Fisheries Science Concepts Quiz
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Questions and Answers

What was the primary issue when Sea Around Us initially attempted to categorize fishing gear?

  • Data was too detailed and specific.
  • It lacked global relevance.
  • Errors occurred at country levels. (correct)
  • The method was time-consuming.

    • What is an important factor to consider in sustainable fisheries?

  • Condition of stock (biomass). (correct)
  • Fishermen's income levels.
  • Global fish prices.
  • Economic profitability of fisheries.

    • Which step is NOT included in the theoretically ideal basic steps in stock assessment?

  • Collect data on biological characteristics of stock.
  • Define your unit stock.
  • Collect catch data for the whole fishery.
  • Estimate fish market trends. (correct)

    • What makes defining a unit stock challenging?

    <p>Fish cannot be observed in space and time.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which data collection method introduces uncertainty, bias, and error into stock assessments?

    <p>Fishermen interviews.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How is fishing effort typically measured?

    <p>By fleet or gear type.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What issue arises from the multi-gear nature of many small-scale fisheries?

    <p>Inconsistent definitions and assignments.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What approach was taken by Sea Around Us in their second attempt to categorize fishing gear?

    <p>Using country-specific gear categories.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does recruitment refer to in the context of fisheries?

    <p>New fish entering the fishable stock.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which assumption states that there is no movement of fish into or out of the stock?

    <p>No immigration or emigration.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does natural mortality relate to stock size according to the assumptions?

    <p>Natural mortality decreases as stock size decreases.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the intended outcome of manipulating fish populations in fisheries science?

    <p>To ensure the highest biomass possible.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does IUU stand for in fishing terminology?

    <p>Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is age measurement important in research surveys for fisheries?

    <p>It provides clues to stock productivity.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best describes illegal fishing?

    <p>Fishing in violation of the laws of a fishery</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the model suggest about the relationship between stock size and sustainable catch?

    <p>Inverted U-shaped relationship.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a key characteristic of unreported fishing?

    <p>Fishing that is unreported to the relevant authorities</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary role of most fisheries biologists?

    <p>To measure or estimate stock size, recruitment, growth, natural mortality, and catch.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which statement is true regarding unregulated fishing?

    <p>It involves fishing without any reporting or management mandate.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which scenario illustrates illegal but reported fishing?

    <p>Fishing without a national permit and reporting the catch.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the term 'catch' refer to in fisheries science?

    <p>The part of the stock taken by fisheries.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is meant by Distant-Water Fishing (DWF)?

    <p>Fishing outside a country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) on the high seas.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How can reporting discrepancies occur in unreported fishing?

    <p>Catches may be legally taken but are still unreported.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What complicates the classification of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing?

    <p>Mixing legality issues with reporting and management questions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the potential power generation capacity of the Gippsland designated area?

    <p>25 GW</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which environmental factor is likely to impact site-attached and benthic species most severely?

    <p>Electromagnetic interference</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How long can it take to obtain a commercial license after environmental assessments in a declared area?

    <p>6-10 years</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a potential impact on fishers from offshore wind farms?

    <p>Increased fish populations</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one of the details needed to assess the impact of a wind farm on existing fisheries?

    <p>Details of the wind farm's construction</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which factor is important for understanding the existing environment and fisheries?

    <p>Species presence</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of habitat change may most impact species preferring sediment-based environments?

    <p>Sediment disruption from installations</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the two zones identified in New South Wales for offshore wind farms?

    <p>Southern Ocean and Bass Strait</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one method for minimizing the impact of construction activities on fish during their spawning period?

    <p>Minimize construction activities during the spawning period.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which statement best describes pelagic sharks?

    <p>They migrate over large distances and are targeted by commercial fisheries.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a consequence of shark finning practices?

    <p>It is often conducted illegally.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one factor contributing to the decline of global shark populations?

    <p>Increased global fish consumption.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What challenges are posed by sport fishing related to bull sharks?

    <p>Fishermen lack knowledge on proper handling techniques, leading to stress and mortality.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How many vessels currently target sharks in Seychelles?

    <p>Only 2 vessels.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is a conservation initiative mentioned?

    <p>Save our seas.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What percentage decline has the global shark population faced since the rise of commercial fishing?

