International Fisheries Management Flashcards
ICCAT stand for?
International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas
RFMOs
regional fisheries management organisations
How many RFMOs are there?
5 - ICCAT is one of them.
When was ICCAT established?
1969
How many member nations is within ICCAT?
52 (included EU)
ICCAT Convention Area
Ocean and adjacent seas
Convention Resources
Tunas and tuna-like species
ICCAT’s function
- Collection and analysis of statistical information
- Joint planning of research, evaluation of results
- Joint formulation of management recommendations
SCRS stand for
Standing Committee for Research and Statistics
How does SCARs assist ICCAT?
fisheries science
It comprised of scientists from member parties
Conduct assessments
Provide recommendations to management (which may or may not follow such recommendations)
U.S. Representation at ICCAT
3 US Commissioners
Federal, Commercial, and Recreational
Presidential appointments, 3-year terms
Who is responsible for implementing ICCAT managment measures?
The National Marine Fishereis Service (NMFS)
What are challenges in international fisheries management?
Science-based management: short term economic and/or political considerations can trump conservation objectives
Compliance: up to member countries to collect/submit data, and implement management measures; no international enforcement
IUU fishing: fishing by nations not party to RFMO, flags and ports of convenience, transshipment to avoid regulations
Allocation: historical fisheries vs. developing nations, how to reward compliance / penalize noncompliance
Science-based management?
Conservation and management measures have not always followed the scientific advice
The scientific advice is often intensely debated during management negotiations (by non-scientists!), using up limited meeting time
Short-term economic considerations often end up outweighing more conservative management approaches
The precautionary approach has been applied to the industry, not the resource
What are Harvest Strategies?
Actions that automatically take place if stock fall below the biological reference point.
Why manage fisheries?
Open access fisheries often overexploited and generally unprofitable (tragedy of the commons)
Management often seeks to optimize human-derived benefits via conservation measures
What do fisheries provide?
Food
Jobs and income
Cultural benefits
Historical management
Large-scale management efforts (national, international) did not exist until 20th century
Freedom of the Seas 1609
Coastal states were recognized as having sovereignty as far as cannons could fire from land (~3 miles)
international waters beyond
Little ability to manage most marine species
US Commission of Fish and Fisheries 1871
Established to investigate, promote, and preserve US fisheries
Motivated by declines in coastal commercial fisheries
Became Fish and Wildlife Service (1940); NOAA created 1970, absorbed marine fisheries components of USFWS
International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) 1902
oldest intergovernmental science organization
Formed in response to concerns over fish stocks in the region
International Pacific Halibut Commission
Established by the US & Canadia in 1923
Permitted research and ability to set seasons
Law of the Sea Treaty - 1973-1982
defined 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) that provides exclusive rights to fisheries, minerals, and seafloor deposits
Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) 1875
The sole manager of stocks that occur exclusively in state waters (out to 3 miles)
Co-manager of stocks that occur in state & federal waters or state waters of multiple states
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) 1942
Manage stocks that occur primarily in inshore waters of several states
Works in collaboration with state and federal managers
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSFCMA) 1976
Overarching legislation for the management of marine fisheries in federal waters (3 – 200 miles)
Designed to: prevent overfishing, rebuild overfished stocks, provide socioeconomic benefits, ensure sustainable food supply
Key driver → exclude foreign fleets (extend jurisdiction 12 to 200 miles)
MSFCMA established ___ regional FIshery Management Councils
8
Management Council Functions
Develop and amend fishery management plans
Convene committees and panels
Develop research priorities
Set catch limits based on science
Vote on management actions
Sustainable Fisheries Act (1996)
Added definitions for “overfished” and “overfishing”
Specify objective & measurable criteria for determining stock status
Precautionary → MSY as the limit
Identify essential fish habitats, minimize impacts from fishing
Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization Act (2007)
Establish annual catch limits and accountability measures
Promote market-based management strategies
Improve science and data
Enhance international cooperation, address IUU and bycatch
“Optimum Yield” (OY)
Amount of harvest that provides the greatest level of continual net benefits to the Nation
Based on MSY as reduced by social, economic, and/or ecological factors
NOAA Fisheries mangages:
tunas, sharks, swordfish, and billfish occurring in the US Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean
Why did NOAA take over this fishery management?
All were highly migratory species
Individual regional councils did not adequately cover species’ range → cooperation challenging (both among regions and internationally)
Works in coordination with the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) to implement domestic management
UN Law of the Sea defines
EEZ boundaries
The majority of global catch and revenues come from
transboundary species (cross EEZs of two or more bordering countries)
Catches from shared species declining more than non-shared
What is expected to exacerbate international management challenges?
Climate-induced range shifts
South Pacific Tuna Treaty (1988)
Allows US purse seiners to fish EEZs of Pacific island countries
US & Canada have agreements for what two species?
Salmon and Halibut
Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Species (1996)
UN agreement to enhance cooperative management of straddling and highly migratory fish stocks
Utilize the best available science & precautionary approach, promote optimum use of fisheries resources
Regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs):
International body made up of countries that share a practical or financial interest in managing shared stocks
Who are members of the RFMOs
coastal countries within a stock’s range and distant water fishing nations
How many RFMOs does the US participate in?
11 (3/5 tune RFMOs)
