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In the Mediterranean Sea, and in marine areas worldwide, for most locations, data on species presence and abundance are generally poor or non-existent. When available, these data are generally reported only at small scale and/or for short temporal series. In this study, the investigation of abundance and size trends, along with some ecological aspects of the data-poor species Scorpaena porcus, commonly known as the Black Scorpionfish, was undertaken using FEK (Fishers' Ecological Knowledge). The results clearly indicated a sharp reduction in both abundance and size over the last 21 years (2001–2021) of this species in the central Mediterranean Sea. The causes of this decline, and the importance of FEK, as well as Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK), in research and the assessment and management of biological resources are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a comparison between fishers' knowledge and fiscal records about the structure of inland fisheries in the Paraná River (Argentina). First of all, we characterized the fishing population according to the main demographic and economic indicators, identifying two different fishing areas: the northern and southern sections in the lower La Plata basin. Secondly, we carried out a comparative analysis of fiscal fishery records (from two commercial sets: 1930–1984 and 2011–2019) and local fishers' knowledge on inland commercial fisheries (frequency of occurrence and abundance). Finally, we contrasted current fishing regulations (allowed meshes and boats, fishing prohibitions, exports) to fishers' effective practices. The study area included 52 sites located along the floodplain of the middle and lower sections of the Paraná River, in the province of Santa Fe. Socioeconomic analyses identified two different groups of fishers throughout the river corridor. Results showed that fishers have detailed knowledge on nomenclature, ecology, reproductive strategy, habitat distribution, and usefulness of commercial fish species. By contrasting fishers' knowledge with fiscal records, we found similar and complementary information about the changes in abundance and frequency of occurrence in fisheries. These results highlight the need of including local knowledge as an outstanding source of information for well-planned management of fishing programs and sustainable policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful conservation of endangered, migratory species requires an understanding of habitat use throughout life stages. When dedicated scientific studies are difficult to conduct, local expert knowledge can provide crucial baseline data to guide study design and aid data interpretation. In 2008, fishers in El Salvador demonstrated that eastern Pacific hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata)—a population conservation biologists considered virtually extirpated—use mangrove estuaries as nesting habitat rather than open-coast beaches used by hawksbills in other regions. We confirmed and amplified this observation by using fishers' ecological knowledge to guide biological sampling for stable isotope analysis to assess if eastern Pacific hawskbills use mangrove-dominated estuaries as developmental habitats. We found that immature hawksbills experience a pelagic stage and then recruit to estuaries at ~37 cm curved carapace length, where they increase reliance on estuarine resources until they approach adult sizes. This life history strategy makes them especially vulnerable to in-water nearshore threats, and necessitates targeted expansion of conservation efforts throughout the eastern Pacific. Our analysis also provides a model for integrating traditional scientific approaches with local knowledge—a model that could yield crucial advances in other understudied regions.

Five species of sea turtle—the green (Chelonia mydas), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), loggerhead (Caretta caretta), and olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea)—feed in the coastal waters of India, nest on the mainland and island beaches, and are an important component of India's natural and sociocultural heritage. Sea turtles spend most of their life cycle at sea, so structured studies of the biology of nonnesting populations are challenging. However, fishers' ecological knowledge (FEK) could indicate sea turtle distribution, abundance, and population trends. Structured interviews with 93 male fishers at Sagareshwar Beach, Vengurla, in the Sindhudurg District of Maharashtra revealed observations of all 5 sea turtle species in local waters. Importantly, this was the first known record of loggerhead turtles for the Sindhudurg District of the state coastline and added to infrequent records of leatherback turtles over the previous 20 yrs. Observations were more common at a time when adult turtles are likely to be courting and mating, although this behavior was not observed. Fishers did not contribute ecological knowledge about sea turtle distribution from the waters they fished, potentially because of the method used to collect information on maps or reluctance to indicate areas fished. Estimates of abundance were widely disparate, but perceived decreases in the size of local populations were common among respondents. Outcomes of our study suggest that the FEK of small-scale coastal fishers operating in even a small area is of value in identifying potential areas for focused investigations on in-water populations of sea turtles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All five species of sawfishes (family Pristidae) are amongst the most threatened marine fishes in the world, with steep population declines and local extinctions documented across their ranges.Sawfishes have featured in Sri Lankan species checklists since 1889. However, landing records are extremely rare and little information is available on their status, diversity, and recent occurrences.Interviews were conducted with 300 fishers and 10 fish traders. Only 39% of fishers (n = 118) could identify sawfishes, 37% had seen sawfishes (although half not since 