Destructive and prohibited fishing practices

Different types of Destructive and prohibited fishing practices

1. https://youtu.be/9TDn69Z4SFY Presented by: B. Bhaskar FRM-PB0-09 Course No: FRM-604 Destructive and prohibited fishing practices

2. Introduction Oceans support the livelihoods of an estimated 520 million people who rely on fishing and fishing related activities, & 2.6 billion people who depend on fish as an important part of their diet . Demand for seafood and advances in technology have led to fishing practices that are depleting fish and shellfish populations around the world. Illegal fishing is threatening the food supply of coastal communities as fish populations decline due to overfishing in areas fishers are not permitted to access. A new WWF report finds more than 85% of global fish stocks in our oceans are at significant risk of IUU fishing . Species affected by illegal fishing varies across the globe – from Bluefin tuna to mackerels, from snow crabs to shrimp, and hundreds of other species . The current estimates suggest the global losses of illegal fishing cost up to $36.4 billion each year. Addressing illegal fishing will positively contribute to the equitable growth and empowerment of the people who rely on oceans for food and income.

3. Fishers remove more than 77 billion kilograms (170 billion pounds) of wildlife from the sea each year. Scientists fear that continuing to fish at this rate may soon result in a collapse of the world’s fisheries. In order to continue relying on the ocean as an important food source, economists and conservationists say we will need to employ sustainable fishing practices. International Day for the Fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing 5 June. In 2009 the FAO Conference adopted the  Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing . The Agreement is binding and stipulates minimum port State measures to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. It entered into force on 5 June 2016.

4. Poisoning (Dynamite fishing) Blast fishing Mourami fishing Electric fishing Ghost fishing Gill nets Beach seines Bottom trawling Dredging Traps Destructive practices Above gears are direct- highly unsustainable because they typically do not target particular fish species & often result in juveniles being killed in process. Indirect: Damage to coral reef structure further reduces productivity of the area, thus adversely affecting both the reef-dependent fish populations& also livelihoods of fishers& nearby communities. Destructive fishing methods

5. In 2015, the  General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean  of the FAO proposed that an initiative be launched to declare an International Day for the Fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing. Following extensive consultations, a proposal was submitted to the attention of the thirty-second session of FAO Committee on Fisheries. The  Committee on Fisheries  endorsed the proposal for the declaration of 5 June as the International Day for the Fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing. The date reflects the day when the  Port State Measures Agreement  officially entered into force as an international treaty. The entry into force of this agreement marks an historical event, as it is the first international legally-binding instrument specifically devoted to the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

6. The proposed draft resolution was submitted to the  40th Session of the FAO Conference  (July 2017) for approval. In December 2017 the UN General Assembly in its  annual resolution on sustainable fisheries  proclaimed 5 June as the "International Day for the Fight Against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing." In the same resolution the UN also declared 2022 as the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture, which will help focus attention on the small-scale fishermen and women who comprise 90 percent of the world's fisheries work force.

7. Species that Suffer from Illegal Activities on the Ocean Illegal activities on the ocean include breaking fishing laws, poaching, ignoring marine protected areas, and polluting. Such actions contaminate or destroy delicate marine habitats—including coral reefs or sea turtle nesting beaches—and they deplete fish populations, upsetting the entire marine food chain. Countless species of marine animals die when accidentally caught in fishing gear; many of these animals are already victims of illegal harvest and trade.

8. The social and economic factors that explain the continued existence of destructive fishing techniques: 1. Perceived relative efficiency of the fishing gear and associated high returns 2. Availability of cheap but destructive fishing gears in the market 3. Migrant fishers and perceptions towards sustainable utilization 4. Age of the fisherman 5. Declining catches due to increased number of fishermen 6. Passive acceptance of destructive fishing gears at localized levels 7. Low educational levels and lack of alternative livelihoods 8. Availability of market for different sizes of fish 9.other ( eg : poor monitoring practices etc)

9. Three-Dimensionality of the Seafloor stevedeneef.photoshelter.com blog.thesietch.org flowergarden.noaa.gov

10. Bottom Trawling Occurs from sub-polar to tropical latitudes Occurs in public waters Few scientific studies (but increasing) Time of recovery to original structure – years to centuries

11. Anatomy of Bottom trawling www.saveourseas.com

12. Effects of Trawling Homogenizes sediments; eliminates micro-topography; overturns, moves, and buries boulders and cobbles; leaves long-lasting grooves Crushes and buries some in-fauna, exposes others Removes, damages or displaces most structure-forming species Eliminates most late-successional species Releases large pulses of carbon

