14. Spatial Fisheries Management

Question 1

What is the main objective of spatial fisheries management?

Answer 1

regulate where, when, and how fishing activities can take place to ensure the sustainability of

1) fish populations
2) fishing activities

In specific areas

Question 2

What are the three main types of spatial management tools in fisheries?

Answer 2

1) Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)
2) Spatial closures
3) Gear restrictions.

Question 3

What is a Marine Protected Area (MPA)?

Answer 3

An MPA is a designated area of the ocean that restricts human activities to protect marine ecosystems and promote biodiversity.

Question 4

What is the purpose of time-area closures in spatial fisheries management?

Answer 4

Time-area closures aim to protect specific fish stocks or habitats during critical periods, such as

a) breeding
b) migration
c) Spawning
seasons.

Question 5

How do gear restrictions contribute to spatial fisheries management?

Answer 5

Gear restrictions regulate the types of fishing equipment allowed in certain areas to minimize the impact on fish populations and habitats.

Question 6

What is the role of zoning in spatial fisheries management?

Answer 6

Zoning divides an area into smaller regions with specific management measures to address
a) local ecological and
b) socio-economic needs.

Question 7

Name three benefits of implementing spatial fisheries management.

Answer 7

a) Improving fish stock sustainability
b) protecting critical habitats
c) supporting ecosystem-based management approaches.

Question 8

What is the main challenge in implementing spatial fisheries management?

Answer 8

Making sure rules are followed

Making sure that regulations are being followed and enforced effectively.

Question 9

: What is the role of stakeholder involvement in spatial fisheries management?

Answer 9

Stakeholder involvement is crucial for gathering local knowledge, building support for management measures, and promoting compliance.

Question 10

: How can technology aid in spatial fisheries management?

Answer 10

Technology, such as
a) satellite monitoring
b) electronic reporting systems
can help improve data collection
-> compliance, and enforcement.

Question 11

How has spatial fisheries management been thought of traditionally?

Answer 11

Traditionally, fisheries have been thought of in a very stylized way, with one homogeneous population that grows until it converges towards a theoretical carrying capacity. This is captured by a growth model that uses the variables S and K to represent the stock and carrying capacity, respectively. However, the real world is far from being homogeneous, and fisheries management needs to account for this heterogeneity.

Question 12

why is it complicated to measure fish stocks

Answer 12

Heterogenity -> The spatial distribution of fish stocks.

Living creatures in the ocean have complex life cycles:
* Migration pattern
* Spawning behavior

Can be affected by
* weather patterns
* inner population dynamics.

Simple models are insufficient to capture these spatial dynamics, and more complex models are needed to represent the behavior of fish populations over space and time.

Question 13

Two sources of complexity in spatial fisheries management that we need to understand

Answer 13

a) Spatial distribution of fish stocks
- Can capture the dynamics of fish populations over space and time
b) Heterogeneity of fishers
- Understanding the behavior and characteristics of individual fishers, such as their home port, vessel size, and captain experience.

Question 14

Sanchirico and Wilen 1999 – Patchiness – Easy explanation.

Why is it important to know the patchiness

Answer 14

• fish is not evenly spread out, but are patched together in certain areas. this is “patches”
• By knowing, studying patchiness, and how the fishermen move between them, we can develop better ways to manage fish poopulations. gain knowledge

Question 15

Sanchirico and Wilen 1999 – Patchiness – Professional Explanation

Answer 15

• Spatial bioeconomics model
• Reflects modern ideas about population structure
• How fishermen move from patch to patch to catch fish, and how it affects the fish population
- How the patches are connected; and how fishes can move between them
• Give us a better understanding of fish stock (sustainability)

Question 16

Sanchirico and Wilen 1999 – Patchiness – Show the different Spatial characteristics of patch populations

Answer 16

We have four different patches
a) Fully integrated: Every patch is related to the others
b) Closed patches: None of the patches are related
c) Sink Source: Patch 1 is a source to patch 2, 3 and 4. But from 2, 3 and 4, fishes do not go to another (closed)
d) Multiple sources: They vary: 1 can go to 2, 3 and 4. 2 can be closed. 3 can go back to 1, and 4 can be closed.
e) Spatially Linear: 1 to and back from 2. From 2 they can go to 1 and 3. From 3 they can go to 2 and 4. From 4 they can go to 3.

