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We reflect on the innovation process that led to the development of the pulse trawl that was successfully trialed at a commercial scale, but eventually ended with the European Parliament passing legislation to ban its use. The ban was imposed despite published and emerging evidence that suggested that the environmental performance and catch efficiency of the pulse trawl was superior to the conventional beam trawl design. We used a stakeholder questionnaire to understand which factors undermined wider acceptance of the pulse trawl. The main factors where a lack of involvement of certain key stakeholders earlier in the process that would have ensured better co-development of innovation and a shared vision of the environmental or governance questions that needed to be addressed. Although the stakeholder process itself was seen to be positive, it was implemented too late in the innovation process, as was the implementation of an independent peer review process. We conclude by identifying a pathway for future fishing gear innovation processes that integrate the lessons learnt from the pulse trawl innovation process.

Background and objectives The environmental effects of static gear fishing include habitat-level effects such as permanent changes to the physical environment and the structure of the benthic and epibenthic communities. Ecosystems subjected to prolonged exposure to pressure from static gear may undergo permanent changes and may never regain their prior ‘unfished’ state even if the fishing pressure is removed entirely. These long-term changes to physical structure of benthic habitats have implications for benthic biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Despite this, the understanding of habitat and static fishing gear interactions is limited- with most studies focusing on the impact of mobile fishing gear. The rise of ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM), where managers and decision-makers manage target species within their environmental context while protecting essential ecosystem services and components, has led to an increased demand for ecosystem-level reference points. A systematic review could provide clarification on the short and long-term impacts of commercial static gear fishing on benthic community diversity. Methods This review will examine primary studies on the relationship between static fishing gear, intensity, and benthic biodiversity to answer the primary question ‘How do different types of static fishing gear affect benthic species richness and abundance?’. A structured search will be conducted in English. The search terms used to find relevant data to answer the research question were chosen specifically for this review and were generated using the R package litsearchr. Captured articles will be screened against pre-defined eligibility criteria. The internal and external validity of remaining studies will be classified using a pre-defined framework. Studies meeting validity will be used for data extraction. Data to be extracted includes data on study design, intervention, study results, habitat and geographical context. Outcome data (such as sample sizes, means and measures of variation such as confidence intervals, standard deviations, and standard errors) will also be extracted. Information on effect modifiers will also be collected where available as well as metadata on study methodologies and general article identifiers. Data will be used for both narrative and quantitative synthesis techniques.

The sea urchin, Diadema setosum, is a poisonous species that originates in the Indo-Pacific and the Red Sea. Although this species has been recorded in several areas in the Mediterranean Sea, its habitat selection, density, distribution and ecological impacts have not been comprehensively documented to date. This study combined the diving observations (n = 53 sites) and local ecological knowledge (LEK) of SCUBA divers (n = 100) to provide information on the distribution and density of this invasive sea urchin on the Aegean and Levantine coasts of Turkey between September and October 2020. The results indicated that D. setosum was more prevalent along the southern coast of Turkey compared with the western coast, where it is colder. The highest densities of D. setosum were observed in rocky habitats at a depth range of 0-5 m. Moreover, the densities increased with increasing bottom temperatures (up to 150 ind./100 m(2)). Recent reports from the Levantine and south Aegean coasts highlighted that the densities of D. setosum increased dramatically during the past year. The results of the present study suggested that D. setosum provides shelter for a total of four fish species, including Chromis chromis, Gobius sp., Cheilodipterus novemstriatus and Thalassoma pavo. This species of urchin poses a threat due to its potential grazing and bioerosion effects in the Mediterranean. Thus, future studies should focus on the feeding ecology of D. setosum and the competition with native species that share the same habitat to obtain an improved understanding of the ecological impacts of this invasive species. Although the present study provides the first comprehensive dataset on the density and distribution of this invasive sea urchin for Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean region, we suggest that its population should be monitored for long periods using direct observations, LEK and citizen science.

Trawl fishing constitutes an important part of the marine fisheries sector in Southeast Asia. It provides livelihoods and food for millions of people in coastal communities as well as feed for the ...

