Fisheries Management and Research – the birthplace of an unsustainable and unethical malpractice.
Posted by Ian on October 17, 2008 under Uncategorized | 
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EU discards politic 2008 —
Fisheries Management and Research – the birthplace of an unsustainable and unethical malpractice.
There is consensus across the EU (and world) that discarding of fish is a waste of much-needed natural resources and needs reducing. According to the EU, the main reason for the huge amount of discarding is excessive catching effort, and that capacity need reducing even further. The number of fishing vessels in Denmark and Scotland are all ready greatly reduced since the launch of the decommissioning program a few years ago. Discarding has increased year by year in certain fisheries. The amount of cod discarded in the Scottish whitefish fishery in the North Sea was greater in 2008 than in 2007, despite various measures of mitigation. Discards could at times be as much as, 80% by number and 40% by weight of each catch. Discards of cod were mainly of fish over the legal landing size 35cm.
The term “discards” is rather vague, since the term covers everything that is caught and subsequently thrown back into the sea. That use of active fishing gear accounts for by far the largest amounts of discards. Discarding can be caused by:
• Discards of fish below the minimum landing size, due to poor size selection properties of net meshes.
• Catch of non-target species.
• Hi-grading, retention of only the largest and best-paid fish,. This is most often due to low quota or quota that does not extend to as by catch in other fisheries.
• Can also occur as “invisible” catches of juvenile cod, haddock and whiting in fishing for species in the production of meal and oil.
• Catch of non-commercial species and benthos.
The EU’s plan for re building demersal fish stocks in the North Sea has been strongly influenced by castle in the sky thinking and is shamefully ineffective. The plan has lacked potency, both practical and political. It helps little with fishing capacity and quota reductions, when these reductions do not affect the behaviours of fishermen to the positive for the fish stocks, some thing which in turn will again benefit the fishermen. Fishermen in the North Sea have been entrapped over a long period in a negative spiral of bone scraped fish quotas and the insane mandatory practice of returning under sized and non-target fish back to the sea, fish that in reality are either dead or dying. Minimum landing sizes need to be related towards the protection of fish under spawning age. The best protection for immature fish is by avoidance.
.Fishermen and scientists around the North Sea basin have worked intensely to prove that it is possible to reduce the amount of discards in their respective fisheries… An example of this is the Fisheries Science Partnership in Scotland and England, where the fishermen themselves have taken the initiative to provide real-time-area closures and to use the trawls with a better selection capability. The goal is to achieve “conservation credits” that would justify larger quotas based on less discards. . Fishermen in Denmark have developed the use of video surveillance (CCTV) in order to document both the capture and quantity of discards. The catch of under sized fish has been effectively reduced through the increase of mesh sizes and the use of trawl types that exploit the fish’s natural behaviour:
• Nephrop trawls with low height, and without netting in the square and over belly – reducing the catch of haddock, whiting and at times cod.
• Flounder Trawl with low height, and without netting in the roof – reducing the catch of haddock, whiting and sometimes cod.
• Separatortrawl / seine separate cod / demersal fish from haddock and whiting.
• Eliminatortrawl, separates fish / bottom fish from haddock and whiting.
• Orkneytrawl, reduce catches of cod-especially juveniles
• Square mesh cod ends.
• Four panel extension piece,T 90 meshes in bottom and sides in conjunction with the square mesh top panel.
• Sorting grid.
The use of more selective trawl types and devices are not without consequences. Research shows the loss of certain types of catch / by catch. This loss can lead to weakened economy in the short term, but can be compensated in the long term with larger quotas.
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. To date, the EU’s “policy makers” have lacked the will to implement the most relevant technical devices most suited to the dynamics of the various fisheries.
Fisheries management is not just about the management of fisheries resources, but also that of human behaviours. Management of fisheries must become less academic and more “hands on”
Fisheries management in EU and Norway need to become better at using the “carrot and the stick” approach, instead of” chemotherapy and amputation” as the “cure”. Take for example, fisheries in the U.S.A, where fishermen are given access to certain areas on the condition that they use a separatortrawl in fishing for haddock. The paradox is that the separator trawl originated from Scotland.
Fisheries in the North Sea are now showing signs of a positive development. The big question now is what will be necessary to keep the development moving in a forward direction? We need to strengthen and intensify cooperation between the fishing fleet, scientists and the Coast Guard to be able to practice “real-time management. Resource management must focus on having an overview and management of fish stocks and not only to maintain control over the fishermen. Effective “polising” of fisheries depends on: attendance, ability / means to uncover non compliance, effective sanctions, and not least a “good working relationship” based on professional knowledge and mutual respect.
. The proposal for a reduction in days at sea is certainly not a good solution. What the fishermen need now is rather an increase in days and the possibility to plan and execute an ecological and economically viable fishery. Fishermen are “practitioners” of the highest calibre and possess of an ocean of knowledge and ability to solve the challenges related to the future of their industry.
Norway has a unique position and chance to influence the EU’s fisheries policy in a positive direction. The fishing industry has the necessary will and tools: the question is whether the government has the courage and resolve to make the use of them!
Ian Kinsey
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