13. http ://oceana.org/

14. Similarities with Clear-cutting Both activities: Remove large amounts of biomass from the ecosystem Alter the substratum Eliminate late successional species Release large pulses of carbon to the overlying air or water n efc1.org s avethedeepsea.blogspot.com

15. Frequency of trawling in some representative areas

16. Trawling and By-catch www.njscuba.net

17. VARIOUS DESTRUCTIVE FISHING GEARS Elastic powered speargun Plate 1a.Ringnet being dried at Vanga Plate1b: Ringnet in a boat at Vanga Beach seine at Gazi Plate 4. Undersize net

18. By-catch by Gear Type 1 Bottom trawls 25.1% 2 Hook& line 7.3% 3 Dredge 5.3% 4 Long line 1.9% 5 Pot& Traps 4.5% 6 Purse seine 2.7% 7 Gill net 1.2% 8 Mid water trawls 5.1% 9 Shrimp trawls 46.9%

19. Pelagic, or midwater trawls Pelagic, or mid water trawls have a cone-shaped body and a closed ‘cod-end’ that holds their catch. Pelagic trawls are generally much larger than bottom trawls and can be towed by one or two boats (pair trawling). They are designed to target fish in the mid- and surface water, such as herring, hoki and mackerel. Acoustic technology is used to locate the position and depth of the target fish and the path of the boat(s) and trawls are adjusted accordingly. Mid water trawls have no contact with the seabed. They are occasionally associated with the incidental catch of non-target species ( by catch ). MSC certified fisheries take measures to minimize by catch through the use of specific mesh sizes, exclusion devices and acoustic deterrents such as ' pingers '.

20. TEDs and BRDs http:// kurrawa.gbrmpa.gov.au/

21. Dredges Dredges are rigid structures that are towed along the seabed to harvest bivalves such as scallops, oysters and clams. The design of dredges varies depending on the species being targeted, but many consist of a triangular frame. A bar (with or without teeth) at the front of this frame dislodges shellfish as it is dragged over the sediment and passes them into a metal collecting basket. By contrast, hydraulic dredges use jets of water to disturb the seabed and dislodge shellfish. The use of specific mesh sizes and escape panels prevents any undersized or non-target species being retained in the basket . The environmental impact of dredging varies significantly depending on the type of sediment on the seabed and the habitat it supports. As such, there is often strict regulation around the types of dredge permitted, and the frequency with which they can operate in an area.  MSC certified dredge fisheries have taken measures to minimise the impacts on seabed habitats . These include restricting the area within which dredging can take place, replacing traditional dredges with lighter dredges and introducing boulder exclusion devices to prevent the loss of habitat features .

22. Dredging www.southlandnz.com hatchery.hpl.umces.edu

23. Effects of scallop dredging on a gravel bottom: George’s Bank: 84 m depth Un-fished area Fished area 500 m away

24. Dredging Oyster Dredging in WA State

25. Trap and Pot Fishing Used for lobsters, crabs, fish Wide range in size of traps www.montereyfish.com www.coexploration.org

26. Stationary traps, or pots, typically made from wood, wire netting or plastic, are used to catch crustaceans such as lobsters and crabs. Though the size and shape of traps may vary, all feature a cone-shaped entrance tunnel through which a crab or lobster is enticed with bait, but cannot escape through. Traps are deployed on the seabed for around 24 hours before being hauled aboard a boat for harvesting and re-baiting. Although they can be laid out individually, they are more commonly laid out in strings (fleets) with a number of traps attached to a long rope. MSC certified fisheries, such as the  Normandy and Jersey lobster fishery,  take measures to ensure that undersized individuals can escape through the mesh walls of their traps. Exclusion devices are also used to prevent larger marine animals such as sea lions from accidentally becoming entangled while foraging for shellfish. MSC certification resulted in the  Western Australian rock lobster fishery reducing its sea lion bycatch to zero .

27. Habitat degradation in trap fisheries: Damage to sessile benthic fauna/flora during placement, fishing, and hauling

28. Gillnet fishing A gillnet is a wall or curtain of netting that hangs in the water. The term covers several forms including stationary gillnets and trammel nets. Gillnets generally have low environmental impacts with minimal seabed interaction. The size of fish caught can be determined by the mesh size, helping to avoid catching juvenile fish . While particular species of fish can be targeted by area, gillnets do carry the risk of bycatch (accidental capture of unwanted species) and interaction with other marine animals. In order to be MSC certified, gillnet fisheries are often required to make improvements, which include increased monitoring and independent observer coverage. Gear modifications have also been made and some fisheries use ‘ pingers ’: acoustic alarms attached to nets which deter marine mammals.