    <p>70%</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens to the Catch Per Unit of Effort (CPUE) if the catch increases while the effort remains the same?

    <p>CPUE increases</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which model is NOT commonly associated with stock recruitment in fisheries?

    <p>Schwarzschild</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In fisheries, what does the equation $Z = M + F$ represent?

    <p>Natural and fishing mortality combined</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is the Von Bertalanffy Growth Function primarily based on length measurements?

    <p>Length measurements are more accurate than weight</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the term overfishing indicate in fisheries management?

    <p>Fishing mortality exceeds sustainable levels</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What significant oversight occurred with the data reported by small-scale fishermen?

    <p>Scientists failed to analyze the submitted data.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What can be inferred about the cod's behavior that misled scientists about their population?

    <p>Cod reduced their school size causing a false perception of abundance.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What major failure was highlighted regarding government fisheries management?

    <p>Ignoring the warnings from scientific experts.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which characteristic describes the tactical level of fisheries science?

    <p>In-depth analysis of fish biology and local management.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one limitation of the FAO's data reporting mechanisms?

    <p>It lacks independence from governmental influence.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What term describes the conflict between governmental objectives and scientific advice in fisheries management?

    <p>Industry capture.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best describes the role of the Sea Around Us initiative in fisheries research?

    <p>Independently supported by global funding.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a critical factor to consider when evaluating fisheries data?

    <p>Weighing the caveats and limitations of the data.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the maximum distance of an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) from a country's coastline?

    <p>200 nautical miles</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best describes high seas?

    <p>Waters that are not part of any country’s EEZ</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did the Sea Around Us project reveal about official fish catch data reported by the USA from 1950 to 2005?

    <p>Data was underreported by a factor of 4.5</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which sector is NOT included in the estimates of marine fisheries catch according to the Sea Around Us methodology?

    <p>Aquaculture sector</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary purpose of 'catch reconstruction' in fisheries data analysis?

    <p>To estimate all fisheries withdrawals from the ecosystem</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which statement best reflects the challenges associated with international fisheries data?

    <p>Differences in data collection methods lead to discrepancies</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the term 'zero catch' imply in the context of fisheries data?

    <p>No data available for catches means no fish were caught</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What aspect of fisheries is often strongly biased in official reports according to the Sea Around Us findings?

    <p>Reported catch amounts</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What strategy can be employed to minimize the impacts of construction activities on fish during their spawning period?

    <p>Model noise emissions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which type of sharks primarily occupy coastal environments and are often targeted by artisanal fishery?

    <p>Coastal sharks</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What percentage decline has the global shark population faced since the rise of commercial fishing?

    <p>70%</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a common challenge faced by sport fishing that affects the welfare of sharks?

    <p>Sharks are released without care</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a significant reason for the decline in shark populations globally related to fishing practices?

    <p>Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following conservation initiatives focuses on the protection of sharks and the marine environment in Seychelles?

    <p>Save our seas</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic feature of pelagic sharks that differentiates them from coastal sharks?

    <p>Spending the majority of their time in pelagic realms</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is an impact of shark finning practices?

    <p>Targeting of pelagic sharks</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the two main categories of essential nutrients for human health?

    <p>Macronutrients and Micronutrients</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a responsibility of DPIRD?

    <p>Tuna and billfish</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the average annual production of fish as a commodity in recent years?

    <p>105 million tonnes</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which factor is contributing to the lack of productivity in Western Australia’s fisheries?

    <p>Less river attachment</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one of the key areas of sustainable management for fisheries?

    <p>Commercial</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Stock assessments are performed every how many years?

    <p>Every three years</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which seafood species is commonly associated with recreational fishing in Western Australia?

    <p>Pink Snapper</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What significant change is impacting fisheries management in the future?

    <p>Technological advancements</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What indicates the maximum sustainable yield in fishery management?

    <p>Maximum nutrient yield</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following seafood is NOT typically farmed in aquaculture?

    <p>Tuna</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Recruitment

    • New fish entering the fishable stock.
    • Defined differently in ecology and fisheries science.

    Growth

    • Increase in body weight and length of individual fish.
    • Also known as somatic growth.

