Anticipated impacts of recent political changes on fisheries management in South Africa

South Africa's marine resources are essentially fully exploited and in some cases over exploited. The Government of National Unity has embarked on the ambitious Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) to: meet the basic needs; develop the country's human resources; build economy; and democratize the state and society. Although fisheries can only be expected to play a minor role in contributing to RDP, the Programme have a role to play in managing South Africa's living marine resources. The role of RDP in fisheries management is presented together with fisheries management approaches to help achieve the aims of the RDP.

Village fisheries management and community-owned marine protected areas in Samoa

As in many tropical countries, subsistence fishers in Samoa live in discrete communities which have a high level of marine knowledge and some degree of control of adjacent waters. These factors provide an ideal basis for motivating communities to manage their marine resources. In Samoa, a community-based fisheries extension program encouraged each village community to define its key problems, discuss causes, propose solutions and take appropriate actions. Various village groups provided information which was recorded as problem/solution trees. The extension process culminated in a Village-Fisheries Management Plan which listed the resource management and conservation undertakings of the community. Undertakings range from enforcing laws banning destructive fishing methods to protecting critical marine habitats. Within the first eighteen months, the extension process commenced in 57 villages of which 40 have produced Village Fisheries Management Plans. An unexpectedly large number (32) or these villages chose to establish Marine Protected Areas, the first community-owned marin reserves in the country.

Community fisheries management of freshwater lakes in Bangladesh

The Oxbow Lakes Small Scale Fishermen Project in western Bangladesh is primarily a Social Fisheries Project. The project aims at self-management of the Oxbow lakes fishing and fish farming by members of the local communities and the sharing of the benefits in an equitable manner. Project emphasis is on social and institutional aspects of the community water resource management and on improving the fish yields through better fisheries practices.

Reinventing fisheries management

This article presents the events and outcome of an international symposium on fisheries management titled, "Reinventing Fisheries Management", held at the Fisheries Centre of the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, 21-23 February 1996. The title itself suggests that the topics would reach beyond present day paradigm as indeed they did.

Fisheries management: what chance on coral reefs?

Failures of fishery management to control fishing effort globally and how this affects the coral reef fisheries are discussed. The use of marine reserves in coral reef fisheries management is also emphasized.

How science serves fisheries management

Roles of science in assisting natural resource management are discussed emphasizing on how science can best serve fisheries and natural resource management objectives.

The Threatened Status of Steller Sea Lions, Eumetopias jubatus, under the Endangered Species Act: Effects on Alaska Groundfish Fisheries Management

In April 1990, the Steller sea lion, Eumetopias jubatus, was listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act by emergency action. Competitive interactions with the billion-dollar Alaska commercial groundfish fisheries have been suggested as one of the possible contributing factors to the Steller sea lion population decline. Since the listing, fisheries managers have attempted to address the potential impacts of the groundfish fisheries on Steller sea lion recovery. In this paper, we review pertinent Federal legislation, biological information on the Steller sea lion decline, changes in the Alaska trawl fishery for walleye pollock, Theragra chalcogramma, since the late 1970's, andpossible interactions between fisheries and sea lions. Using three cases, we illustrate how the listing of Steller sea lions has affected Alaska groundfish fisheries through: I) actions taken at the time of listing designed to limit the potential for directhuman-related sea lion mortality, 2) actions addressing spatial and temporal separation of fisheries from sea lions, and 3) introduction of risk-adverse stock assessment methodologies and Steller sea lion conservation considerations directly in the annual quota-setting process. This discussion shows some of the ways that North Pacific groundfish resource managers have begun to explicitly consider the conservation ofmarine mammal and other nontarget species.

Fisheries Management: The Kuwaiti Experience

Siddeek et al. (1991) discussed very briefly some recent developments in Kuwait's shrimp fishery, including an important increase in landings of the main commercial species, Penaeus semisulcatus. This increase coincided with a marked fall in landings of the other important species, Metapenaeus affinis. They thought that these changes were caused by a reduction in effort combined with a more or less simultaneous favorable environmental change for P. semisulcatus and an unfavorable environmental change for M. affinis, but did not give any unequivocal evidence to support this conclusion. The results they reported are, nevertheless, very important and may be relevant to scientists and managers in other parts of the world.