29. longline fisheries   longline fisheries trail a long line, or main line, behind a boat. Baited hooks are attached to the nets at intervals to attract the target species. Longlines can be set for pelagic ( midwater ) or demersal (bottom) fishing, depending on the target species.  Without careful management, longline fisheries can have unintended interactions with non-target fish, seabirds, and other marine life. Because of this, to become MSC certified, they are often required to make improvements to their monitoring programs, and to mitigate interactions with non-target species . MSC certified longline operations, such as those fishing for Patagonian toothfish in the Southern Ocean, have employed measures such as weighted long lines that sink more quickly, and tori -lines that scare away seabirds. Some have even made changes to fishing times to avoid interaction with endangered, threatened and protected (ETP) species. Careful data collection and regulations, such as those followed by longline vessels in the Icelandic cod fishery, ensure sustainable catches.

30. Long line fishing

31. Purse seines Purse seines are used in the open ocean to target dense schools of single-species pelagic ( midwater ) fish like tuna and mackerel. A vertical net ‘curtain’ is used to surround the school of fish, the bottom of which is then drawn together to enclose the fish, rather like tightening the cords of a drawstring purse.  Purse-seine fishing in open water is generally considered to be an efficient form of fishing. It has no contact with the seabed and can have low levels of  bycatch  (accidental catch of unwanted species). Purse seines can also be used to catch fish congregating around fish aggregating devices. This fishing method can result in higher levels of bycatch . MSC certified fisheries using purse seines must ensure that they leave enough fish in the ocean to reproduce. This can be achieved by using a mesh size large enough to allow smaller fish to swim free.

32. Prohibited fishing practices Various Methods of Illegal Fishing Bottom Trawling. Bottom Trawling is one of the most damaging  methods  of  fishing . ... Bycatch . Using of Explosives or Blast  Fishing . Ghost  Fishing Cyanide  Fishing . Muro-ami . Kayakas Overfishing .

33. Dynamite fishing Jacques Cousteau video Dynamite fishing - humans and sharks react Widespread in Southeast Asia, the Aegean Sea, and coastal Africa

34. Illegal fishing by Indian trawlers violating the maritime boundary of Sri Lanka and its impact on livelihood and the Indo-Sri Lanka relations Indian and Sri Lankan fishing communities shared Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar as their common fishing grounds for centuries, crossing of maritime boundaries for fishing purposes was prohibited after ratifying maritime boundary agreements in 1974 and 1976. However, Indian fishermen frequently enter into Sri Lankan waters and carry out illegal fishing creating numerous conflicts. Primary data were collected from different stakeholders in Mannar and Jaffna areas through questionnaire and semi-structured interviews and secondary data were obtained from government institutions were used in this study. This study revealed that around 1000-1500 mechanized trawlers are coming to Palk Strait, Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar regions three days per week to catch prawns and demersal fishes. Their average daily catch mainly consists of prawns (56 ± 11 kg; 31%), demersal fishes (116± 18 kg; 65%), sea cucumbers and squids (6±3 kg; 3%) and they have harvested approximately 1900 tons of shrimps and 4000 tons of demersal fish in 2016. Around 98% stake holders responded that Indian poaching is the biggest threat for their livelihood. It was found that 22% of fishers permanently lost their livelihood and others are facing livelihood insecurities. Both countries have proposed some actions such set up Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to expedite the release and handover of fishermen, intensify the cooperation on patrolling, and establish a hotline between coast guards of two countries to solve this problem, however, still could not find a long term solution. The northern Fishing community strongly suggests that the government of Sri Lanka must take strict security measures to protect its maritime border and actions to secure livelihood of fishers. Collapse

35. Banned fishing practices spread net in Kerala Banned fishing practices like light fishing, juvenile fishing and use of fish aggregating devices are aplenty and the marine enforcement and Fisheries Department are struggling to catch the culprits. As many as 172 boxes of juvenile fish were caught the other day by the Fisheries Department in the district.  At a time when South Indian states are also trying to follow the policies related to juvenile catching implemented by Kerala so as to put an end to the practice, the state authorities have miserably failed to implement the same here. Last month, a boat was caught doing light fishing in Kochi and was fined a whopping Rs 2.5 lakh . However, rarely do the enforcement agencies catch them during the act. When it comes to light fishing by traditional fishermen, the department has many limitations in curbing it.  “We use rented boats and most traditional fishermen have old boats and we should always be wary of any accident that can happen. This gives them time to get away. Also, this is done in a large scale by bigger boats and they always evade our detection systems . In Thiruvananthapuram , light fishing happens mainly in the Mariyapuram - Anchuthengu region and Vizhinjam .

