Marine Fisheries Management

A special issue of Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (ISSN 2077-1312). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 June 2022) | Viewed by 29014

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Marine Science Institute- National Research Council (ISMAR-CNR), Rome, Italy
Interests: ecosystem ecology; marine ecology; stable isotopes; feeding ecology; coastal ecology; biogeochemistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The definition and adoption of measures for the sustainable management of fish stocks has become a priority worldwide due to the exploitation status of fish stocks (FAO, 2018a; 2018b), and taking also into account the ongoing climate change and its influence on fisheries’ resources (Plagányi, 2019). The stock status of a number of selected fish species is expected to be evaluated by expert working groups according to the specific requests of the country, mainly related to the economic (and/or ecological) importance of each stock. Usually, the evaluation is based on the available data, the best available methods, and/or the knowledge about the biology of considered species. Once the stock status is assessed, decision makers are responsible for the definition, evaluation, and adoption of management measures. Although the use of single species stock assessment models is currently the most widely adopted in various international contexts, in recent years, interest in multispecies and multitrophic models has grown considerably, especially in relation to the increased importance of assessing the health status of different ecosystems. In this context, it is considered very important for the Special Issue to identify a section that deals with multispecies fishery management models, trophic relationships of exploited species, ecosystem response to fishing pressure and other interacting drivers (e.g., climate change) at multitrophic levels, and identification of key environmental factors driving species spatial distribution and habitat utilization.

Dr. Paola Rumolo
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • ecosystem ecology
  • marine ecology
  • stable isotopes
  • feeding ecology
  • coastal ecology
  • biogeochemistry

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 156 KiB  
Editorial
Marine Fisheries Management
by Paola Rumolo
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2023, 11(7), 1377; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse11071377 - 6 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1239
Abstract
Effective marine fisheries management is a useful tool for counteracting the worldwide decline in fish stocks, which could have serious ecological and socioeconomic consequences [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Fisheries Management)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

