Over the past one hundred years, the fishing industry has developed and expanded to serve increasing consumer demand. Advances in fishing technology enabled this growth by catching greater quantities of fish with lower cost and less labor required. The three most lucrative fishing methods (bottom trawling, mid-range trawling, and purse seining) effectively remove entire schools of fish in very little time. Certain methods, especially bottom trawling, kill surrounding plant and animal species by destroying their sea floor habitats (Gabriel, 2005, chap. 26). Increased bycatch (nontarget species caught by commercial fishermen) also accompanies large-scale harvesting, eliminating threatening many populations unintentionally caught with market fish (Merriam-Webster, 2006-2007). In general, our goals in fishing technology advancement are to decrease harmful effects on the environment while also increasing selectivity in both species and size of fish harvested. These ends focus on the restoration of fish habitats and the protection of threatened or endangered species. Governments must implement and enforce regulations to save declining fisheries. At the same time, manufacturers must introduce environmentally friendly fishing technologies into the global market. As the new machinery becomes more common, its price will drop and its acceptance will increase.
Figure 1. Taken from Grinning Planet.unmigrated-wiki-markup
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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. Tax deductions should also be used to 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 fishermen, even in large-scale industrial fishing operations, to catch fish of proper size and species without damaging the ocean environment. A shift of the magnitude necessary to restore global fisheries will take time and commitment from across the world. Proper regulations from supportive governments can encourage the shift to sustainable technologies and unify the fishing community worldwide.
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Improvement in Fishing Technology (Short-Term)
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General Goals
General goals of the plan include decreasing the harmful effects of fishing technology on the environment and increasing size and species selectivity of fishing gear in order to drastically reduce bycatch. Technological improvements are really only short-term solutions to global fishery problems. Long-term solutions will come from intelligent regulations and worldwide cooperation to use our resources wisely.
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A future idea would be to install GPS tags in nets and other fishing gear. The tags would emit a unique signals which could be tracked automatically. Ships would also have unique GPS tags that could be matched together with their equipment; boats that don't pass inspection (i.e. use the right equipment in the right areas such as no trawling areas) do not comply with fishing regulations, such as equipment restrictions in protected areas, would be red flagged by the automated system, which then eliminates eliminating the need for human operators and makes the making enforcement aspect more efficient. This can also track ships that The system would also record any attempts to fish in no-take closed areas. In order to track the number of hours a ship's equipment is in the water, a speed coach propeller, or other mobile equipment device which spin spins as water passes, could be put on nets and track the speed and time for which used to record how fast and how long the equipment is pulled. Hours in the water The number of hours that a piece of gear is used could also be tracked by a resistance meter that can sense when it is in water because the resistance of the water is much less than of air so as the meter dries, resulting in a drop in resistance readingby detecting the difference in the electrical resistances of water and air.
Implementing the Steps:
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The time frame must be large enough to allow fishermen to replace their equipment whenever is most convenient for them (i.e. when they would naturally need to replace it), but small enough to leave very little time for inaction and to encourage countries to be proactive in their conversions. An extension can be added if it is needed on a case-by-case basis in order to meet the deadline.
Subsidies for Step 2 technology would be implemented before the Step 1 phase is fully complete so fisherman can choose to go straight to Step 2 and skip Step 1, if they can do so. Step 2 would continue past the end of the ITQ bonuses provided for Step 1 conversion. As As sustainable fishing increases and unsustainable fishing decreases, subsidies would become largely unnecessary.
Local fishermen and small fishing companies would get larger per-net or equipment converted subsidies relatively larger subsidies for equipment conversion than large companies , who would. Large fishing companies wouuld receive a smaller subsidy based on a sliding scale. This is because large fishing companies major corporations would find it easier and have more capital available to convert to new technology than smaller groups of small fishermen would. 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
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Regulations are necessary to manage The most effective means of managing ocean fisheries in the long-term will be regulations. Ideally, regulations would occur be active before fish are caught rather than after. For example, regulation regulations should specify net drag speed and net mesh size rather than enforcing simply setting quotas, which only can encourage fishermen to throw fish exceeding the weight limit over-quota fish away. Regulation would be most effective if the two are combined.
Bottom trawling should not be allowed in communities deeper than a certain depth because deep ocean habitats recover much more slowly whereas while very shallow areas that are used to frequently disturbed by storms , and other factors which affect the bottom habitat, natural events show little or no damage in the succeeding a few months after trawling has taken place. More research is needed in classifying sediment type according to depth or extensive underwater terrain mapping to show sediment composition to determine sediment type in various parts of the ocean floor so that areas that can be bottom trawled can be distinguished from those that cannot. Bottom The harm of bottom trawling effects can be somewhat mitigated reduced by these steps, but it still harm damages the ocean environment and should therefore be phased out altogether as newer technology is implemented.
Regulation of where mobile gear (trawls and other similar fishing methods) and non-mobile gear (such as lines or traps) can be used in conjunction with the mapping of underwater terrain would also greatly limit the damage to the sea floor. Mobile gears catch greater volumes of fish, but can be much less selective than non-mobile gear. However, mobile gear is much far more cost-effective since it can catch more fish can be caught in less time with less effort.
For mobile gear, we should regulate at what speed the speed at which nets can be dragged should be regulated so as to maximize the benefit benefits 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 mandatory minimum mesh size that nets cannot exceed would also decrease the bycatch, although more research is needed to determine the appropriate minimum size sizes for the various species being fished.
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Tracking
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Management
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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 bodyregulatory bodies. It will allow regulating bodies regulators 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 other closed areas are not being fished. Speeds of less than three knots usually indicates indicate 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).
