ABSTRACT Discards refer to the part of the catch not retained on board during commercial fishing ... more ABSTRACT Discards refer to the part of the catch not retained on board during commercial fishing operations, but returned to the sea. The proposed European Union Common Fisheries Policy reform, to be implemented in 2014, sets out a gradual elimination of discards by reducing un-wanted catches and ensuring that all catches are landed. To develop successful discard mitigation measures, it is necessary to identify the reasons for discarding. Here, we have developed a simple model that can be applied to data from observer programmes (ObsPs) to establish the contribution of different drivers of discarding behaviour. The analysis makes inferences on the causes of discarding by partitioning dis-cards into four categories based on the length of the fish and the associated regulatory restrictions. The drivers are defined as: fish discarded below the legal minimum landing size; fish for which there is no market and that do not have a minimum landing size; fish for which there are inconsistencies in market and sorting practices; and discards that can be attributed to fishers' responses to quota restrictions. The approach is applied to data generated from ObsPs from five European Member States. All the inferred drivers contribute to the total discard quantity. Their relative contributions vary widely across countries, areas, gears, and species.
ABSTRACT Accurate modelling and prediction of fish spatial distributions, based on sampled data, ... more ABSTRACT Accurate modelling and prediction of fish spatial distributions, based on sampled data, provide essential information for management purposes and stock monitoring. This study compares current and novel modelling techniques, in order to justify their suitability and accuracy on acoustic data. Ten different Resource Selection Functions were tested, and Receiver Operation Characteristic and Area Under Curve indicated that Boosted Regression Trees and Generalized Additive Models appear to fit acoustic data more efficiently. The corresponding probability maps also indicated that these functions produce accurate species distribution patterns when used with presence/absence data.
ABSTRACT A number of solutions, with varying efficiency, have been proposed to mitigate discards.... more ABSTRACT A number of solutions, with varying efficiency, have been proposed to mitigate discards. In this paper twelve mitigation measures were reviewed by their strengths and weaknesses, along with opportunities and threats, they might entail. How mitigation methods could either support or counteract others was also reviewed. The analyses of the mitigation measures are based on expert knowledge and experience and supported with existing literature. Discarding is highly variable and is influenced by numerous biological, technical and operational factors as well as social and economic drivers. These influences need to be carefully considered when designing management approaches. Finally, all reforms must be carefully considered within the context of a broader management system. The full management system needs to be thought of coherently to create an incentive framework that motivates fishers to avoid unwanted catches. It is only in this setting that discard mitigation methods may be potentially effective.
International Journal of Geographical Information Science, 2005
A new method (the 'sink' method) is proposed for the mapping of productiv... more A new method (the 'sink' method) is proposed for the mapping of productive mesoscale oceanic thermal fronts based on the combined analysis of satellite imagery for sea surface temperature (SST) distribution and chlorophyll (CHL) concentration under a Geographic Information System (GIS). In an SST lattice data array, data value sinks describe heterogeneous drops in SST distribution as this is compared
International Journal of Geographical Information Science, 2009
ABSTRACT This work proposes an architectural style, a pattern, for spatial data infrastructures (... more ABSTRACT This work proposes an architectural style, a pattern, for spatial data infrastructures (SDIs). This style provides a tool and a shared vocabulary to help system architects to design these infrastructures, and facilitates the exchange of knowledge about ...
ABSTRACT To reduce the practice of discarding commercially fished organisms, several measures suc... more ABSTRACT To reduce the practice of discarding commercially fished organisms, several measures such as a discard ban and extra allowances on top of landings quotas ("catch quota") have been proposed by the European Commission. However, for their development and successful implementation, an understanding of discard patterns on a European scale is needed. In this study, we present an inter-national synthesis of discard data collected on board commercial, towed-gear equipped vessels operating under six different national flags spanning from the Baltic to the Mediterranean Seas mainly between 2003 and 2008. We considered discarded species of commercial value such as Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus), European hake (Merluccius merluccius), and European plaice (Pleuronectes platessa). Comparisons of discard per unit effort rates expressed as numbers per hour of fishing revealed that in the Mediterranean Sea minimum size-regulated species such as hake are generally discarded in much lower numbers than elsewhere. For most species examined, variability in discard rates across regions was greater than across fisheries, suggesting that a region-by-region approach to discard reduction would be more relevant. The high uncertainty in discard rate estimates suggests that current sampling regimes should be either expanded or complemented by other data sources, if they are to be used for setting catch quotas.