    Natural Mortality

    • Death of fish by natural causes such as predation or yield.

    Catch

    • The part of the stock taken by fisheries.
    • Also known as yield.

    Core Assumptions of Fisheries Model:

    • No immigration or emigration into or out of the stock.
    • No serious degradation or loss of habitat or other changes to the environment or ecosystem.

    Basic Tenet of Fisheries Science

    • Fisheries science focuses on managing fish populations to produce the highest possible biomass by keeping them at half their maximum carrying capacity.

    Growth, Natural Mortality, and Recruitment in Relation to Stock Size

    • Growth increases as stock size decreases.
    • Natural mortality decreases as stock size decreases.
    • Recruitment initially increases then decreases as stock size decreases.

    Sustainable Catch

    • There is a parabolic relationship between stock size and sustainable catch.
    • Maximum surplus production is available to fisheries when stock size is at half its carrying capacity.

    Importance of Fishery Data Collection

    • Fisheries biologists must measure or estimate:
      • Stock size
      • Recruitment
      • Growth
      • Natural Mortality
      • Catch
    • This data is used to calculate sustainable catch for the following year.

    Research Surveys for Data Collection

    • Utilize the same type of gear as the fishery.
    • Age is a significant factor in understanding population dynamics.
      • Growth rates by age class
      • Number of fish per age class
      • Maximum age
    • Data from surveys helps us understand stock productivity.
    • Obtaining accurate age data is expensive and difficult.

    Sustainable Fisheries

    • Sustainable fisheries aim to maintain fish stocks at a level that allows for ongoing harvest without depleting the population.
    • Understanding both the condition of the stock and the effects of fishing are crucial.

    Ideal Steps in Stock Assessment:

    • Define the unit stock.
    • Collect catch data for the entire fishery.
    • Collect effort data for the entire fishery.
    • Combine catch and effort data into a time series of catch per unit of effort (CPUE).
    • Collect data on the biological characteristics of the stock:
      • Growth
      • Mortality
      • Stock size
      • Recruitment
    • Derive estimates of expected stock.

    Unit Stock

    • Determining the spatial extent of a self-contained breeding population is challenging:
      • We cannot visually track animals in space and time.
      • Larval stages (plankton) can travel thousands of kilometers.
    • Political management plays a role in determining stock boundaries, which can be semi-artificial.

    Data Collection Methods:

    • Logbooks: Recorded by fishermen or port officials.
    • Landings Site: Recorded by government officials.
    • On-board Observers: Collect data in person or electronically.
    • Creel Surveys or Boat Ramp Surveys: Assess recreational fisheries.
    • All methods introduce uncertainty, bias, and error into data analysis.

    Fishing Effort

    • Difficult to measure and varies between fishermen and gear types.
    • Typically measured by fleet or gear type.
    • Normal effort: number of boats in a fishery (considering size differences between vessels).

    Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing (IUU):

    • Illegal Fishing: Fishing in violation of fisheries laws, including jurisdictional limits and those of the RFMO (Regional Fisheries Management Organisation) on the high seas.
    • Unreported Fishing: Fisheries that aren't reported to the relevant national authority or responsible RFMO.
    • Unregulated Fishing: Fishing without nationality, vessels flying flags of countries not party to the RFMO governing that area or species, or fishing without reporting or management mandates.

    Issues with IUU Terminology:

    • Conflation of legality with reporting and management mandates.
    • Catches may be unreported and taken illegally.
    • Catches may be unreported but taken legally, such as those from recreational and traditional fisheries.
    • Unregulated fishing may or may not report catches and may or may not follow management rules.

    Distant-Water Fishing (DWF):

    • Fishing outside a country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), including the high seas or another country's EEZ.
    • Example: Australian vessels on the high seas and Indonesian vessels fishing 400 km offshore from Perth.

    Offshore Wind Farms' Impact on Fisheries:

    • RPS Group - Mike Mackie:
      • Six offshore wind farm zones identified in Australia:
        • Two in Victoria (Gippsland and the Southern Ocean)
        • Two in NSW
        • One in Bass Strait (Tasmania)
        • One off Bunbury
    • Environmental assessments, geotechnical surveys, and approvals take 6-10 years before commercial licenses are obtained.
    • Gippsland DA:
      • 15,000 km2
      • Potential power generation: 25 GW
      • SOTS: 2.2 GW (enough for 1.2 million homes and up to 20% of Victoria's electricity)

    Potential Impacts of Offshore Wind Farms:

    • Noise: Construction activities can be disruptive to marine life.
    • Habitat Change: Creates new structures on flat seabeds, potentially acting like artificial reefs.