Such a device is also capable of receiving signals via satellite. This will be essential for alerting vessels in danger and allowing fishing boats to know the whereabouts of other fishing boats in the area. We discussed earlier the need for a flexible management strategy that can be easily modified to accommodate changes in the ecosystem, and such management strategies might include a system of time and area closures. A tracking system will allow fishermen to determine their exact position and how close they are to the closed areas that are in effect that day. Additionally, the device can be programmed keep a tally on the amount of fish caught by that particular vessel and how much of the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) has been caught.their exact position and how close they are to the closed areas that are in effect that day.
Similar Relevant products are already on the market. Applied Satellite Technologies, Ltd., based in the United Kingdom, has also developed sells a line of such products under the brand Thrane & Thrane. These devices provide two-way communication and allow for the transfer of email and fax messages. Satellite communication providers include Inmarstat, Argos, and Iridium, all of which provide global coverage. The cost of per transmission has fallen from over $0.15 to less than $0.05 since the advent of VMStechnology was first created, and a device that once cost $10,000 in 1988 now can be purchased for $1500 (Navigs s.a.r.l., 2005). As these technologies become more widespread, the devices will become more affordable.
One concern issue that may arise is the possibility of tampering of with data and " cheating " the system. The easiest way to do this would be blocking to block the antennae to the GPS or disconnecting the power supply, but analysis of the GPS data would show the ship's absence, and regulators would be able to investigate the vessel's whereabouts. Several kits designed to tamper with the electronics within the system and falsify GPS data had been manufactured and sold in Korea, and in response to this, so Thrane & Thrane reinvented their its products so that the GPS unit was more complexly completely integrated with the communications unit, making it much more difficult harder to manipulate (Navig s.a.r.l, 2005).
Nations are beginning to realize the benefits of such a system proven feasible and practical, and have already taken steps towards implementing such a systemit. 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 meters (AST, 2004). Three years ago they British regulators decided that fishing vessels 15 meters and longer would be required to have the GPS Vessel Monitoring System have a 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 transmittedthe accuracy of the information. The devices provide equipment provides the monitoring agency with the vessels vessel's speed, direction, position, course and destination. Allowing the regulatory agency to successfully and easily monitor and enforce oceanic law in the surrounding , allowing easy and successful regulation enforcement in British waters.
The United States as well also has a system similar to Britain's the British tracking system. In New England, the North East Northeast Vessel Monitoring Program monitors fishing vessels, collecting not only position and velocity data but also information about the vessel's catch. The system requires the skipper of the fishing vessel to inform the central headquarters about his/her intent for that day. This includes providing course information, types species species to be caught, and anticipated catch size. The skipper must wait for the request to be approved before actually setting sail. The devices are required (except in special cases) to remain on continuously in order to continuously report to report vessel location (NOAA, 2007).
The United States is currently seeking a Nation Wide Nationwide Automatic Identification System (NAIS). Northrop Grumman will compete for the U.S. Coast Guards NAIS proposal. The plan is to develop a tamper proof ID system that will "continually transmit and receive voiceless exchange of vessel data, including vessel identity, position, speed, course, destination and other data of critical interest for navigation safety, marine mobility and maritime security." (Staff Writers, 2007) This system will allow the Coast Guard to protect closed areas , regulate and regulate the number of active fishing vessels in a certain area, with the addition of other benefits such as increased national security and boater safety.
Other countries that currently have that have implemented a Vessel Monitoring System vessel monitoring system include Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, the Falklands Falkland Islands, Estonia, Iceland, Malta, Russia, and Spain. It is important to build off the success of existing Vessel Monitoring Systems vessel monitoring systems and help fisheries in developed developing nations, especially those with open access fisheries, to implement the monitoring of ships in their waters. The United States and United Kingdom should use their current successes with their vessel monitoring systems to persuade other countries as examples of the success and benefits of countries of the benefits of such a system. Both countries should also outline their future plans and modifications to the VMS in order to further convince nations to adopt this solution. Our ultimate goal would be to have every commercial fishery employ some form of GPS tracking on their on its ships. The technology is out there - it is up to the leaders of the world to take the initiative and implement the solution.
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NOAA Fisheries Northeast Regional Offices (2007). Vessel Management System Regulations. Retrieved November 20, 2007, from http://www.nero.noaa.gov/nero/fishermen/multispecies/gom/VMSRegs.htm
United States Department of Commerce. (2006). Vessel Monitoring System Instructions. Retrieved November 20, 2007, from http://www.nero.noaa.gov/nero/nr/nrdoc/nrphlo6/06vms_user_instructions1.pdf
Staff Writers. (2007). Northrop Grummen to compete for U.S. Coast Guard Nationwide Automatic Identification System. Retrieved November 20, 2007, from http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Northrop_Grumman_To_Compete_For_US_Coast_Guard_Nationwide_Automatic_Identification_System_999.html
Marshall, P. (1998). Fishing operations. 1. Vessel monitoring systems. Retrieved November 22, 2007, from http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/w9633e/w9633e00.HTM
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Joint Report of the Study Group on Unaccounted Fishing Mortality (SGUFM) and the Workshop on Unaccounted Fishing Mortality (WKUFM) (2005, September 25). Retrieved November 21, 2007, from http://www.ices.dk/reports/FTC/2005/SGUFM05.pdf
Wiki MarkupJones, J. B. (1992). Environmental impact of trawling on the seabed: a review \ [12DOT000S2FA07:Electronic version\]. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, _26_, 59 \ -67.
Fishery and Aquaculture Country Profile: China (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2007, from http://www.fao.org/fi/website/FIRetrieveAction.do?dom=countrysector&xml=FI-CP_CN.xml&lang=en
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