The elimination of unwanted catch in mixed species fisheries is technically challenging given the complexity of fish behaviour within nets. Most approaches to date have employed technologies that modify the nets themselves or use physical sorting grids within the gear. There is currently increasing interest in the use of artificial light to either deter fish from entering the net, or to enhance their escapement from within the net. Here, we evaluated the differences in catch retained in a standard otter trawl, relative to the same gear fitted with a square mesh panel, or a square mesh panel fitted with LEDs. We found that the selectivity of the gear differed depending on water depth. When using a square mesh panel in shallow depths of 29–40 m the unwanted bycatch of whiting and haddock was reduced by 86% and 58% respectively. In deep, darker water (45–95 m), no change in catch was observed in the square-mesh panel treatment, however when LEDs were added to the square-mesh panel, haddock and flatfish catches were reduced by 47% and 25% respectively. These findings demonstrate the potential to improve the performance of bycatch reduction devices through the addition of light devices to enhance selectivity. The results also highlight species-specific and site-specific differences in the performance of bycatch reduction devices, and hence a more adaptive approach to reduce bycatch is probably required to maximize performance.

Significance We estimated the biological state of seabed sedimentary habitats, with specified uncertainty, in 24 trawled regions worldwide. Seabed status differed greatly among regions (from 0.25 to 0.999, relative to an untrawled state of 1); 15 regions had average status > 0.9. Two-thirds of all assessed seabed area was untrawled with status = 1, 93% had status > 0.8, but 1.5% had status = 0. The total area swept by trawling was a strong driver of regional status, providing a relationship to predict status from the regional estimated total amount of trawling. Seabed status is high in regions where fisheries are exploited sustainably—emphasizing that good fishery management contributes to better ecosystem outcomes—and, conversely, low status highlights regions needing improved management., Bottom trawling is widespread globally and impacts seabed habitats. However, risks from trawling remain unquantified at large scales in most regions. We address these issues by synthesizing evidence on the impacts of different trawl-gear types, seabed recovery rates, and spatial distributions of trawling intensity in a quantitative indicator of biotic status (relative amount of pretrawling biota) for sedimentary habitats, where most bottom-trawling occurs, in 24 regions worldwide. Regional average status relative to an untrawled state (=1) was high (>0.9) in 15 regions, but 0.8. These assessments are first order, based on parameters estimated with uncertainty from meta-analyses; we recommend regional analyses to refine parameters for local specificity. Nevertheless, our results are sufficiently robust to highlight regions needing more effective management to reduce exploitation and improve stock sustainability and seabed environmental status—while also showing seabed status was high (>0.95) in regions where catches of trawled fish stocks meet accepted benchmarks for sustainable exploitation, demonstrating that environmental benefits accrue from effective fisheries management. Furthermore, regional seabed status was related to the proportional area swept by trawling, enabling preliminary predictions of regional status when only the total amount of trawling is known. This research advances seascape-scale understanding of trawl impacts in regions around the world, enables quantitative assessment of sustainability risks, and facilitates implementation of an ecosystem approach to trawl fisheries management globally.

Participatory decision tools enable stakeholders to reconcile conflicting natural resources management objectives. Fisheries targeting highly productive species can have profound impacts on co-occurring bycatch species with low fecundity and other life history traits that make them vulnerable to anthropogenic sources of mortality. This study developed a decision tool for integrated bycatch management for data-limited to data-rich fisheries, improving upon current piecemeal approaches. First, through a systematic literature review, participants compile a comprehensive database of methods to mitigate the catch and fishing mortality of threatened bycatch species. These mitigation methods are then categorized into tiers of a sequential mitigation hierarchy, where interventions that avoid capture are considered before those that minimize catchability, followed by methods that minimize fishing mortality, before approaches that offset residual impacts. The methods are also assembled within an evidence hierarchy, where findings from meta-analytic modelling studies are more robust and generalizable than from individual studies. The decision tool enables stakeholders to evaluate alternative bycatch management strategies’ efficacy at meeting specific and measurable objectives for mitigating the catch and mortality of bycatch and for costs from multispecies conflicts, economic viability, practicality and safety, while accounting for the fishery-specific feasibility of compliance monitoring of alternative bycatch management measures. Ongoing adaptation of the bycatch management framework addresses findings from performance assessments, updated evidence, new mitigation methods and changes to governance systems. The proposed decision tool therefore enables stakeholders to develop bycatch management frameworks that provide precautionary protection for the most vulnerable populations with acceptable tradeoffs.

