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Figure 1. Taken from Grinning Planet.
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A combination of new technologies makes selectivity and habitat conservation possible, but conversion to these new methods will be costly and difficult. To ease the transition to more expensive equipment, we propose that subsidies be redirected to support sustainable fishing. Along these economic lines, tax deductions will also encourage environmentally-friendly methods. The technologies themselves include digital imaging for catch specificity, line tension sensors to indicate net content, and electronic ticklers with depth sensors for trawl nets. These and other steps will allow fisherman, even in large-scale commercial corporations, to catch fish of proper size and species without damaging the precious ocean environment. A shift of the magnitude necessary to restore the fisheries will take time and commitment from across the globe. Honed regulations from supportive governments can encourage sustainable technologies to restore declining fisheries and unify the fishing community worldwide.
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*Improvement in Fishing Technology (Short Term) \[CHILD PAGE 1\]* |
General Goals
General goals of the plan include decreasing the harmful effects of fishing technology on the environment and increasing the selectivity of fish caught both by species and size, to the purpose of drastically reducing bycatch. Improving technology and fishing equipment is really only a short term solution to global fisheries problems. Long term solutions will come from intelligent regulations and worldwide cooperation to use our resources wisely.
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Local fishermen and small fishing companies would get larger per-net or equipment converted subsidies than large companies, who would receive a smaller subsidy based on a sliding scale. This is because large fishing companies would find it easier and have more capital available to convert to new technology than smaller groups of fishermen. However, due to this same capital, large fishing fleets might in fact be less likely to make the switch, so we propose that they also receive a tax break.
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*Regulation of Fishing Technology (Long Term) \[CHILD PAGE 2\]* |
The most effective means of managing ocean fisheries long-term will be regulations. Ideally, regulations would occur before fish are caught rather than after. For example, regulation should specify net drag speed and net mesh size rather than enforcing quotas, which only encourage fishermen to throw fish exceeding the weight limit away. Regulation would be most effective if the two are combined.
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For mobile gear, we should regulate at what speed nets can be dragged so as to maximize the benefit of the increased mesh size. At high speeds, fish that would normally be able to escape from the netting are trapped by the larger fish that are pressed against the end of the net. Setting a minimum mesh size that nets cannot exceed would also decrease the bycatch, although more research is needed to determine the minimum size for the various species being fished.
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GPS Tracking Units for Vessel Management \[CHILD PAGE 3\] |
One of the main issues regarding any laws or regulations governing the fisheries is enforcement. Requiring all fishing vessels to have a GPS tracking device on board will make the regulation of fishermen and fishing companies much simpler and more effective. A tracking device will give off a signal that can be recorded by geosynchronous satellites, so the exact position of the fishing vessel can be monitored by the regulating body. It will allow regulating bodies to know which fleets are in the water and whether or not they are within legal boundaries at any given time, thus ensuring that marine protected areas and time-area closures are not being fished. Speeds of less than three knots usually indicates that the vessel is fishing, and patterns in global positioning data can also help managers determine what type of fishing strategy the vessel is using (Marshall et al, 1998).
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There are several relevant products already on the market. Chartplotters, currently available for under $500, provide sport fishermen with information about a boat's location through an electronic navigational chart, as well as the vessel's direction and speed. Applied Satellite Technologies, Ltd., based in the United Kingdom, has also developed a line of such products called Thrane & Thrane.
The GPS tracking idea is both feasible and practical. Nations are beginning to realize the benefits of such a system and have already taken steps towards implementing such a system. The United States and the United Kingdom both have some form of GPS tracking system used for the regulation of their waters. In 2000, the UK required a GPS system in every fishing vessel over 24 meters1. Three years ago they decided that fishing vessels 15 meters and longer would be required to have the GPS Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) installed, and signed a contract purchasing 750 VMS devices for fishing vessels. The devices are designed to be tamper proof in order to guarantee accurate information is transmitted. The devices provide the monitoring agency with the vessels speed, direction, position, course and destination. Allowing the regulatory agency to successfully and easily monitor and enforce oceanic law in the surrounding waters.
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Other countries that currently have implemented a Vessel Management System include Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, the Falklands Islands, Estonia, Iceland, Malta, Russia, and Spain. It is important to build off the success of existing Vessel Management Systems and help fisheries in developed nations, especially those with open access fisheries, to implement the monitoring of ships in their waters., to implement the monitoring of ships in their waters.
- Great Yarmouth, Englandhttp://satcomms.com/bulletins/AST%20UK%20Fishing%20Fleet.pdfAccessed November 20, 2007
- NOAA Fisheries Service: NE Region Fishing Industry Homepage
- Great Yarmouth, Englandhttp://satcomms.com/bulletins/AST%20UK%20Fishing%20Fleet.pdfAccessed November 20, 2007
- NOAA Fisheries Service: NE Region Fishing Industry Homepage
http://www.nero.noaa.gov/nero/fishermen/multispecies/gom/VMSRegs.htm - United States Department of Commercehttp://www.nero.noaa.gov/nero/nr/nrdoc/nrphlo6/06vms_user_instructions1.pdf
- New Orleans LO (SPX) Oct 30, 2007 http://www.nero.spacewar.com/reports/Northrop_Grumman_To_Compete_For_US_Coast_Guard_Nationwide_Automatic_Identification_System_999.html
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- noaa.gov/nero/fishermen/multispecies/gom/VMSRegs.htm
- United States Department of Commercehttp://www.nero.
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- noaa.gov/nero/nr/nrdoc/nrphlo6/06vms_user_instructions1.pdf
- New Orleans LO (SPX) Oct 30, 2007
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--. Marine Chartplotters for at The GPS Store, Inc. Retrieved November 22, 2007, from http://www.thegpsstore.com/Chart-Plotters-C5.aspx.
Marshall, P. (1998). Fishing operations. 1. Vessel monitoring systems. Retrieved November 22, 2007, from http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/w9633e/w9633e00.HTM
A combination of new technologies makes selectivity and habitat conservation possible, but conversion to these new methods will be costly and difficult. To ease the transition to more expensive equipment, we propose that subsidies be redirected to support sustainable fishing. Along these economic lines, tax deductions will also encourage environmentally-friendly methods. The technologies themselves include digital imaging for catch specificity, line tension sensors to indicate net content, and electronic ticklers with depth sensors for trawl nets. These and other steps will allow fisherman, even in large-scale commercial corporations, to catch fish of proper size and species without damaging the precious ocean environment. A shift of the magnitude necessary to restore the fisheries will take time and commitment from across the globe. Honed regulations from supportive governments can encourage sustainable technologies to restore declining fisheries and unify the fishing community worldwide.
Bibliography
Gabriel, O., ed. (2005). Fish catching methods of the world. Oxford, UK;Ames,IA: Blackwell Publishing.
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