Question 17

Three different patches example

Answer 17

• prices p, catchability coefficients q, intrinsic growth rates and opportunity costs equal across patches
• Costs are assumed greater in patch 3 than in patches 1 and 2
• because of strong currents, or other oceanographic conditions

a) Closed patches:
Because of this, fishermen will prefer to fish in patch 1 and 2. This makes the effort:
* Effort: E1 = E2 > E3.
Because patch 3 has larger fishing costs, fewr fishermen will target this area. This allows the fish population to grow to higher levels, leading to higher biomass levels in patch 3.
* Biomass: x1 = x2 < x3

b) Three fully integrated patches
* Fish will now become more evenly distributed across the three patches. The increased biomass levels in patches 1 and 2 makes them more attractive for fishing, while the decrease in patch 3 makes it less attractive. We get:
- E1 = E2&raquo_space; E3

c) The sink-source case
* When the biomass flows out of patch 1 (biological dispersal), it is distributed equally in patches 2 and 3. This results in an increase in the biomass levels in patches 2 and 3, which makes these patches more attractive for fishing. As a result, the fishing effort in patches 2 and 3 increases, while the fishing effort in patch 1 decreases.
- E1 goes down
- E2 and E3 goes up.
* Spatial distribution of profitability: lower cost at 1 and 2
* Biological dispersal: higher biomass at 2 and 3.

Question 18

Explain biological dispersal versus spatial distribution of profitability in the sink-source case, where the costs in patch 3 are higher.

Answer 18

• “biological dispersal” refers to the movement of fish between different patches in the system,
• “spatial distribution of profitability” refers to the relative economic cost of fishing in different patches. In this case, patches 1 and 2 have lower economic costs than patch 3, which makes them more attractive locations for fishing.
• The statement “biological dispersal vs spatial distribution of profitability” suggests that these two factors can have different impacts on the distribution of biomass and fishing effort in the system. Specifically, while the spatial distribution of profitability makes patches 1 and 2 more attractive for fishing, the biological dispersal of fish can result in higher biomass levels in patches 2 and 3.
• So, in this case, the biological dispersal of fish leads to higher biomass levels in patches 2 and 3, despite the fact that patches 1 and 2 have lower economic costs and are more attractive locations for fishing.

Question 19

What was Sanchirico and Wilen 1999 investigating?

Answer 19

Spatial dynamics of fisheries
* Spatial dynamics of fish stocks
* Spatial dynamics of fishing activities

Question 20

What is the fishery production function?

Explain it

Answer 20

• To describe the relationship between the amount of fish harvested (i.e. the “harvest”) and the level of fishing effort applied to catch them.
• It is typically represented as a Schaefer-type harvest function:

Harvest = q * Effort * Biomass

where “Harvest” is the amount of fish caught, “Effort” is the level of fishing effort (e.g. number of boats), “Biomass” is the size of the fish stock, and “q” is a catchability coefficient that represents how efficiently the fishing effort translates into harvest.

• Highlights how EFFORT is related to HARVEST
• As well as the importance of the SIZE of the FISH STOCK (biomass) as a limiting factor on the amount of fish that can be caught sustainably.
• Often used as a starting point (for modeling the impact of various management policies on the fishery, such as restrictions on fishing effort or quotas on the amount of fish that can be caught.)

Question 21

Give an interpretation of effort in the fishery production function.

Answer 21

Refers to the number of inputs by fishermen to catch fish. Many variables, which make it very complex
* Number of boats
* Fishing trips taken
* Vessel size
* Crew size
* Working hours
* Target spieces
* Spatial: fishing locations (like hunting)
It is an important variable in the production process because the amount of effort used by fishermen can impact the amount of fish caught and ultimately their profits. However, when too many fishermen try to catch a limited number of fish, their profits may decrease. This is because they have to spend more money and effort to catch the same amount of fish, and they may have to sell their catch at a lower price.

Question 22

Explain the product funtion

Answer 22

Production is a function of capital and labor
Production = f(Capital, Labor)
* In the short run, labor variable, capital fixed
* In the long run, both labor and capital variable

Question 23

What can happen by limiting one dimension of effort?

Answer 23

One dimension of effort down (number of boats, fishing trips) might lead to fishermen responding by increasing other levels of effort (gear, fishing in different locations).

Can lead to unintended consequences such as increased competition and ultimately resulting in lower profits for the fishermen

Question 24

What is the short- and long-run goal for a fishing vessel?

Answer 24

Short run goal: maximize profits by using the inputs of labor and capital as efficient as possible.
• Capital inputs such as vessel length, tonnage, engine size and gear type are fixed
• Labor inputs such as crew size and working hours are variable

Long run goal: both labor and capital inputs are variable. Want to optimize these to maximize profits
• Ultimately, the long-run goal is to achieve sustainable fishing practices that ensure the continued availability of fish populations for future generations while still generating profits for fishing vessels.

Question 25

What is Spatial Management?

Answer 25

Spatial management is a specific approach to fishery management that focuses on limiting the spatial access of fishermen to certain areas. This can involve closing off certain areas to fishing or implementing regulations that restrict the number of boats or fishing trips allowed in certain areas. In order to successfully implement these types of regulations, it is important to understand how fishermen will respond to these limitations and whether they will simply shift their fishing effort to other areas.

