10/20/2014 Seas are nowadays the heart of a huge number of problems - PDF document

10/20/2014 Seas are nowadays the heart of a huge number of problems : pollution, climate change or overuse. How conjugate the mounting wills to protect nature, and the use of natural resources ? To achieve this goal, management plans appear to be valuable tools, from regional FISHERIES MANAGEMENT PLANS to local scale, reuniting all the actors of the fishing sector (scientists, law makers, professional fishermen, etc.). TOWARD A SUSTAINABLEBALANCE FOR MARINE RESOURCES Marie Benatre October 9 2014, Madrid, Spain SUMMARY • Fisheries management plans : a tool to conciliate protection and production ⧐ Evolution of the global context : a short review ⧐ Creation of a management plan Fisheries management plans : a tool to conciliate ⧐ Who makes management plans ? protection and production • Instruments for management plans application : what happens in practice ⧐ Institutional machinery to establish management plans ⧐ A concrete application of management : the European example ⧐ Fisheries management plan components • Benefits of management plans ⧐ Benefits of management plans on the biological scale ⧐ Benefits of management plans on the economic and social scale EVOLUTION OF THE GLOBAL CONTEXT : A SHORT CREATION OF A MANAGEMENT PLAN REVIEW • Scientific data for basis, with well-identified areas at sea • Malthus (1766-1834) and Lankester (1884-1890) : the first concerns • 1902 : creation of the ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) • 1982 : adoption of the MSY (Maximum Sustainable Yield) • 1983 : setting up of the CFP (Common Fisheries Policy)  In 1997, the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) defined management plans as « a formal or informal arrangement between a fishery management authority and interested parties, which identifies the partners in the fishery and their respective roles, details the Scientific data about the Southern agreed objectives for the fishery and specifies the management rules and regulations which apply to horse mackerel (ICES division IX-a), 2014 it and provides other details about the fishery which are relevant to the task of the management Source : ices.dk authority ». 1

10/20/2014 CREATION OF A MANAGEMENT PLAN • Spawning Stock Biomass (SSB) is used, but also Total Stock Biomass (TSB) • Biological reference points are based on mortality and stock biomass • F represents fishing mortality : F lim is the borderline fishing mortality (and thus the borderline fishing effort) beyond which stock renewal is affected F pa for its part is the target fishing mortality to reach in order not to drop below F lim • B represents stock biomass : B lim is « a limit reference point indicating the lowest level of biomass compatible with sustainability of the resource » (Garcia an Cochrane, 2005) ICES divisions and related stocks Source : European environment agency B pa is the spawning biomass that we have to approach in order to avoid all risks of droping below B lim CREATION OF A MANAGEMENT PLAN WHO MAKES MANAGEMENT PLANS ? • Scientific data for basis, with well-identified areas at sea It depends on the country government form : • All data are compiled and analyzed. Based on forecast analyses, ⧐ In Australia, the AFMA (Australian Fisheries Management Authority), a govermental scientific advice is provided on catch limits agency, manages the Commonwealth fisheries • Then, scientific advice is turned into management measures after consultation of the main stakeholders. ⧐ The US system is based on Regional Fishery Management Councils,dependingon the Federal Government  Plans suggest management actions while considering the issues of the sector  All the actors of the fishing sector (scientists, law makers, professional fishermen, etc.) are ⧐ European Advisory Councils(ACs) can develop management involved in this process plans for the European stocks Instruments for management plans application : what happens in practice Regional advisory councils in Europe Source : European Commission 2

10/20/2014 INSTITUTIONAL MACHINERY TO ESTABLISH CONCRETE APPLICATION OF MANAGEMENT : THE MANAGEMENT PLANS EUROPEAN EXAMPLE • Countries legislature already contains fishing policies main orientations, but also references to • EU countries divide the TACs (Total Allowable Catches) up as they wish between their fishermen management plans elaboration • Various restrictions concerning the catches are in place : on fish length, weight and age • The law-making authority legally designated by the • Verifications are made at each step from the boat to the plate Government is in charge of regulations, orders, • All European fishermen undergo under a point system : serious infringements are penalised by proclamations etc. , but also licences, gear point loss that can lead to vessel’s licence suspension for 2, 4, 8 or 12 months, in addition with the restrictions, closed areas and seasons and input sanctions provided by national laws and output controls • European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) can initiate « joint control campaigns, where inspectors from different EU countries join forces » (European Commission) • On the international scale, management policies are supported by various conventions (ex: United • If some countries of the EU don’t comply with their commitements, they can, after a consultation Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOS phase, see their funds temporarily withheld, their quotas reduced, and even being taken to the EU Convention, 1982)), and advisory bodies Court of Justice FISHERIES MANAGEMENT PLAN COMPONENTS • Management plans are based on a Harvest Control Rule (HCR) : here, the HCR for the blue whiting stock developed by the Pelagic AC Benefits of management plans • Some TAC constraints BENEFITS ON THE BIOLOGICAL SCALE BENEFITS ON THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL SCALE • Quite difficult to measure, because they need time to be discerned • Bioeconomic simulations with by-catch reduction devices, limitation of catches or size limits show increase in stock biomass, which generates an increase of fishermen revenues • Management plans contribute to the objective of a balanced harvesting Management plans fully integrate the economic scale : the aim is to reach maximum • • They also permit the preservation of natural habitats, provided by banning fishing methods that exploitation while guaranteeing healthy stocks destroy habitat for instance • Various studies have shown that fishermen have generally a positive point of view about management plans, even in developping countries where lack of education and beliefs can be a drag for such policies Numerous improvements are suggested : the • main one is a deeper collaboration between fishermen and plan makers 3

10/20/2014 ⟢ THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION ⟣ In a global and increasing concern for ocean health, management plans are one of the main tools to ensure a sustainable use of marine resources A more participative approach seems to be more and more called for by the those working in the fisheries sector  The supreme goal in this is to guarantee access to fish for consumers in a sustainable way 4