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 removed remove entire schools of fish in very little time. Certain methods, especially bottom trawling, killed kill surrounding plant and animal species by destroying their sea floor habitat habitats (Gabriel, 2005, chap. 26). Increased bycatch (nontarget species caught by commercial fishermen) also accompanied the accompanies large-scale harvesting, eliminating threatening many populations unintentionally caught with market fish (Merriam-Webster, 2006-2007). In general, our goals in current fishing 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. The means to accomplish these goals must include action from many sides at once. Governments must implement and enforce regulations to save declining fisheries. At the same time, manufacturers must introduce sustainable fishing introduce environmentally friendly fishing technologies into the global market. As the new machinery becomes more common, its prices price will drop and its acceptance will increase.
Improvement in Fishing Technology (Short Term)
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.
Technology Suggestions
Step 1:
Step 1 would include the use of methods that are more environmentally friendly such as hand lining or trapping rather than bottom trawling because trawls stir up sediment (turbidity is harmful to many fish species as well as bivalves), destroy fish habitat, and destroy plants and animals that live along the bottom whereas hand lining and other more environmentally friendly methods do not contact the bottom and thus do not harm the nonliving environment and are very selective with little bycatch.
Hook and line however does have a problem with bycatch. The hooks are baited but sometimes fish other than the desired catch will eat the bait. Fishermen sometimes kill the fish and throw them back in so they will not continue to eat their bait. As an alternative, we suggest keeping onboard the boat an aerated tank that the bycatch fish can be put into. At the end of the day when the fishermen are done with their catching, they can release the fish safely back into the ocean.
Figure 1. Taken from Grinning Planet.
[LINK TO SHORT TERM IMPROVEMENT]
[LINK TO LONG TERM REGULATION]
[LINK TO GPS TRACKING UNITS]
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. 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.
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 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.
Technology Suggestions
We propose a two-step plan to transition to more environmentally friendly fishing technology.
Step 1:
Step 1 would include the use of methods that are more environmentally friendly, such as hand lining or trapping rather than bottom trawling, since trawls stir up sediment (turbidity is harmful to many fish species as well as bivalves), destroy fish habitat, and destroy plants and animals that live along the bottom, whereas hand lining and other more environmentally friendly methods do not contact the bottom and thus do not harm the nonliving environment and are very selective with little bycatch.
Hook and line, however, still has a small problem with bycatch. The hooks are baited but sometimes undesired fish will eat the bait. Fishermen sometimes kill these fish and throw them back in so they will not continue to eat the bait. As an alternative, we suggest keeping onboard the boat an aerated tank that the bycatch fish can be put into. When the fishermen are done for the day, they can release the fish safely back into the ocean.
Also, rather than trawling or Also, rather than trawling or fishing for a set number of hours and pulling up the nets to see what and how much has been caught, putting sensors on nets that measure tension or width of the net or other factors that can give fishermen an estimation estimate of the amount of fish in the nets before they pull the nets up. That This way the , quota allowance allowances will not be exceeded resulting in all of the so fish caught over the quota pound limit being quota will not need to be thrown back dead into the ocean dead.
Putting escape vents in commercial nets would allow the escape of large sea mammals that become trapped inside. Step 1 would also require that nets are be manufactured with a biodegradable release mechanism, which is often as simple as a long slit in the nylon webbing which that is then sealed with cotton thread that degrades away. Traps would also have this such a time-release mechanism that , which would open and allow the fish inside to escape in if the event that the trap is blown away by a storm or otherwise not picked up by the fishermen or blown away by a storm. This provision eliminates fishermen. Such a measure would eliminate the self-perpetuating cycle of self-baiting "ghost traps."
Requiring A requirement that nets be manufactured with square mesh sections instead of all diamond mesh would make net size regulations more effective because square mesh does not close when towed and , thus allowing unwanted small fish can get through the mesh. Examples of these bycatch reduction devices include nets with radial escape sections or square mesh windows that allow fish to escape shrimp trawlsto pass through it and escape.
Step 2:
Step 2 would include adding sensors along the bottom bottoms of trawling nets that to keep the net them a certain fixed height above the ground to prevent damaging damage to the sea floor.
Using electrified ticklers to scare fish into the nets rather than the current chains which scrape the sea floor to scare fish into the nets, would mitigate currently used sea floor-scraping chains would reduce the environmental impact of trawling.
Implementing Use of sonar and other tracking devices to determine the size (and from that thus age if possible) and species of fish present in an area before nets are put into the water would limit the amount of bycatch of unwanted species or fish that are too small.
Implementing devices to Technologies that sort fish before catching based on instinctual defensive responses or other means such as electrofishing traits could also help reduce bycatch. An example of such a technology is electrofishing, which uses certain frequencies which attract and even paralyze if desired fish of a certain size and repel others away in order to lower bycatchbut repel unwanted fish.
Since step 2 is much more technologically advanced and likely to be more expensive, these measures would be implemented later when after more research has been done and these technologies can be more cheaply and this wide spread manufactured.