[Objective] This scoping review (ScR) aims to identify and map the evidence base on the contribution of area-based fisheries management measures (ABFMs) to fisheries sustainability and marine conservation. Emphasis will be given to the research that has been conducted in terms of the methodologies applied and the key findings acknowledged., [Introduction] ABFMs have been used for centuries and are present in modern fisheries management plans and regulations. Although ABFMs are commonly related to the sustainable exploitation of the target species of the managed fishery, they may also be considered as wider conservation measures, in the cases where their outcomes include the protection or reduction of impact on biodiversity or ecosystem structures and functions., [Inclusion criteria] Studies that perform an assessment of the contribution of ABFMs on either fisheries sustainability or on area-based marine conservation (or both) will be considered. All types of ABFMs in the marine realm globally, which are established as management measures by any type of designation authority or jurisdiction and for any type of fishing activity, gear, target species and/or habitats will be considered. Peer-reviewed and grey literature will be included. There will be no search limitations applied by year of publication. Studies in English, French, Greek, Italian, Spanish and Swedish will be reviewed., [Methods] The ScR will be conducted in accordance with the JBI (Joanna Briggs Institute) methodology. The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) extension for ScRs will guide the protocol. The bibliographic databases to be searched include Scopus and Web of Science. Sources of grey literature will include databases, pre-print archives, organisational websites and web-based search engines. The design of the search strategy will be guided by a librarian/ information specialist. The Zotero software, Sysrev platform and EviAtlas tool will be used for data management, extraction and presentation. Data will be extracted by two reviewers. Tables, graphs and maps along with a narrative summary of the outcomes will be presented.

Pinna nobilis is a sensitive and vulnerable species and is hence considered a good indicator of anthropogenic pressures on marine ecosystems. This study provides novel data on the density and distribution of endangered P. nobilis on the Turkish coasts. Threats to the status of P. nobilis, including by-catch and illegal collection, were assessed, as was the general awareness of people about the endangered status of fan mussels. The data sources consisted of direct observations from diving surveys and the local ecological knowledge (LEK) of fishers and scuba-divers. Results demonstrated that the density of P. nobilis significantly changed with environmental parameters, such as depth, and among different sampling areas. The number of damaged individuals was lowest in the areas that were distant from human influences such as ports and tourist beaches. The density estimations of P. nobilis across a wide geographic area around the Turkish coasts revealed that the density of fan mussels was highest around western coasts in comparison with southern coasts. Fishers and divers indicated that the population of this species has decreased during the last decade. The main causes of this decline were suggested to be the impacts of fishing gear, poaching, pollution, and boat anchoring. The highest volume of by-catch was estimated to be taken by trawls. In general, the knowledge and local awareness of the conservation importance and status of fan mussels was poor. The study has identified those areas where fan mussels occur at a high density, and hence may indicate areas for possible conservation protection status. Second, areas exposed to the illegal harvesting of fan mussels were highlighted. Societal concern would benefit from educational activities to raise awareness of the ecological importance and conservation needs for fan mussels in Turkey.

Bottom trawling accounts for nearly a quarter of wild-capture seafood production, but it is associated with physical disturbance of the seabed leading to changes in benthic abundance, habitat structure, and biogeochemical processes. Understanding the processes of benthic depletion and recovery in relation to different types of fishing gears, and in different seabed types, is an important pre-requisite to inform appropriate management measures to limit or reduce the effects of trawling on the seabed. The combined approaches of meta-analysis and modelling that link fishing-gear penetration of the seabed to benthic depletion, and recovery to taxon longevity, have enabled the development of a modelling framework to estimate relative benthic status in areas subject to trawling. Such estimations are highly sensitive to the spatial resolution at which fishing footprint (trawl track) data are aggregated, and this leads to overinflated estimates of fishing impacts on benthos when coarse-level aggregation is applied. These approaches present a framework into which other “sustainability” criteria can be added, e.g., the consideration of carbon footprints of fishing activities.