    Assessment of Impacts:

    • Understanding the wind farm: Location, number of turbines, size, construction duration (floating vs fixed), and cabling methods.
    • Understanding the existing environment:
      • Identify fisheries legally authorized to operate in the area and those actually fishing there.
      • Target species caught in the area.
    • Assessing how the wind farm will impact the existing environment and identifying mitigation measures to minimize negative impacts.

    Impacts on Fishers:

    • Loss of fishing grounds.
    • Increased operational costs.
    • Reduced catches.
    • Increased stress.

    Impacts on Fish:

    • Noise: May impact site-attached species and species with swim bladders.
    • Habitat Change: Species that prefer sedimentary habitats may be affected by the construction of the wind farm.
    • Electromagnetic Interference: Site-attached benthic sharks, rays, and invertebrates may be impacted by transmission cables.
    • Changes in Fishing Activity: Species targeted by commercial and recreational fisheries can be impacted by changes in fishing activity due to the presence of the wind farm.

    Learning about the Existing Environment:

    • Collaboration with state and commonwealth fisheries agencies.
    • Key data to gather:
      • Species presence
      • Spatial patterns
      • Temporal patterns (when and where species occur)
      • Proxies for abundance (indicators of how many fish are present)

    Prioritization:

    • Prioritizing specific species, indicator species, indicator groups, and overall diversity of fish species.

    Survey Methods and Design:

    • BRUVS (Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems):
    • eDNA (Environmental DNA)
    • Passive Acoustic Monitoring of Tagged White Sharks:
    • PBRUV (Pelagic Baited Remote Underwater Video)

    Minimizing Impacts of Offshore Wind Farms:

    • On fish:
      • Reducing noise emissions during piling using bubble curtains, requiring noise emission modeling.
      • Burying cables.
      • Minimizing construction activities during spawning periods.
    • On fishers:
      • Minimizing impacts on target species.
      • Clear communication to allow fishers to plan their activities.
      • Don't completely lock up the area.
      • Provide alternative work opportunities or compensation.

    The Status of Seychelles Sharks:

    • Pelagic Sharks:
      • Spend most of their time in the pelagic realms.
      • Large home ranges and frequent migrations.
      • Classified as 'Concerning' on the IUCN Red List.
      • Targeted by commercial fishing and caught as bycatch.
    • Coastal Sharks:
      • Spend most of their time in inshore environments.
      • Smaller home ranges.
      • Classified as 'Concerning' on the IUCN Red List.
      • Targeted by artisanal fisheries and often caught illegally.

    Shark Fishing:

    • Overfishing:
      • Global fish consumption has increased by 122% since 1990.
      • Approximately 100 million sharks are removed from the ocean each year.
      • Global shark populations have declined by 70%.
    • Shark Finning: Often conducted illegally, primarily targeting pelagic species.
    • Climate Change: Represents a significant factor impacting shark populations.

    Shark Protection in Seychelles:

    • No direct efforts to protect sharks in Seychelles.
    • Fishing in Seychelles:
      • Artisanal (Incidental): This fishing typically does not target sharks.
      • Commercial (Bycatch): Sharks are caught as bycatch in commercial fishing.
      • Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU): Sharks are targeted illegally.

    Challenges to Shark Conservation in Seychelles:

    • Bull Sharks: Viewed negatively due to fear.
    • Sport Fishing: Lack of knowledge in handling sharks leads to stress and death when released.

    Conservation and Research Initiatives:

    • Save Our Seas
    • Seychelles Seatizens

    Benching:

    • Remote and protected: A benchmark for near-pristine environments.
    • Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems (BRUVS): Critical for assessing the effectiveness of conservation and management.