36. T Peter, president, National Fish Workers Forum, said, “Though there are sufficient laws, the government has lost the spirit to implement the same. The Fisheries Department is aware of various landing points in the coast and if they take the effort the law-breakers can be caught. However, there are many outside interferences to prevent such actions. Though juvenile fishing has been banned, it’s the very government that has come up with nets with small mesh through Matsyafed . A lack of perspective and efficiency in implementation from the part of government have been leading to the elimination of the marine wealth.” The Kerala Marine Fisheries Act allows the government to make rules/ issue orders to ensure the protection of marine wealth.   Many government orders were issued in due course of time, including a ban on night trawling and fish aggregating devices. However, the ill-equipped guards and understaffed department are no way keen on implementing the orders. 

37. Dynamite fishing (Blast fishing) Blast fishing , also known as  dynamite fishing , is a highly destructive, illegal method of Catching  fish  which uses  dynamite  or other types of explosives to send shock-waves through the water, stunning or killing  fish  which are then collected and sold. The dynamite used for fishing is generally stolen from mines and illegally sold to the fishermen through intermediaries. “The relative access and corruption make it easy to access dynamite, which is sold with total impunity. Eg : Every year, an estimated 43,000 to 108,000 kilograms (95,000 to 238,000 pounds) of fish are killed using explosives in Huarmey alone. In Pisco , the estimates are between 32,000 and 65,000 kg (71,000 and 143,000 lb). https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/blast-fishing-dynamite-fishing-tanzania : https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/stopping-fish-bombing

38. Muroami  fishing Muro-ami  or  muroami  is a  fishing  technique employed on  coral reefs  in  Southeast Asia . It uses an encircling net together with pounding devices. The Acanthuridae fish species is most common type of fish being caught by Muroami operation. These devices usually comprise large stones fitted on ropes that are pounded into the coral reefs. They can also consist of large heavy blocks of  cement   that are suspended above the sea by a crane fitted to the vessel. The pounding devices are repeatedly and violently lowered into the area encircled by the net, literally smashing the coral in that area into small fragments in order to scare the fish out of their coral refuges. The "crushing" effect of the pounding process on the coral heads has been described as having long-lasting and practically totally destructive effects

39. ‘ghost’ fishing Each year, more than 100,000 whales, dolphins, seals and turtles get  caught in nets, lines, traps and pots . It is estimated that somewhere between 600,000 to 800,000 tonnes of discarded fishing gear ends up in our oceans every year. This accounts for a large portion of the plastic waste in marine ecosystems. Without human intervention and clean-ups, these ghost nets will continue to fish for hundreds of years because they are purposely made from materials which don’t easily break down.

40. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that ghost gear makes up as much as 10% of all ocean litter. According to an FAO  report , over 700,000 tons of fishing gear finds its way into the sea every year – the equivalent of 3,500 Boeing 747s. The biggest problem is that discarded fishing gear doesn’t break down easily. In the past, most equipment was made of materials like hemp or cotton that rot away underwater. These days, most of it is made of tough, synthetic nylon. This can takes centuries to break down.

41. What are the Main Causes of Ghost Fishing? Ghost Nets Fishing traps Fishing lines Fishing accessories

42. https://youtu.be/T4QNMacikYU https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/06/whale-fishing-net-ghost-illegal/ Atlantic croaker trapped within a derelict or "ghost" crab pot pulled from the York River in Virginia.

43.  kayak fishing  Kayaks Were originally developed by indigenous people living in the  Arctic  regions, who used the boats to hunt on inland lakes, rivers and the coastal waters of the  Arctic Ocean ,  North Atlantic ,  Bering Sea  and  North Pacific  oceans. These first kayaks were constructed from stitched animal skins such as  seal  stretched over a wooden frame made from collected driftwood, as many of the areas of their construction were treeless . Archaeologists have found evidence indicating that kayaks are at least 4000 years old . Inuit  seal hunter in a kayak, armed with a harpoon (fig) Kayak  anglers  target highly prized gamefish like snook , red drum, seatrout , tarpon,  halibut  and  cod  and also  pelagics  like  amberjacks ,   tuna ,  sailfish ,  wahoo , king mackerel, and even  marlin .

44. Thanking You & open for dicussion