ABSTRACT The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) foresees that by 15 July 2012, Member Sta... more ABSTRACT The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) foresees that by 15 July 2012, Member States had to provide information on the initial assessment (article 8 of the directive), on the determination of good environmental status (GES - article 9) and on the establishment of environmental targets and associated indicators (article 10). An In-Depth Assessment (IDA) of the Member States (MS) reports for Article 8, 9, and 10 of the MSFD was undertaken by Joint Research Centre (JRC) at the request of DG Environment. JRC’s IDA is based on reporting from the following Member States (MS): Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and United Kingdom. The source of information was mainly based on the updated reporting sheets uploaded by MS before September 2013 (Portugal provided only the national paper report by that time). The reports prepared for DG ENV by Milieu Ltd (consultant's reports) for the article. 12 assessment and the MS' paper reports were also consulted. This IDA was done by the JRC on the request of DG ENV and its aims were: i) evaluate comparability and coherence of methods and in particular their relation to the assessments under other European and international frames and the latest scientific evidence; ii) provide recommendations for improved implementation of the MSFD in the second cycle (2018) and iii) support the possible revision of the COM “Decision on criteria and methodological standards” (COM Dec 2010/477/EU) The IDA covers all MSFD descriptors expect D3 and D7 and is presented in six chapters, i.e.: 1. Biodiversity: descriptors 1, 4 and 6 2. Non indigenous species: descriptor 2 3. Eutrophication: descriptor 5 4. Contaminants: descriptors 8 and 9 5. Marine litter: descriptor 10 6. Underwater noise and other forms of energy: descriptor 11
ABSTRACT Discards refer to the part of the catch not retained on board during commercial fishing ... more ABSTRACT Discards refer to the part of the catch not retained on board during commercial fishing operations, but returned to the sea. The proposed European Union Common Fisheries Policy reform, to be implemented in 2014, sets out a gradual elimination of discards by reducing un-wanted catches and ensuring that all catches are landed. To develop successful discard mitigation measures, it is necessary to identify the reasons for discarding. Here, we have developed a simple model that can be applied to data from observer programmes (ObsPs) to establish the contribution of different drivers of discarding behaviour. The analysis makes inferences on the causes of discarding by partitioning dis-cards into four categories based on the length of the fish and the associated regulatory restrictions. The drivers are defined as: fish discarded below the legal minimum landing size; fish for which there is no market and that do not have a minimum landing size; fish for which there are inconsistencies in market and sorting practices; and discards that can be attributed to fishers' responses to quota restrictions. The approach is applied to data generated from ObsPs from five European Member States. All the inferred drivers contribute to the total discard quantity. Their relative contributions vary widely across countries, areas, gears, and species.
ABSTRACT Accurate modelling and prediction of fish spatial distributions, based on sampled data, ... more ABSTRACT Accurate modelling and prediction of fish spatial distributions, based on sampled data, provide essential information for management purposes and stock monitoring. This study compares current and novel modelling techniques, in order to justify their suitability and accuracy on acoustic data. Ten different Resource Selection Functions were tested, and Receiver Operation Characteristic and Area Under Curve indicated that Boosted Regression Trees and Generalized Additive Models appear to fit acoustic data more efficiently. The corresponding probability maps also indicated that these functions produce accurate species distribution patterns when used with presence/absence data.