    Marine Monitoring:

    • Targeted Diver Surveys
    • Incidental Sightings

    Catching Nutrients:

    • One in three people worldwide suffer from malnutrition.
    • Malnutrition is an imbalance, including:
      • Undernutrition: Affecting 815 million people globally.
      • Micronutrient Deficiencies

    Fisheries Data

    • Both small and large scale fishermen were required to report catches, but only large-scale data was used by scientists
    • Early warnings from small-scale fishermen were ignored as large-scale catches were still strong
    • The cod started contracting which was not recognized by scientists
    • Scientists failed to heed warnings from the data available to them

    Management Saga

    • There was an utter failure to heed science advice and warnings
    • There was scientific suppression in the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), with targeted harassment of scientists Ram Myers and Jeff Hutchings

    Using Fisheries Data

    • All data should be utilized, carefully considering limitations and caveats
    • Data can be used to support or contradict each other
    • Be aware of political versus scientific issues, goals, targets, as industry capture or regulatory capture can influence scientific findings

    FAO and SeaAroundUs - Global Fisheries Science

    • FAO is the leading global organization focused on fisheries, driven by government mandates
    • Sea Around Us is an independent scientific initiative focusing on global fisheries
    •   Fisheries science operates at two levels, tactical and strategic

    Tactical Level Fisheries Science

    • Local scale - focused on single species and local management decisions
    • Focus on basic fish biology, stock assessments, and local management decisions
    • Most fisheries operate only at the tactical level, driven by government mandates and regulations

    Strategic Level Fisheries Science

    • Acknowledges the global interconnectedness of fisheries
    • Assembles tactical level knowledge into a bigger picture
    • Utilizes big data for analysis, such as that collected by FAO and Sea Around Us

    EEZ and High Seas

    • EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) extends 200 nautical miles from a country's coastline, granting exclusive rights to the country
    • High Seas are waters outside of any EEZ
    • Legally binding spatial ocean zoning exists due to UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea)

    Sea Around Us & Data Biases

    • Developed a Fishing Access Database to highlight fishing activity by country
    • FAO data has significant biases and underreporting due to limited reporting across the globe
    • Extensive underreporting of catches was found in the USA Flag Islands in the Western Pacific
    • This highlights the need to reconstruct global fisheries data and account for unreported catches

    Catch Reconstruction: Sea Around Us

    • Goal is to reconstruct the world’s total marine fisheries catch from 1950
    • Focuses on identifying and re-estimating unreported catches
    • Includes all fisheries sectors - large-scale, small-scale, artisanal, subsistence, and recreational
    • Considers landed catch and discards
    • Utilizes "no data" as "zero catch"

    Sea Around Us Database: Catch Data Layers

    • Reconstructed Domestic Data: Detailed estimation of reported and unreported catches, with documented reconstructions
    • Inferred Foreign Catch: Reliance on FAO data, accounting for non-home FAO areas and effective fishing effort

    Catch per Unit of Effort (CPUE)

    • Measures changes in fish abundance relative to fishing effort
    • A flat CPUE curve indicates catch changing at the same rate as effort
    • CPUE increase= Catch increases, effort stays the same or decreases
    • CPUE declines= Catch decreases, effort increases
    • Management practices and changes can impact CPUE

    Biological Characteristics: Growth and Mortality

    • Growth is estimated using size-at-age or size-increase over time data
    • Length is primarily used due to ease of measurement
    • Von Bertalanffy Growth Function is commonly used to estimate growth, excluding larval fish
    • Mortality in fisheries includes natural mortality (M), fishing mortality (F), and total mortality (Z): Z = M + F
    • Methods for measuring mortality include survival rate estimators, mark-recapture methods, age-length based batch curves, and empirical derivations

    Stock Size and Stock Recruitment

    • Stock size is estimated through surveys or an index of stock density
    • Stock recruitment models commonly used include Beverton and Holt, Ricker, and Shepherd models
    • Stock recruitment data often has high non-normal variation
    • Surplus production is calculated as the next biomass = last biomass + (R+G) - (M + catch)

    Overfishing and Overfished: Understand through Kobe Plot

    • Overfishing: Fishing mortality (F) is higher than the maximum sustainable fishing mortality (Fmsy)
    • Overfished: Biomass (B) is lower than the biomass that produces the maximum sustainable yield (Bmsy)