14 pages, 1692 KiB  
Article
Seasonal Variations in the Fish Species Composition and Community Structures on the Eastern Coast of South Korea
by Jeonghoon Han and Young-Ung Choi
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2022, 10(8), 1102; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse10081102 - 11 Aug 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2387
Abstract
The seasonal variations in the species composition of set net fisheries were investigated on the Eastern coast of Korea, from 2007 to 2008. In total, 51 species were found that were classified into 15 orders and 33 families. The water temperature of the [...] Read more.
The seasonal variations in the species composition of set net fisheries were investigated on the Eastern coast of Korea, from 2007 to 2008. In total, 51 species were found that were classified into 15 orders and 33 families. The water temperature of the study area was 0.1–1.8 °C in 2007 and 0.6–2.1 °C in 2008, which was higher than the average water temperature in the previous decade. The monthly variation in the number of species peaked twice, in May (spring) and November (autumn) when the water temperature increased and decreased, respectively, and the monthly variation in the number of individuals showed a remarkably high trend in winter and autumn and was mainly caused by large migratory species. Based on the cluster analysis of the 18 most dominant species with more than 0.4% of the total number of individuals, we divided the species composition and community structures into three groups: fishes with a temporary appearance (Group A), fishes with a long-term appearance (Group B), and dominant pelagic fishes appearing with a long-term appearance (Group C). We could conclude that the seasonal variation in the structure of the fish community was mainly caused by the pelagic migration of species under high water temperature conditions during the study period. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Fisheries Management)
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12 pages, 2953 KiB  
Article
Genetic Variations and Expansion of the Blue Swimmer Crab (Portunus pelagicus) in Southeast Asia
by Yu-Ming Lu, Chun-Han Shih, Po-Cheng Chen, Wei-Chieh Kao, Ying-Chou Lee, Yu-San Han and Tzong-Der Tzeng
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2022, 10(8), 1071; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse10081071 - 4 Aug 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2294
Abstract
Blue swimmer crabs (Portunus pelagicus) primarily inhabit the coastal regions of Southeast Asia. This study aimed to examine their population genetic structure, phylogeography, and historical demography by applying partial sequences to the control region in the mitochondrial DNA. The analysis focused [...] Read more.
Blue swimmer crabs (Portunus pelagicus) primarily inhabit the coastal regions of Southeast Asia. This study aimed to examine their population genetic structure, phylogeography, and historical demography by applying partial sequences to the control region in the mitochondrial DNA. The analysis focused on 6 populations comprising 166 individual samples collected from Taiwan (Kezailiao Kaohsiung (KK) and Penghu (PH)), mainland China (Xiamen (XM) and Hong Kong (HK)), Vietnam (Hanoi (VN)), and Singapore (SGP). The estimated nucleotide diversity (π) for all of the samples was 0.062, with values ranging between 0.018 (PH) and 0.045 (HK). Our study collected 116 haplotypes and classified them into lineages A and B. The XM, HK, VN, and SGP populations made up lineage A, and the PH and KK populations comprised lineage B. For each lineage, the results highlighted indications of demographic expansion. Lineage A can be traced back to the second-to-last interglacial period, while lineage B possibly originated in the last glacial period. There were significant differences in the FST values among the six populations, except for the pairs HK–XM and PH–KK. In conclusion, the phylogeography and genetic structure of P. pelagicus in Southeast Asia were potentially affected by the Pleistocene glacial cycles and human introduction. These findings further highlight the possible dispersal routes of P. pelagicus throughout Southeast Asia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Fisheries Management)
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24 pages, 2974 KiB  
Article
Diet of Adult Sardine Sardina pilchardus in the Gulf of Trieste, Northern Adriatic Sea
by Diego Borme, Sara Legovini, Alessandra de Olazabal and Valentina Tirelli
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2022, 10(8), 1012; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse10081012 - 25 Jul 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2758
Abstract
Food availability is thought to exert a bottom-up control on the population dynamics of small pelagic fish; therefore, studies on trophic ecology are essential to improve their management. Sardina pilchardus is one of the most important commercial species in the Adriatic Sea, yet [...] Read more.
Food availability is thought to exert a bottom-up control on the population dynamics of small pelagic fish; therefore, studies on trophic ecology are essential to improve their management. Sardina pilchardus is one of the most important commercial species in the Adriatic Sea, yet there is little information on its diet in this area. Adult sardines were caught in the Gulf of Trieste (northern Adriatic) from spring 2006 to winter 2007. Experimental catches conducted over 24-h cycles in May, June and July showed that the sardines foraged mainly in the late afternoon. A total of 96 adult sardines were analysed: the number of prey varied from a minimum of 305 to a maximum of 3318 prey/stomach, with an overall mean of 1259 ± 884 prey/stomach. Prey items were identified to the lowest possible taxonomical level, counted and measured at the stereo-microscope. Overall, sardines fed on a wide range of planktonic organisms (87 prey items from 17 μm to 18.4 mm were identified), with copepods being the most abundant prey (56%) and phytoplankton never exceeding 10% of the prey. Copepods of the Clauso-Paracalanidae group and of the genus Oncaea were by far the most important prey. The carbon content of prey items was indirectly estimated from prey dry mass or body volume. Almost all carbon uptake relied on a few groups of zooplankton. Ivlev’s selectivity index showed that sardines positively selected small preys (small copepods < 1 mm size), but also larger preys (such as teleost eggs, decapod larvae and chaetognaths), confirming their adaptive feeding capacity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Fisheries Management)
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17 pages, 1449 KiB  
Article
Revealing the Effectiveness of Fisheries Policy: A Biological Observation of Species Johnius belengerii in Xiamen Bay
by Liang-Min Huang, Jia-Qiao Wang, Yi-Jia Shih, Jun Li and Ta-Jen Chu