1992), and only 10.7% had ever caught one. No respondents under 30 years could identify sawfishes. Older respondents (>50 years) were more likely to have caught sawfishes and reported seeing them frequently until 30 years ago, while younger respondents had only seen them at landing sites and, at most, once or twice in their life. Only 10 respondents had seen a sawfish in the last decade, suggesting that sawfishes were relatively abundant in the past but that populations have drastically declined.Of the 32 respondents who had caught sawfishes, 30 reported declining numbers and attributed it to fishing pressure. These steep declines coincide with the time of increased fishing effort, the development of the aquaculture industry, and resulting degradation of coastal habitats in the 1980–1990s.Overall, sawfishes had little cultural significance although fishers had specific names for the different species occurring here and rostra were sometimes donated to Catholic churches for 'good luck'. Landed sawfishes were primarily sold for meat and traders appeared unaware of the high value of fins.It is likely that sawfishes are now functionally extinct as a component of coastal ecosystems in Sri Lanka. Immediate action including species‐specific legislation and critical habitat protection is urgently needed to provide remaining sawfishes and other sharks and rays with a fighting chance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Galápagos Archipelago is home to a diverse range of marine bioregions due to the confluence of several cold and warm water currents, resulting in some of the most productive tropical marine ecosystems in the world. These ecosystems are strongly influenced by El Niño events which can reduce primary production by an order of magnitude, dramatically reducing energy available throughout the food web. Fisheries are an important component of the local economy, although artisanal and illegal overfishing have dramatically reduced the productivity of invertebrate and finfish resources in recent decades, resulting in reductions in catches for local fishers. The regionally-endemic sailfin grouper (Myctereoperca olfax), locally known as bacalao, was once the most important fished species in the Galápagos, but is now listed as vulnerable by the IUCN due to its limited range and dramatic declines in catch over time. It is unknown how reduction of this predatory species has affected ecosystem structure and function. In the absence of stock assessments, we used an estimate of unfished bacalao biomass from fishers’ ecological knowledge along with unfished biomass estimates of other heavily exploited stocks—lobster (Panulirus penicillatus and P. gracilis) and sea cucumber (Isostichopus fuscus)—to create historical, unfished versions of existing modern day ecosystem models. We used the unfished and modern versions of the ecosystem models to test the ecosystem effects of bacalao exploitation at the Bolivar Channel, located in the cold, west upwelling bioregion of the archipelago during both El Niño and non El Niño years, and at Floreana Island, in the warmer, central bioregion. Fishers’ ecological knowledge indicates that at present, the biomass of bacalao is at least seven times lower than when unfished. This reduced bacalao biomass is linked with a greatly reduced ecosystem role compared to when unfished, and ecosystem role is further reduced in El Niño years. Allowing bacalao populations to rebuild to at least half of unfished biomass would partially restore their role within these ecosystems, while also resulting in greater fisheries catches. Comparing ecosystem impacts caused by fishing and El Niño, fishing has had a greater negative impact on bacalao ecosystem role than regular El Niño events.

This paper reports the range extension of Kyphosus vaigiensis in the northeastern (NE) Mediterranean. On 18 November, 2018, a single specimen of K. vaigiensis was caught in İskenderun Bay (36°45.6′ N, 35°40.8′ E) by a recreational fisherman and reported through a social media application. The specimen was identified using morphological and molecular methods. Its occurrence and distribution in the NE Mediterranean were investigated based on interviews with fishers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Galápagos Archipelago is home to a diverse range of marine bioregions due to the confluence of several cold and warm water currents, resulting in some of the most productive tropical marine ecosystems in the world. These ecosystems are strongly influenced by El Niño events which can reduce primary production by an order of magnitude, dramatically reducing energy available throughout the food web. Fisheries are an important component of the local economy, although artisanal and illegal overfishing have dramatically reduced the productivity of invertebrate and finfish resources in recent decades, resulting in reductions in catches for local fishers. The regionally-endemic sailfin grouper (Myctereoperca olfax), locally known as bacalao, was once the most important fished species in the Galápagos, but is now listed as vulnerable by the IUCN due to its limited range and dramatic declines in catch over time. It is unknown how reduction of this predatory species has affected ecosystem structure and function. In the absence of stock assessments, we used an estimate of unfished bacalao biomass from fishers’ ecological knowledge along with unfished biomass estimates of other heavily exploited stocks—lobster (Panulirus penicillatus and P. gracilis) and sea cucumber (Isostichopus fuscus)—to create historical, unfished versions of existing modern day ecosystem models. We used the unfished and modern versions of the ecosystem models to test the ecosystem effects of bacalao exploitation at the Bolivar Channel, located in the cold, west upwelling bioregion of the archipelago during both El Niño and non El Niño years, and at Floreana Island, in the warmer, central bioregion. Fishers’ ecological knowledge indicates that at present, the biomass of bacalao is at least seven times lower than when unfished. This reduced bacalao biomass is linked with a greatly reduced ecosystem role compared to when