ABSTRACT A number of solutions, with varying efficiency, have been proposed to mitigate discards.... more ABSTRACT A number of solutions, with varying efficiency, have been proposed to mitigate discards. In this paper twelve mitigation measures were reviewed by their strengths and weaknesses, along with opportunities and threats, they might entail. How mitigation methods could either support or counteract others was also reviewed. The analyses of the mitigation measures are based on expert knowledge and experience and supported with existing literature. Discarding is highly variable and is influenced by numerous biological, technical and operational factors as well as social and economic drivers. These influences need to be carefully considered when designing management approaches. Finally, all reforms must be carefully considered within the context of a broader management system. The full management system needs to be thought of coherently to create an incentive framework that motivates fishers to avoid unwanted catches. It is only in this setting that discard mitigation methods may be potentially effective.
International Journal of Geographical Information Science, 2005
A new method (the 'sink' method) is proposed for the mapping of productiv... more A new method (the 'sink' method) is proposed for the mapping of productive mesoscale oceanic thermal fronts based on the combined analysis of satellite imagery for sea surface temperature (SST) distribution and chlorophyll (CHL) concentration under a Geographic Information System (GIS). In an SST lattice data array, data value sinks describe heterogeneous drops in SST distribution as this is compared
International Journal of Geographical Information Science, 2009
ABSTRACT This work proposes an architectural style, a pattern, for spatial data infrastructures (... more ABSTRACT This work proposes an architectural style, a pattern, for spatial data infrastructures (SDIs). This style provides a tool and a shared vocabulary to help system architects to design these infrastructures, and facilitates the exchange of knowledge about ...
ABSTRACT To reduce the practice of discarding commercially fished organisms, several measures suc... more ABSTRACT To reduce the practice of discarding commercially fished organisms, several measures such as a discard ban and extra allowances on top of landings quotas ("catch quota") have been proposed by the European Commission. However, for their development and successful implementation, an understanding of discard patterns on a European scale is needed. In this study, we present an inter-national synthesis of discard data collected on board commercial, towed-gear equipped vessels operating under six different national flags spanning from the Baltic to the Mediterranean Seas mainly between 2003 and 2008. We considered discarded species of commercial value such as Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus), European hake (Merluccius merluccius), and European plaice (Pleuronectes platessa). Comparisons of discard per unit effort rates expressed as numbers per hour of fishing revealed that in the Mediterranean Sea minimum size-regulated species such as hake are generally discarded in much lower numbers than elsewhere. For most species examined, variability in discard rates across regions was greater than across fisheries, suggesting that a region-by-region approach to discard reduction would be more relevant. The high uncertainty in discard rate estimates suggests that current sampling regimes should be either expanded or complemented by other data sources, if they are to be used for setting catch quotas.
ABSTRACT The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) foresees that by 15 July 2012, Member Sta... more ABSTRACT The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) foresees that by 15 July 2012, Member States had to provide information on the initial assessment (article 8 of the directive), on the determination of good environmental status (GES - article 9) and on the establishment of environmental targets and associated indicators (article 10). An In-Depth Assessment (IDA) of the Member States (MS) reports for Article 8, 9, and 10 of the MSFD was undertaken by Joint Research Centre (JRC) at the request of DG Environment. JRC’s IDA is based on reporting from the following Member States (MS): Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and United Kingdom. The source of information was mainly based on the updated reporting sheets uploaded by MS before September 2013 (Portugal provided only the national paper report by that time). The reports prepared for DG ENV by Milieu Ltd (consultant's reports) for the article. 12 assessment and the MS' paper reports were also consulted. This IDA was done by the JRC on the request of DG ENV and its aims were: i) evaluate comparability and coherence of methods and in particular their relation to the assessments under other European and international frames and the latest scientific evidence; ii) provide recommendations for improved implementation of the MSFD in the second cycle (2018) and iii) support the possible revision of the COM “Decision on criteria and methodological standards” (COM Dec 2010/477/EU) The IDA covers all MSFD descriptors expect D3 and D7 and is presented in six chapters, i.e.: 1. Biodiversity: descriptors 1, 4 and 6 2. Non indigenous species: descriptor 2 3. Eutrophication: descriptor 5 4. Contaminants: descriptors 8 and 9 5. Marine litter: descriptor 10 6. Underwater noise and other forms of energy: descriptor 11
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