Videogrammetry and photogrammetry are increasingly being used in marine science for unsupervised data collection. The camera systems employed are complex, in contrast to “consumer” digital cameras and smartphones carried by potential citizen scientists. However, using consumer cameras in photogrammetry will introduce unknown length estimation errors through both the image acquisition process and lens distortion. This study presents a methodology to achieve accurate 2-dimensional (2-D) total length (TL) estimates of fish without specialist equipment or proprietary software. Photographs of fish were captured with an action camera using a background fiducial marker, a foreground fiducial marker and a laser marker. The geometric properties of the lens were modelled with OpenCV to correct image distortion. TL estimates were corrected for parallax effects using an algorithm requiring only the initial length estimate and known fish morphometric relationships. Correcting image distortion decreased RMSE by 96% and the percentage mean bias error (%MBE) by 50%. Correcting for parallax effects achieved a %MBE of −0.6%. This study demonstrates that the morphometric measurement of different species can be accurately estimated without the need for complex camera equipment, making it particularly suitable for deployment in citizen science and other volunteer-based data collection endeavours.

Sustainably managed wild fisheries support food and nutritional security, livelihoods, and cultures (1). Harmful fisheries subsidies—government payments that incentivize overcapacity and lead to overfishing—undermine these benefits yet are increasing globally (2). World Trade Organization (WTO) members have a unique opportunity at their ministerial meeting in November to reach an agreement that eliminates harmful subsidies (3). We—a group of scientists spanning 46 countries and 6 continents—urge the WTO to make this commitment...

Bottom trawl fishing is a controversial activity. It yields about a quarter of the world's wild seafood, but also has impacts on the marine environment. Recent advances have quantified and improved understanding of large‐scale impacts of trawling on the seabed. However, such information needs to be coupled with distributions of benthic invertebrates (benthos) to assess whether these populations are being sustained under current trawling regimes. This study collated data from 13 diverse regions of the globe spanning four continents. Within each region, we combined trawl intensity distributions and predicted abundance distributions of benthos groups with impact and recovery parameters for taxonomic classes in a risk assessment model to estimate benthos status. The exposure of 220 predicted benthos‐group distributions to trawling intensity (as swept area ratio) ranged between 0% and 210% (mean = 37%) of abundance. However, benthos status, an indicator of the depleted abundance under chronic trawling pressure as a proportion of untrawled state, ranged between 0.86 and 1 (mean = 0.99), with 78% of benthos groups > 0.95. Mean benthos status was lowest in regions of Europe and Africa, and for taxonomic classes Bivalvia and Gastropoda. Our results demonstrate that while spatial overlap studies can help infer general patterns of potential risk, actual risks cannot be evaluated without using an assessment model that incorporates trawl impact and recovery metrics. These quantitative outputs are essential for sustainability assessments, and together with reference points and thresholds, can help managers ensure use of the marine environment is sustainable under the ecosystem approach to management., T. Mazor was supported during her research by a CSIRO Postdoctoral Fellowship and CSIRO Ruby Payne‐Scott Award.

Bottom trawl fisheries are the most widespread source of anthropogenic physical disturbance to seabed habitats. Development of fisheries-, conservation- and ecosystem-based management strategies requires the selection of indicators of the impact of bottom trawling on the state of benthic biota. Many indicators have been proposed, but no rigorous test of a range of candidate indicators against nine commonly agreed criteria (concreteness, theoretical basis, public awareness, cost, measurement, historical data, sensitivity, responsiveness, specificity) has been performed. Here, we collated data from 41 studies that compared the benthic biota in trawled areas with those in control locations (that were either not trawled or trawled infrequently), examining seven potential indicators (numbers and biomass for individual taxa and whole communities, evenness, Shannon–Wiener diversity and species richness) to assess their performance against the set of nine criteria. The effects of trawling were stronger on whole-community numbers and biomass than for individual taxa. Species richness was also negatively affected by trawling but other measures of diversity were not. Community numbers and biomass met all criteria, taxa numbers and biomass and species richness satisfied most criteria, but evenness and Shannon–Wiener diversity did not respond to trawling and only met few criteria, and hence are not suitable state indicators of the effect of bottom trawling. Synthesis and applications. An evaluation of each candidate indicator against a commonly agreed suite of desirable properties coupled with the outputs of our meta-analysis showed that whole-community numbers of individuals and biomass are the most suitable indicators of bottom trawling impacts as they performed well on all criteria. Strengths of these indicators are that they respond strongly to trawling, relate directly to ecosystem functioning and are straightforward to measure. Evenness and Shannon–Wiener diversity are not responsive to trawling and unsuitable for the monitoring and assessment of bottom trawl impacts. Fil: Hiddink, Jan Geert. Bangor University; Reino Unido Fil: Kaiser, Michel J.. Bangor University; Fil: Sciberras, Marija. Bangor University; Fil: McConnaughey, Robert A.. National Marine Fisheries Service; Estados Unidos Fil: Mazor, Tessa. The University of Queensland; Australia. Csiro Oceans And Atmosphere.; Australia Fil: Hilborn, Ray. University of Washington; Estados Unidos Fil: Collie, Jeremy S.. University of Rhode Island; Estados Unidos Fil: Pitcher, Clifford Roland. Csiro Oceans And Atmosphere.; Australia Fil: Parma, Ana María. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico; Argentina Fil: Suuronen, Petri. Natural Resources Institute Finland; Finlandia Fil: Rijnsdorp, Adriaan D.. University of Agriculture Wageningen; Países Bajos Fil: Jennings, Simon. University of East Anglia; Reino Unido. International Council for the Exploration of the Sea; Dinamarca. Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science. Lowestoft Laboratory; Reino Unido