Question 26

What are MPAs?

Answer 26

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are designated areas in the ocean where fishing or extraction of resources is restricted to protect marine life..

Question 27

Whats the impact of MPAs in understanding a fishermen’s behavior?

Answer 27

To understand the impact of MPAs on fishers, it’s important to study their behavior.

Behavior of fishermen:
* Study things like fishing location, effort
* also economical, technological factors and management regimes
* How will they respond to area closure

Past literature focuses on only one aspect of the interconnected within-trip decisions (fishing location, fishing effort, trip length). However, logbook data on catch reported at trip-level in large statistical areas can lead to the curse of dimensionality, making it difficult to model location choice, effort, and trip length simultaneously.

To effectively manage MPAs, it is crucial to understand how fishers will respond to area closures. Modeling fishers’ behavior can give a prediction of the impact of the policy and their behavioral response. By understanding the interconnected within-trip decisions and influencing factors, policymakers can design effective management strategies that balance conservation goals with the economic needs of fishing communities.

Question 28

How can the impact of marine protected areas (MPAs) be studied? Provide Stella example

Answer 28

The impact of marine protected areas (MPAs) can be studied using
1) location choice models
- assuming a particular area is closed to fishing.
2) Welfare estimates of the area closure
- calculated by comparing profits with and without the closure.

For example, in the case of the Steller sea lion conservation area in Alaska, the closure resulted in a welfare loss that was calculated by comparing profits before and after the closure. Catch fell because it ate the fish

Question 29

What is a location choice model?

Answer 29

• A way to understand how fishermen fish based on factors such as travel costs and expected rewards
• Measure by utility
• fishermens utility measured by eg. distance to fishing location and expected reward

For example, if two fishing grounds have similar expected catch rates, but one is much further away from the fisher’s home port, the location choice model would predict that the fisher will choose the closer location because it involves lower travel costs.

Question 30

What is welfare and welfare calculation?

Answer 30

Welfare calculation: if the area is gone, the revenue in this area is gone.

• This loss of revenue can impact the overall welfare of the fishing industry and the communities that rely on it.

Question 31

The case of Steller Sea Lion and the location choice model

Answer 31

1. Conserve Steller Sea Lion In Alaska
2. Led to decline for fishermen targeting pollock fish
3. Welfare calculation assumes that revenue from that area is completely lost
4. BUT, fishermen can redistribute their efforts across other places
   The location choice model assumes that catch is only determined by the specific location, and not factors like competition or changes in fish population
   In reality, fishermen do not simply choose a location to fish without considering the potential catch. They make decisions on both the fishing location and the amount of effort they exert, which can influence the catch

Question 32

Why is it important to understand the spatial behavior of fisheries? And how has the technology regarding this developed?

Answer 32

1. The spatial behavior of fishers is crucial in understanding HOW THEY MAKE DECISIONS (like fishing locations, fishing effort, and trip length)
2. These decisions are INTERCONNECTED, especially in the short run, and affects the profitability

a) Location choice models:
Limits: Often very limited logbook data, only provide rough picture, not so accurate

b) Recent technology: High-resolution-temporal data
• GPS and VMS systems(vessel monitoring system) can trach the exact locations of fishing vessels
• Trip-level logbooks

New tech can make us understand better and then make better policy decisions regarding spatial management

Question 33

What is the blue economy and what are its three pillars of sustainability?

Answer 33

The blue economy refers to the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of the ocean ecosystem. Its three pillars of sustainability are environmental, economic, and social.

Question 34

What are the traditional maritime industries that contribute to the overall contribution of oceans to economies?

Answer 34

The traditional maritime industries include fisheries, coastal tourism, energy and mineral production, and shipping and ports.

Question 35

What are the emerging industries that contribute to the ocean economy as a growth opportunity for both developed and developing countries?

Answer 35

The emerging industries include blue carbon, new aquaculture products, marine renewable energy, bio-products, and desalination.

Question 36

How does the growth opportunity of the blue economy create incentives for future investments in the area?

Answer 36

The growth opportunity of the blue economy creates incentives for future investments in the area as a way of rebuilding the coastal economy that has been devastated by resource depletion over time.

Question 37

What is Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) and how does it incorporate traditional maritime industries as well as new and developing industries?

Answer 37

Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) incorporates traditional maritime industries as well as new and developing industries by providing a framework for managing multiple ocean uses in a comprehensive and sustainable manner.

Question 38

What is Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) and why is it important for addressing the environmental and ecological sustainability of the oceans?

Answer 38

Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) is an approach to managing natural resources that focuses on maintaining the health and resilience of entire ecosystems. It is important for addressing the environmental and ecological sustainability of the oceans because it takes into account the interconnectedness of species and habitats within the ecosystem.