unfished, and ecosystem role is further reduced in El Niño years. Allowing bacalao populations to rebuild to at least half of unfished biomass would partially restore their role within these ecosystems, while also resulting in greater fisheries catches. Comparing ecosystem impacts caused by fishing and El Niño, fishing has had a greater negative impact on bacalao ecosystem role than regular El Niño events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapidly changing climate is pushing the Greenland fishing footprint northwards. With bottom fisheries moving into hitherto unmapped areas, large knowledge gaps regarding the environment in which the fishery takes place ensue. Mapping sediment in these areas is a time consuming and expensive task. Recognizing that fishers have considerable local ecological knowledge can help bridge this knowledge gap. A workshop including ship masters and factory managers on factory trawlers was conducted in order to understand how their knowledge transpired when mapped. This knowledge was compared to historical data and recent bottom photos to develop a better understanding of the differences and similarities between the methods used. The fishers had a good knowledge of sediment types; further some fishers expressed that the topography has changed over time due to intensive trawling. Even though this fishery is undertaken in a high technology environment on large trawlers, the long-time experience of the fishers can contribute to large scale knowledge of marine landscapes. These results are useful when mapping sediments in the future and can also provide a basis for further investigations of changing topography due to trawling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Archival and interview data reveal historical trends in a data-poor fishery. • Multiple technological and societal transitions occurred over the last century. • The adoption of technology by the recreational sector kept pace with commercial. • Historical sources can contribute to filling knowledge gaps for resource management. Abstract Recreational fishing has taken place for centuries and is a globally popular activity, yet a lack of monitoring data means historical trends in recreational fisheries are often little understood compared to their commercial counterparts. We examined archival sources and conducted fisher interviews to examine changes in the Queensland recreational snapper (Chrysophrys auratus) fishery throughout its documented history. We extracted data spanning the past 140 years on technological innovations, catch rate trends, and social and regulatory change. Technological innovations were evident throughout the history of the recreational fishery. During the 1960s, 1990s and 2000s, several periods of rapid technological transition occurred, where a technology was adopted by >50% of recreational fishers within 10 years of its introduction. Since the 1960s, the timing and rate of adoption of fish-finding technology by recreational fishers has kept pace with the commercial sector. These technological advances have profoundly increased recreational targeting ability, but despite these advances, recalled recreational catch rate trends demonstrated significant declines over the course of the 20th century. While minimum size limits have been imposed on the snapper fishery for over a century, in contrast, the introduction of recreational in-possession limits only commenced in the 1990s. At this time, the beginnings of a societal transition was also observed, where longstanding 'take-all' attitudes towards fishing began to be replaced by a more conservation-minded ethic. This shift was driven in part by the changing regulatory landscape, as well as wider attitudinal change influenced by the media and shifting societal norms, although whether this led to a reduction in total recreational catch remains unclear due to a lack of fishery-wide monitoring data and the open access nature of the recreational fishery. This study demonstrates that in the absence of systematic data collection, archival sources and fisher interviews can contribute an interdisciplinary knowledge base for understanding and interpreting historical fishery trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seagrass meadows deliver key ecosystem services in coastal environments worldwide by hosting early and adult life stages of many fish stocks, improving water quality, capturing carbon dioxide (mitigating the effects of global warming), protecting against adverse events and providing leisure opportunities. Shellfishing is often carried out in seagrass meadows, causing alterations derived from harvesting and/or culture processes. While the negative impacts of shellfisheries on seagrass meadows have been well established, the effects of the meadows on shellfishing have not yet been explored. In this study we analyzed the two-way interactions between shellfishing and Zostera spp. beds in north-west Spain and identified gaps in the governance system related to seagrass management. We conducted interviews (with 154 shellfishers) and held workshops (involving 61 shellfishers) to collect and validate information on the perceptions of shellfishers regarding the ecosystem services supplied by seagrass meadows, the interactions with shellfishing activity and how to improve the management of the activity in these key habitats. In general, shellfishers viewed the presence of seagrass negatively because greater physical effort is needed to extract the shellfish from among the plants. The shellfishers also recognized that the plants are easily damaged during their work. Temporal trends were also perceived negatively, as catches have been decreasing over time, while the area occupied by seagrass meadows has increased. However, experienced shellfishers recognized the benefits of the meadows for coastal ecosystems and fisheries (including those that they exploited), such as increased recruitment of the target species, to the extent that they were open to the allocation of areas to seagrass conservation. The compatibility of traditional shellfishing and management of seagrass meadows should be fostered by developing seagrass monitoring programs to develop adaptive fisheries management strategies and ensure conservation of these complex social-ecological systems. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historical baselines are needed to reconstruct long-term changes in marine animal populations and enhance our ability to articulate management recommendations. We reconstructed common angelshark ( Squatina squatina) abundance in the Northern Adriatic Sea over the last two centuries by integrating different sources of formal and informal information. The wide amount of information collected helped assessing if the species is actually extirpated from the area, as stated in previous studies. According to naturalists' accounts and historical documents, in the nineteenth and early twenty-first centuries the species was so abundant to sustain targeted fisheries, and large quantities of S. squatina were sold in the main fish markets. In the 1960s, the species collapsed and got economically extinct. Even if it was never caught in the area through scientific surveys during the period 1948-2014, from fishermen interviews emerged that the species is not extirpated. However, only 50% of interviewees caught S. squatina at least once and they were significantly older than the fishermen that never caught it (shifting baseline syndrome). Moreover, the size of the fish caught significantly decreased through time, indicating the depletion of larger individuals. Our integrated approach can be applied to any poorly assessed species so that appropriate international conservation measures can be prioritized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recreational anglers collectively spend a great amount of time on fishing activities. While being out fishing, these anglers perceive various components of aquatic ecosystems, allowing them to accumulate knowledge of the ecological status of the system and the fish they are targeting in it. Such fishers' ecological knowledge (FEK) is increasingly being recognized as a valuable source of information in fisheries research and management, but it has also been criticized for a lack of accuracy. People's perceptions of their environment are shaped by a variety of psychological and environmental factors, and the same is expected for anglers' perceptions of fish stocks and the resulting FEK. This study assessed anglers' perceived change in salmon and sea trout stocks at the Mörrum river in Sweden, comparing the year that they first fished there to the present (2019). In addition, effects on these perceptions of the anglers' motivations to fish, satisfaction with catches, and their engagement with this fishery were examined. The majority of the respondents perceived a negative trend for both species, even when the reported total catches during the year they first fished at Mörrum were lower than the present catches. Binomial regression models indicated significant influences of engagement at Mörrum on the anglers' stock trend perceptions. The results of this study emphasize the importance of understanding different individual angler characteristics when collecting and interpreting FEK. Moreover, the fact that anglers with a longer history at Mörrum had a more negative perception overall, regardless of actual stock status in their first year in this fishery, suggests the occurrence of the shifting baseline syndrome in recreational fisheries. Therefore, the prevailing narrative on stock trends and its effect on angler perceptions should be considered when using FEK. • Overall angler perceptions of salmon and sea trout stocks were negative. • Accuracy of perceptions was higher in satisfied and catch-oriented anglers. • More engaged anglers (length and intensity) had more negative perceptions. • Engagement did not influence accuracy [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) is increasingly advocated as a complementary source of information that can potentially be integrated into mainstream science, particularly to help improve fisheries management. However, less attention has been paid to identifying specific areas where the TEK of fishers may confirm or contradict conventional scientific knowledge (CSK); or where TEK may provide new insights for fisheries systems characterized by multi-species and multi-gear usage. We conducted a qualitative exploration of TEK of grouper fishing patterns and compared the findings with an analysis of catch data in order to elucidate the extent of fishing pressure on groupers. We further compared TEK of the ecology and biology of groupers with published CSK to understand the complementarity between the two domains. Data collection methods included structured open-ended questionnaire, semi-structured interviews with key informants, focus group discussions, personal observations and a literature review. Results indicate that TEK complements CSK in terms of catch assessment and the ecology of groupers. TEK provides additional information on fishing gear, specific grouper species caught, habitat use and feeding habits; however, TEK contradicts CSK regarding spawning aggregation behavior. TEK offers new knowledge on environmental threats facing groupers, but fishers lack knowledge on reproductive modes and life history traits (i.e. hermaphroditism and spawning season) of groupers. We conclude that, in a conducive democratic setting based upon mutual respect and trust, TEK can complement conventional science and help to make more informed management decisions for sustainable fishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In a complex environment knowledge is valuable and its acquisition is costly; as a result people are careful about what to learn and how to learn it. We suggest that the dynamics of the “local” environment strongly influences the method that individuals choose to acquire useful knowledge and is one of the principal determinants of the way they compete and cooperate. We focus on the way different environments lead to different costs, especially the relative opportunity costs, of search and communication and, consequently, to the emergence of different patterns of persistent cooperation