Bottom trawling accounts for almost one quarter of global fish landings but may also have significant and unwanted impacts on seabed habitats and biota. Management measures and voluntary industry actions can reduce these impacts, helping to meet sustainability objectives for fisheries, conservation and environmental management. These include changes in gear design and operation of trawls, spatial controls, impact quotas and effort controls. We review nine different measures and actions and use published studies and a simple conceptual model to evaluate and compare their performance. The risks and benefits of these management measures depend on the extent to which the fishery is already achieving management objectives for target stocks and the characteristics of the management system that is already in place. We offer guidance on identifying best practices for trawl-fisheries management and show that best practices and their likelihood of reducing trawling impacts depend on local, national and regional management objectives and priorities, societal values and resources for implementation. There is no universal best practice, and multiple management measures and industry actions are required to meet sustainability objectives and improve trade-offs between food production and environmental protection. Fil: McConnaughey, Robert A.. National Marine Fisheries Service; Estados Unidos Fil: Hiddink, Jan G.. Bangor University; Reino Unido Fil: Jennings, Simon. University of East Anglia; Reino Unido. International Council for the Exploration of the Sea; Dinamarca Fil: Pitcher, Clifford Roland. Csiro Oceans And Atmosphere; Australia Fil: Kaiser, Michel J.. Heriot-watt University; Reino Unido Fil: Suuronen, Petri. Natural Resources Institute Finland ; Finlandia Fil: Sciberras, Marija. Bangor University; Reino Unido Fil: Rijnsdorp, Adriaan D.. Wageningen Marine Research; Países Bajos Fil: Collie, Jeremy S.. University Of Rhode Island ; Estados Unidos Fil: Mazor, Tessa. University of Queensland; Australia Fil: Amoroso, Ricardo Oscar. University Of Washington, Seattle; Estados Unidos Fil: Parma, Ana María. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos; Argentina Fil: Hilborn, Ray. University Of Washington, Seattle; Estados Unidos

Stock abundance can be estimated directly from multiple vessel survey catches if variations in catch efficiency are understood. Catch efficiencies and scallop densities were estimated from a depletion experiment using five commercial dredge vessels, to assess how much the catch efficiency of multiple vessels differed across a small area. Each vessel sampled pre-defined lanes across a gradient of intensities within a closed commercial scallop ground. Catch efficiency for commercially sized scallops varied considerably among vessels, ranging from 0.12 to 0.62, and catch efficiency was also variable over time for individual vessels. However, although two vessels produced statistically different catch efficiency estimates, the remaining vessels had overlapping confidence intervals. The density of scallops above the minimum landing size in each lane ranged from 25 to 62 per 100 m2. Simulations confirmed that model spatial resolution, potential positional error and the size of the lanes did not significantly influence the results, and instead confirmed that catch efficiency variance was influenced by the pattern of the haul paths implemented in each lane. We were unable to identify further drivers of the potential variation in efficiencies and densities; however, this potentially high variation over small spatial scales indicates the potential to produce unreliable abundance estimates by scaling survey catches from multiple vessels without greater understanding of catch efficiency variation. Future research should build on the initial work here by obtaining better estimates of catch efficiencies. Simulations indicate this would involve employing more effort and a more even and systematic distribution of hauls in areas selected for depletion trials.