Future Steps:
Another rather advanced idea A future idea would be to use install GPS tags in nets and other fishing gear that . The tags would emit a unique signal that can signals which could be tracked by an automated serverautomatically. Ships would also have a unique GPS tag tags that can could be matched together with their equipment and boats that don't pass inspection (use the right equipment in the right areas such as no trawling areas) ; boats that do not comply with fishing regulations, such as equipment restrictions in protected areas, would be red flagged by the automated system, which the eliminate then eliminating the need for human operators which could be used more efficiently in the enforcement aspect. This can also tracks ships that and making enforcement more efficient. The system would also record any attempts to fish in no-take closed areas. Should the equipment malfunction, a marine geek squad can be sent out to make repairs to the electronic tags. In order to track the number of hours a ship's equipment is in the water, a speed coach propeller could be put on nets and other mobile equipment , or other device which spins as water passes through and could track the speed and number of hours , could be put on nets and 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, the resistance would dropby detecting the difference in the electrical resistances of water and air.
Implementing the Steps:
Countries that sign the international treaty would agree to convert to 50% of their national fleet to Step 1 sustainable fishing technology in 8 years and 80% in 12 years. Fishermen who choose to convert to sustainable fishing technology would receive larger individual transferrable quotas (ITQs) with Fishermen who choose to convert to sustainable fishing technology would receive subsidies with the goal of making Step 1 sustainable technology comparable to or cheaper than unsustainable fishing technology.
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.
ITQ bonuses for 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 sustainable fishing increases and unsustainable fishing decreases, ITQ bonuses for all fishermen would begin to level out.As sustainable fishing increases and unsustainable fishing decreases, subsidies would become largely unnecessary.
Local Individual fishermen and small fishing companies would get larger per-net ITQ bonuses relatively larger subsidies for equipment conversion than large companies , who would. Large fishing companies wouuld receive a smaller bonus 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.
Regulation of Fishing Technology (Long-Term)
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[CHILD PAGE 2]
Regulations are necessary to manage ocean fisheries in the The most effective means of managing ocean fisheries long-term will be regulations. Ideally, regulations would occur be active before fish are caught rather than after. For example, regulation regulations should regulate net 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 show little 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 marked and those that cannot can also be determined. Bottom trawling should be phased out altogether as newer distinguished from those that cannot. The harm of bottom trawling can be somewhat reduced by these steps, but it still 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 and cannot be used in conjunction with the mapping of underwater terrain would also greatly limit the damage to the sea floor. Mobile gear catches 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 though , although more research is needed as to what size this minimum should be to determine the appropriate minimum sizes for the various species being fished.
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
GPS Tracking Units for Vessel Management [CHILD PAGE 3]
One of the main issues regarding any laws or regulations governing 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 satellites, so the exact position of the fishing vessel can be monitored by regulatory bodies. It will allow 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 other closed areas are not being fished. Speeds of less than three knots usually 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.
Similar products are already on the market. Applied Satellite Technologies, Ltd., based in the United Kingdom, 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 per transmission has fallen from over $0.15 to less than $0.05 since the technology 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 issue that may arise is the possibility of tampering with data and cheating the system. The easiest way to do this would be 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, so Thrane & Thrane reinvented its products so that the GPS unit was more completely integrated with the communications unit, making it much harder to manipulate (Navig s.a.r.l, 2005).
Nations are beginning to realize the benefits of such a system and have already taken steps towards implementing it. 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 British regulators decided that fishing vessels 15 meters and longer would be required to 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 the accuracy of the information. The equipment provides the monitoring agency with the vessel's speed, direction, position, course and destination, allowing easy and successful regulation enforcement in British waters.
The United States also has a system similar to the British tracking system. In New England, the Northeast Vessel Monitoring Program monitors fishing vessels, collecting position and velocity data 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, 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 report vessel location (NOAA, 2007).
The United States is currently seeking a Nationwide Automatic Identification System (NAIS). 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 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 have implemented a vessel monitoring system include Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, the Falkland Islands, Estonia, Iceland, Malta, Russia, and Spain. It is important to build off the success of existing vessel monitoring systems and help fisheries in 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 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 its ships. The technology is out there - it is up to the leaders of the world to take the initiative and implement the solution.
works cited:
Applied Satellite Technologies. (2004). "AST announces major contract to fit satellite GPS tracking devices to the UK`s Fishing Fleet" Retrieved November 20, 2007, from http://satcomms.com/bulletins/AST%20UK%20Fishing%20Fleet.pdf
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
Navigs s.a.r.l. (2005). Fishing Vessel Monitoring Systems: Past, Present, and Future. Retrieved November 23, 2007, from http://www.high-seas.org/docs/hstf_vms_final1.pdf.
Gabriel, O., ed. (2005). Fish catching methods of the world. Oxford, UK;Ames,IA: Blackwell Publishing.
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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
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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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