and competition. In predictably regular and in predictably random environments, the cost of autonomous search is low and little social structure emerges. In complex environments, the relative costs of communication are high, leading to persistent social structure. Our presumption is that the characteristics of the emergent, or informal, social structure are a major determinant of successful collective action. We investigate the hypothesis through a comparison of three fisheries in which the costs of acquiring useful knowledge are different. Because of these differences, fishers' acquisition of useful knowledge leads to different social structure and different preconditions for successful collective action in each fishery. The lobster fishery is characterized by strong collective action and appears sustainable; the urchin and groundfisheries, worked by the same communities, are not even though almost all their participants are familiar with and often participate in the lobster fishery. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Studies on fishers’ ecological knowledge (FEK) and local ecological knowledge (LEK) have rarely been undertaken for practical application in a management context. Here, we describe a methodology to access FEK that was designed under an ecosystem-based fisheries management framework. The procedure was adapted from the Delphi technique, which seeks experts’ consensus, and focused on several spatial and temporal issues related to the small-scale fisheries of the northern coast of São Paulo, Brazil (particularly, in Ubatuba, between 23°20′ S and 23°35′ S). Experienced fishers, considered as experts, were selected during a pilot phase to participate in two sequential rounds of semi-structured interviews at 3 main landing sites and 12 coastal fishing communities. The issues addressed were: (1) spatial and seasonal occurrence of mature females and juveniles of the main commercial species, (2) fishing grounds and bycatch species for each type of fishing gear, and (3) fishers’ suggestions for local fisheries management (e.g. mesh and size of gillnets, closure seasons, gear restrictions by fishing area). It was possible to identify consensus rates on the spatial and temporal issues, as well as on fishers’ management suggestions. The former allowed the construction of maps representing fishing grounds and the local spatial distribution of different fishery stocks strata. We illustrate the output by focusing on five fishery stocks: the seabob-shrimp Xiphopenaeus kroyeri, the whitemouth croaker Micropogonias furnieri, the inshore squid Loligo spp, the white shrimp Litopenaeus schimitti and the blue runner Caranx crysos. Overall, the results provided new guidelines for future local fisheries management and conservation initiatives. The methodology proved to be useful for the definition of essential fish habitats (EFHs), suggesting their potential application in other locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The debate about the quality of fishers' ecological knowledge (FEK) and its value to fisheries management has long been present in the literature. This study sought to understand the role of FEK in a particular fisheries management decision in the U.S. and to evaluate the extent that different stakeholder groups recognized and used FEK in fisheries policy creation. The 1998 implementation of the Western Gulf of Maine Area Closure (WGoMAC) was a management response to the rapid decline in the Gulf of Maine cod (Gadus morhua) stock. Using structured surveys and semistructured interviews, we collected information from major stakeholder groups that were active during the creation of the area closure: New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) members, Groundfish Advisory Panel members, Groundfish Plan Development Team members, and Maine groundfishers. Results indicated that 95% of respondents believed that fishers possess ecological knowledge that could be useful in the fishery management process. In the case of the WGoMAC creation, 62% of respondents indicated that FEK played a role in the decision, even though 85% recognized obstacles to the use of FEK in the management process. Interviews demonstrated that FEK was able to improve upon the spatial resolution of scientific data by identifying seasonal migration patterns of prespawning cod and behavioral differences between juvenile and adult cod. This information was a product of a peer-reviewed process among groundfishers and it was used to fine-tune the exact location of the closure. These findings suggest that there are ways to incorporate FEK into fishery management for the purposes of stock and habitat conservation. Additionally, the benefit of having ecological information that spans different spatial scales for fishery management was observed in this study. By combining the knowledge systems of fishers and fisheries scientists, managers were able to capture ecological information at a finer scale than the scale at which landings data are reported and fish stocks analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cod (Gadus morhua) inhabit not only the famous fishing banks of the Northwest Atlantic continental shelf, but also inshore waters from Labrador to New England. Relatively little is known about the life history of inshore cod, their historic levels of abundance, and their relationship to offshore stocks. Inshore cod stocks along the East Coast should be managed under a new paradigm that recognizes the importance of these fish to the stock complex. Recently documented fishers' ecological knowledge (FEK) suggests inshore stocks of cod may exist along the Newfoundland and Labrador coastline that have yet to be scientifically documented. Coastal communities adjacent to the local population of cod in Gilbert Bay, Labrador have initiated efforts to protect and manage this stock locally through a co-management approach. The Gilbert Bay experience, FEK, and related science and education could provide insight into ways to protect and enhance the health of local stocks remaining along the northeast coast of North America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]