Mining of social media has been shown to be a useful tool for social and biological research (e.g. tracking disease out breaks). This article outlines an accessible approach to the use of text and data mining (TDM) of social media to gather information on wildlife recreation activity. The spatio-temporal distribution of the shore based recreational European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) fishery in Wales is used as an example. Public online user generated content was mined using automated scraping. Data on fisher activity and fish sizes were extracted and then georeferenced by matching place names to a custom compiled gazetteer. Numbers of trips and spatio-temporal trends in the distribution of activity and catches were estimated. Prosecution was higher in summer than winter, and gear use and trip durations were consistent during the period 2002–13. Comparisons of TDM with existing surveys showed higher levels of activity and catch, and shorter mean trip durations were estimated using TDM. Monthly activity correlated closely with existing survey data. Spatial and temporal data agreed qualitatively with expert knowledge. This article showed that TDM can be used to describe a wildlife recreation activity, but use of TDM to derive unbiased population level estimates is challenging and more work is required to develop appropriate methods to correct for bias. These methods required no expertise in natural language processing or machine learning, a working knowledge of programming (e.g. in Python or R) is all that is needed to apply this approach. The opportunities to use TDM will increase with the continuing adoption of smartphones in emerging economies and developing nations and is of may be of particular utility where other data is unavailable.

The commercial fishery for common whelk (Buccinum undatum L.) has expanded significantly in the Irish Sea since 1990 and continues to grow, particularly in Welsh waters and the Isle of Man territorial sea, with landings throughout the region increasing by 227% between 2011 and 2016. Whilst whelk populations are known to be vulnerable to localised overexploitation due to inherent life-history parameters, fisheries remain relatively unrestricted by conservation measures in comparison to other fisheries operating in the area. With the exception of the northernmost fishing ground between the Isle of Man and Scotland (Point of Ayre), the size-at-maturity (L50) estimate for populations sampled during peak-aGSI (the months in which adjusted gonadosomatic index is highest) indicates that whelk are being fished before the time at first spawning throughout the study area. A correlation was detected between the size (total shell length) and depth, with smaller whelks found in deeper waters where there generally is greater fishing effort, although effort data is not available at a resolution to investigate this relationship quantitatively. No clear link between benthic infauna biomass and the average size (total shell length) or reproductive capacity (aGSI) of whelk sampled throughout ICES Area VIIa was found, indicating that the ecological energetics of whelk populations are more likely to be a function of scavenging opportunities than predation on benthic communities. A mixed cohort analysis utilized length-based data to infer a size-at-age relationship in the absence of direct age observations (e.g. statolith rings), with whelk recruiting into the Isle of Man fishery five years after hatching. The evidence presented in this study suggests that, prior to recommending a MLS that will adequately protect the spawning stock biomass, L50 values should be adjusted for pre-spawning growth between the ideal time of assessment (when aGSI values are at a peak) and the spawning season (when aGSI values decrease).

Understanding the distribution of fishing activity is fundamental to quantifying its impact on the seabed. Vessel monitoring system (VMS) data provides a means to understand the footprint (extent and intensity) of fishing activity. Automatic Identification System (AIS) data could offer a higher resolution alternative to VMS data, but differences in coverage and interpretation need to be better understood. VMS and AIS data were compared for individual scallop fishing vessels. There were substantial gaps in the AIS data coverage; AIS data only captured 26% of the time spent fishing compared to VMS data. The amount of missing data varied substantially between vessels (45–99% of each individuals' AIS data were missing). A cubic Hermite spline interpolation of VMS data provided the greatest similarity between VMS and AIS data. But the scale at which the data were analysed (size of the grid cells) had the greatest influence on estimates of fishing footprints. The present gaps in coverage of AIS may make it inappropriate for absolute estimates of fishing activity. VMS already provides a means of collecting more complete fishing position data, shielded from public view. Hence, there is an incentive to increase the VMS poll frequency to calculate more accurate fishing footprints.