    Importance of Species Diversity and MSY (Maximum Sustainable Yield)

    • MSY should not be the target yield due to the inflexibility of fisheries
    • Overshooting MSY in one year can have devastating consequences for the industry

    Minimizing Impacts of Fisheries

    • To Fish: Reduce noise emissions (e.g., bubble curtains), bury cables, minimize construction during spawning periods
    • To Fishers: Minimize impacts on target species, provide clear communication for planning, avoid locking up fishing areas, offer alternative work opportunities or compensation

    The Status of Seychelles Sharks

    • Pelagic sharks: Spends most time in the pelagic realms, often large home ranges and long migrations, many classified in concerning categories on the IUCN Red List
    • Coastal sharks: Spend majority of time in inshore environments, often smaller home ranges, many classified in concerning categories on the IUCN Red List

    Challenges for Sharks

    • Global overfishing removes approximately 100 million sharks from the ocean each year
    • Global shark population has decreased 70%
    • Shark finning is often conducted illegally, often targeting pelagic sharks
    • Climate change presents a significant threat to sharks

    Seychelles Shark Fishing

    • Artisanal fishing = Incidental catch of sharks
    • Commercial fishing = Bycatch of sharks
    • Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing = Targeted catch of sharks

    Currently, only two vessels are targeting sharks in the Seychelles

    Sharks in Seychelles: Challenges

    • Bull sharks are often feared and disliked, leading to negative attitudes towards them
    • Sport fishing can stress and kill sharks due to improper handling techniques

    Conservation & Research Initiatives in Seychelles

    • Save Our Seas
    • Seychelles SeaCitizens

    Marine Monitoring and Benchmarking in Seychelles

    • Remote and protected areas are considered near pristine
    • BRUVS (Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems) are used for marine monitoring
    • Targeted diver surveys and incidental sightings are also employed for monitoring

    Importance of Seafood in Global Nutrition

    • 1 in 3 people worldwide experience some form of malnutrition
    • Seafood provides essential nutrients, especially in low-income countries:
      • Macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, lipids/fats)
      • Micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals)
    • Seafood is a highly traded food commodity, with annual trade surpassing 60 million tonnes

    Environmental Impacts of Animal Foods

    • Animal food production has significant environmental impacts

    Species Nutrient Variability

    • Tropical species contain higher concentrations of calcium, iron, and zinc
    • Cold thermal regions are associated with higher omega-3 fatty acid content
    • Smaller species typically have higher concentrations of calcium and iron

    Maximum Nutrient Yield

    • Has been suggested as a potential indicator for maximum sustainable yield

    DPIRD: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (Western Australia)

    • Focuses on the management of bony fish, sharks, aquatic invertebrates, marine algae, and seagrass
    • Does not manage tuna and billfish, which are more international

    Western Australia's Fisheries

    • 12,800 km coastline and inland water environment
    • Includes tropical and temperate waters and varying oceanic conditions
    • Extending 200 nautical miles out to sea
    • Low productivity due to limited river attachments

    Sustainable Management - Commercial, Aquaculture, Recreational

    • Commercial fisheries: 50 commercial fisheries operating in Western Australia
    • Recreational fishing: Significant economic impact, with approximately 1/4 of the population engaging in recreational fishing
    • Aquaculture: Growing industry, cultivating species like barramundi, mussels, oysters, abalone, marron, and trout

    Management Practices

    • Commercial fisheries managed under formal management plans
    • Recreational fishing is regulated through regulations
    • 10 fisheries have MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) accreditations
    • Harvest strategies, stock assessments, and fisheries-dependent and independent data are used for management

    Stock Assessment

    • Stock assessments are conducted every three years
    • The 2021 assessment revealed the need for further management action to facilitate recovery by 2023
    • Management has halted declines, however, limited recovery has been observed

    Future Challenges for Fisheries Management in Western Australia

    • Population growth and coastal development
    • Technological shifts
    • Climate change and variability
    • Certification requirements from WTO (World Trade Organization) and MSC
    • Loss of access due to marine parks
    • Social license acceptance

    Aquaculture - Reporting Practices

    • Important question for the environment: Do aquaculture operations adequately report the fish they feed the main fish with?

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