscine epigenetic clocks can contribute to better fisheries management practices in a context of overexploited fish stocks worldwide, and in the estimation of age classes in endangered species.

Tropical shrimp trawling: Developing a management blueprint and adapting and implementing it in specific countries and fisheries

Fin clipping is a common practice in fisheries management, and hatchery fish are often marked this way. In the wild, the tail (caudal) fin may be damaged or lost to predation or disease. Because the tail fin is important to fish swimming behavior and ability, this study was designed to examine the effects of partial and complete loss of the tail fin on the swimming ability of juvenile black carpMylopharyngodon piceus. Swimming speed and tail beat frequency were measured for 3 groups (intact tail fin, partial tail fin, no tail fin) using a stepped velocity test conducted in a fish respirometer. We found that critical swimming speed (Ucrit) and burst speed (Uburst) decreased slightly in the partial fin group and significantly in the no fin group. In the group with no tail fin, Uburstdecreased more than Ucrit, clearly reducing the ability to avoid predators. Moreover, mean tail beat frequency (TBFmean), Ucritand Uburstall decreased slightly in the partial fin group and significantly in the no fin group. A decrease in tail beat force and TBF both reduce swimming capability. These findings contribute to developing our understanding of the relationship between fish tail fins and swimming.