Bottom-contact fishing gears are globally the most widespread anthropogenic sources of direct disturbance to the seabed and associated biota. Managing these fishing disturbances requires quantification of gear impacts on biota and the rate of recovery following disturbance. We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis of 122 experiments on the effects-of-bottom fishing to quantify the removal of benthos in the path of the fishing gear and to estimate rates of recovery following disturbance. A gear pass reduced benthic invertebrate abundance by 26% and species richness by 19%. The effect was strongly gear-specific, with gears that penetrate deeper into the sediment having a significantly larger impact than those that penetrate less. Sediment composition (% mud and presence of biogenic habitat) and the history of fishing disturbance prior to an experimental fishing event were also important predictors of depletion, with communities in areas that were not previously fished, predominantly muddy or biogenic habitats being more strongly affected by fishing. Sessile and low mobility biota with longer life-spans such as sponges, soft corals and bivalves took much longer to recover after fishing (>3 year) than mobile biota with shorter life-spans such as polychaetes and malacostracans (

The environmental impacts of food production are increasingly influencing consumer’s food choices. To maintain market access in this context, the fishing industry must adopt strategies and technologies that reduce their carbon emissions, environmental footprint, bycatch and seabed impact. In this study, closure of a depleted scallop fishing ground, to enable stock recovery, coupled with a transition to a cooperative management system, based on territorial user rights, promoted fishers to make management decisions that have improved the environmental outcomes and economic efficiency of this fishery. Innovative cooperative management systems like territorial user rights that decentralise decision making and provide users rights to a defined fishing area, could help mitigate against the negative impacts and issues traditionally associated with scallop dredge fisheries, and help maintain both stock biomass and consumer demand in a market increasingly dominated by sustainably certified food products.

Brown crab contributes to small-scale fisheries in the Isle of Man and landings (495 t) were worth in excess of £0.5 million in 2012. The present study sought to fill evidence gaps needed to improve the scientific understanding of this fishery. Observer data were collected to examine the spatial and temporal variations in the size distribution and sex ratio of crabs around the Isle of Man. This study also aimed to evaluate the catch characteristics of brown crab using logbook data (2007–2012), observer data (2012–2013) and questionnaire survey data (2013). The sex ratio is highly variable in different areas across seasons and was perhaps indicative of migration patterns in relation to mating. This change was most notable with a strong increase in the proportion of females to the south and west of the Isle of Man in the autumn months. The depth and pot volume were important factors that influenced the catch per unit effort (CPUE). Future survey designs would need to ensure adequate spatial coverage of the east and west coast of the Isle of Man together with a seasonal sampling regime that captures the spatial change in the distribution and abundance of male and female crabs.

The implementation of an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management in multispecies fleets has the potential to increase fleet diversification strategies, which can reduce pressure on overexploited stocks. However, diversification may reduce the economic performance of individual vessels and lead to unforeseen outcomes. We studied the economic performance of different fleet segments and their fishing métiers in Wales (United Kingdom) to understand how the number of the métiers employed affects fishing income, operating costs, and profit. For the small-scale segment, more specialised fishers are more profitable and the diversity of métiers is limiting both the maximum expected income and profit but also the operating costs. This last result may explain the propensity of fishers to increase the number of métiers for at least part of the studied fleet. Therefore, while for some vessels, increasing the diversity of fishing métiers may be perceived to limit economic risk associated with the interannual variability of catches and prices and (or) to reduce their operating costs, it can ultimately result in less profitable activity than more specialised vessels.

The use of social media data is becoming increasingly widespread in ecological research and this trend is expected to continue as social media use increases globally. Fishers share details of their...

Baited trap or pot fisheries are considered to have relatively few wider ecosystem effects on the marine environment, particularly when compared with towed mobile fishing gear. However, this assumption is rarely tested in the field. This study aimed to determine the composition of non-target species that occur in crustacean pots and to assess spatial and temporal differences in catches in the waters around the Isle of Man, Irish Sea. The data were collected using fishery independent surveys and a questionnaire study. Based on fishery independent surveys, a total of five taxonomic groups and 43 species occurred as by-catch. The dominant by-catch species was velvet crab Necora puber. The by-catch per unit effort (BPUE) for all of the non-target species was low particularly in comparison to towed bottom gear fisheries around the Isle of Man. BPUE of species composition varied considerably between different locations around the Isle of Man. The results of both the fishery independent and questionnaire data suggested that the by-catch rates varied with season with peak BPUE occurring in spring which then declined into autumn and winter. By-catch composition did not decrease significantly with an increasing target species catch. Overall, by-catch was low relative to target species catch which may be partially attributable to the use of escape panels in pot fisheries in the Isle of Man.