The U.S. Gulf of Mexico Party Boat Industry: Activity Centers, Species Targeted, and Fisheries Management Opinions

In addition to providing an overview of the party boat fishery in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, a management-oriented methodology is presented that can be used elsewhere to assess regulatory impacts. Party boat operators were interviewed to determine species targeted, percent time committed to targeting each species, and opinions on current catch restrictions. Over two-thirds of the fieet was located on the west coast of Florida. Overall, most boats targeted <5 species. Four species accounted for 90 percent of the estimated effort by party boats in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico: Snapper; Lutjanus sp.; grouper, Epinephelus sp. and Mycteroperca sp.; amberjack, Seriola dumerili; and king mackerel, Scomberomorus cavalla. Party boat effort in Texas was devoted primarily to snapper, whereas in Florida most effort was devoted to snapper and grouper collectively. Party boat operators were diverse in their opinions of management regulations in force when interviewed. Results revealed why major opposition would he expected from Texas party boat operators for red snapper bag limits and other restrictions proposed by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council.

The U.S. Gulf of Mexico Charter Boat Industry: Activity Centers, Species Targeted, and Fisheries Management Opinions

The charter boat industry in U. S. Gulf of Mexico provides access to offshore fishing opportunities for about 570,000 passengers per year on 971 boats. A 25% random sample of charter boat operators was interviewed during 1987-88 to determine species targeted, percent time committed to targeting each species, and reactions to existing catch restrictions. Three-fourths of the charter boat fleet was in Florida, 13% in Texas, 5% in Louisiana, 4% in Alabama, and 2% in Mississippi. Responses were diverse regarding species focus within the region. Species of dominant importance included groupers, Epinephelus sp. and Mycteroperca sp. (Fla.); snapper, Lutjanus campechanus (Ala., Fla., Miss., and La.); king mackerel, Scomberomorus cavalla (Miss., Tex., Ala. and Fla.); spotted seatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus (Tex. and La.); and red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus (Tex. and La). Catch restrictions were generally supported with higher levels of opposition to restricted high effort fish and/or one fish or closed fishery limits.

U.S. Fisheries Management and Foreign Trade Linkages: Policy Implications for Groundfish Fisheries in the North Pacific EEZ

The groundfish resources of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off Alaska, dominated by Alaska or walleye pollock, Theragra chalcogramma, Pacific cod, Gadus macrocephalus, and flatfishes, Pleuronectidae, can sustain annual commercial harvests well in excess of 2 million metric tons (t). As recently as 1979, foreign fisheries took 99 percent of the annual harvest supported by these resources. This has changed dramatically during the 1980's. The foreign fisheries have received rapidly decreasing allocations, first as joint venture fisheries expanded and, more recently, as the domestic fisheries have grown. Joint venture fisheries are fisheries in which domestic fishing vessels deliver their catch directly to foreign processing vessels in the EEZ. By 1986, the joint venture and domestic fisheries accounted for 66 percent and 8 percent, respectively, of the annual harvest. The preliminary corresponding figures for 1987 are 78 and 18 percent.

International legal instruments relevant to fisheries and fishing communities : a handbook. Theme III. Oceans and fisheries management

This handbook provides detailed information for a wide range of legal instruments relevant to fisheries and fishworkers. It covers 114 legal instruments, categorized into the following seven themes: Theme I. Human Rights, Food Security, Women and Development. Theme II. Environment and Sustainable Development. Theme III. Oceans and Fisheries Management. Theme IV. Environmental Pollution Theme V. Fishing Vessels and Safety at Sea Theme VI. Labour Theme VII. Trade The handbook also includes the working of the instruments (decision-making bodies, monitoring and implementation agencies, periodicity of meetings, rules for participation in meetings of the decision-making bodies and implementation agencies for States and non-governmental organizations), regional instrument and agencies. Apart from being a ready reckoner to the instruments, it highlights the important sections of relevance to fisheries or small-scale fisheries and fishworkers. The companion CD-ROM provides the full texts of the instruments in a searchable database. The handbook will be useful for fishworker and non-governmental organizations, and also for researchers and others interested in fisheries issues.