Aim: Trawling is the most widespread direct human disturbance on the seabed. Knowledge of the extent and consequences of this disturbance is limited because large-scale distributions of seabed fauna are not well known. We map faunal distributions in the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and quantify the proportion of their abundance that occurs in areas 1) that are directly trawled and 2) where legislation permanently prohibits trawling—defined as percentage exposure or protection, respectively. Our approach includes developing a method that integrates data from disparate seabed surveys to spatially expand predicted benthos distributions. Location: Australia. Methods: We collate data from 18 seabed surveys to map the distribution of seabed invertebrates (benthos) in nine regions. Our approach combines data from multiple surveys, groups taxa within taxonomic classes and uses Random Forests to predict spatial abundance distributions of benthos groups from environmental variables. Exposure and protection of benthos groups were quantified by mapping their predicted abundance distributions against the footprint of trawling and legislated boundaries of marine reserves and fishery closures. Results: Trawling is currently prohibited from more area of Australia´s EEZ (58%) than is trawled (

Knowledge of the extent and intensity of fishing activities is critical to inform management in relation to fishing impacts on marine conservation features. Such information can also provide insight into the potential socio-economic impacts of closures (or other restrictions) of fishing grounds that could occur through the future designation of Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs). We assessed the accuracy and validity of fishing effort data (spatial extent and relative effort) obtained from Fishers' Local Knowledge (LK) data compared to that derived from Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) data for a high-value shellfish fishery, the king scallop (Pecten maximus L.) dredge fishery in the English Channel. The spatial distribution of fishing effort from LK significantly correlated with VMS data and the correlation increased with increasing grid cell resolution. Using a larger grid cell size for data aggregation increases the estimation of the total area of seabed impacted by the fishery. In the absence of historical VMS data for vessels ≤15 m LOA (Length Overall), LK data for the inshore fleet provided important insights into the relative effort of the inshore (6 NM from land) king scallop fishing fleet in the English Channel. The LK data provided a good representation of the spatial extent of inshore fishing activity, whereas representation of the offshore fishery was more precautionary in terms of defining total impact. Significantly, the data highlighted frequently fished areas of particular importance to the inshore fleet. In the absence of independent sources of geospatial information, the use of LK can inform the development of marine planning in relation to both sustainable fishing and conservation objectives, and has application in both developed and developing countries where VMS technology is not utilised in fisheries management.

As with many other regions in the world, more complete information on the distribution of marine habitats in the Gulf is required to inform environmental policy, and spatial management of fisheries resources will require better understanding of the relationships between habitat and fish communities. Towed cameras and sediment grabs were used to investigate benthic habitats and associated epifauna, infauna and fish communities in the central Gulf, offshore from the east coast of Qatar, in water depths of between 12 and 52 m. Six different habitats were identified: (i) soft sediment habitats of mud and (ii) sand, and structured habitats of (iii) macro-algal reef, (iv) coral reef, (v) mixed reef, and (vi) oyster bed. The epibenthic community assemblage of the mud habitat was significantly different to that of sand, which in turn differed from the structured habitats of coral reef, mixed reef and oyster bed, with the macroalgal assemblage having similarities to both sand and the other structured habitats. Fish assemblages derived from video data did not differ between habitats, although certain species were only associated with particular habitats. Epibenthic diversity indices were significantly lower in mud, sand and macro-algal habitats, with no differences recorded for fish diversity. Soft sediment grab samples indicated that mud habitats had the highest benthic diversity, with Shannon-Weiner values of >4, and were more diverse than sand with values of 3.3. The study demonstrates high biodiversity in benthic habitats in the central and southwestern Gulf, which may in part be due to the absence of trawling activity in Qatari waters. There is a strong influence of depth on benthic habitat type, so that depth can be used to predict habitat distribution with a high level of accuracy. The presence of outcrops of hard substrata creates a mosaic of patchy shallow structured benthic habitat across extensive areas of the offshore seabed. Such heterogeneity, and the association of commercially exploited fish species with specific habitats, indicates that this region is well suited to a spatial approach to fisheries management.