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2022, 10(6), 732; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse10060732 - 26 May 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1934
Abstract
The rapid development of China’s economy has brought tremendous pressure to the marine ecosystem, and about 57% of marine fish populations have been overexploited or collapsed. A series of fisheries policies have been implemented successively to improve the decline of resources. Over the [...] Read more.
The rapid development of China’s economy has brought tremendous pressure to the marine ecosystem, and about 57% of marine fish populations have been overexploited or collapsed. A series of fisheries policies have been implemented successively to improve the decline of resources. Over the past decade, the fisheries sector has particularly increased focus on resource and ecosystem sustainability, which has led to the wider use of stock management policies in China. Therefore, fishery resource assessment is crucial, such as assessing the long-term changes in biological information. This study is based on biological characteristics of Johnius belengerii captured by bottom trawls in Xiamen Bay during two periods, beginning in 2006 and 2016. Length composition, length–weight relationship, growth, mortality, sexual maturation, and feeding intensity were analyzed. The changes in biological characteristics show that there is a phenomenon of improvement in the later period, of which the changes are closely related to a series of fisheries management strategies, such as setting closed fishing periods and non-fishing areas, and establishing fishery restoration marine protected areas. This result seems to reveal the effectiveness of a long-term series of fisheries policies. It can provide an important basis and visibility for management effectiveness. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Fisheries Management)
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13 pages, 3068 KiB  
Article
Phylogeography and Genetic Structure of the Swimming Crabs Portunus sanguinolentus (Herbst, 1783) in East Asia
by Yu-Ming Lu, Chun-Han Shih, Po-Cheng Chen, Wei-Chieh Kao, Ying-Chou Lee, Yu-San Han and Tzong-Der Tzeng
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2022, 10(2), 281; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse10020281 - 18 Feb 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2307
Abstract
The three-spot swimming crab (Portunus sanguinolentus) is mainly distributed in South East Asia. An analysis of mitochondrial control region partial sequences allows us to determine the population genetic structure, phylogeography and historical demography of this species in East Asia. The seven [...] Read more.
The three-spot swimming crab (Portunus sanguinolentus) is mainly distributed in South East Asia. An analysis of mitochondrial control region partial sequences allows us to determine the population genetic structure, phylogeography and historical demography of this species in East Asia. The seven populations, which included 110 individuals, were collected from mainland China (Shanghai, SH, Xiamen, XM and Hong Kong, HK), Taiwan (Yilan, YL, Taichung, TC, Donggang, DG) and Singapore (Singapore, SGP). The nucleotide diversity (π) of all individuals was 0.01149, with values ranging from 0.00372 (SGP) to 0.01345 (YL). In total, 90 haplotypes have been identified, which can be divided into two major lineages: lineage A consists of specimens from SH, YL, XM, TC and DG, and lineage B corresponds to specimen from SGP. From the second to the most recent interglacial period, population expansion was observed in each lineage. However, a low level of genetic differentiation was also observed in the three-spotted swimming crab, P. sanguinolentus, according to FST values. Our results suggest that several past and present habitat configurations have shaped the genetic patterns of P. sanguinolentus until now. During Pleistocene glaciations, when sea levels were low, this species may have moved along the coast from Southeast Asia to China. It first colonized the Hong Kong area during this era. After sea levels rose and shorelines receded, it subsequently spread to the coast of mainland China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Fisheries Management)
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15 pages, 3179 KiB  
Article
Stock Assessment and Rebuilding of Two Major Shrimp Fisheries (Penaeus monodon and Metapenaeus monoceros) from the Industrial Fishing Zone of Bangladesh
by Mohammed Shahidul Alam, Qun Liu, Petra Schneider, Mohammad Mojibul Hoque Mozumder, Mohammad Muslem Uddin, Md. Mostafa Monwar, Md. Enamul Hoque and Suman Barua
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2022, 10(2), 201; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse10020201 - 1 Feb 2022
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 5051
Abstract
The two economically important shrimp species in Bangladesh are the tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon, and the brown shrimp, Metapenaeus monoceros. However, a continuous decline in the landing of these species from the industrial trawling made it critical to assess their stock [...] Read more.
The two economically important shrimp species in Bangladesh are the tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon, and the brown shrimp, Metapenaeus monoceros. However, a continuous decline in the landing of these species from the industrial trawling made it critical to assess their stock biomass status to explore their response to the present degree of removal. Given the minimum data requirement and robustness, this study employed the depletion-based stock reduction analysis (DB-SRA) to assess these fisheries rigorously. For the industrial fishing zone (beyond the 40 m depth in the EEZ of Bangladesh), the estimated historic mean carrying capacity (K) was 5015 metric tons for the Penaeus monodon and 35,871 metric tons for Metapenaeus monoceros. The estimated overfishing limits (OFL), which were much smaller than the reported catches throughout the time series, indicate the overfishing status of these fisheries. As a result, the estimated biomass for the reference year (B2020) for both species was lower than BMSY, indicating that these fisheries are not producing MSY. Therefore, for the rebuilding and sustainable management of these stocks, this study recommended a catch limit of 100 metric tons for P. monodon and 750 metric tons for M. monoceros for the next ten years from biomass projections. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Fisheries Management)
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13 pages, 2047 KiB  
Article
Stock Assessment of Exploited Sardine Populations from Northeastern Bay of Bengal Water, Bangladesh Using the Length-Based Bayesian Biomass (LBB) Method
by Partho Protim Barman, Qun Liu, Md. Abdullah Al-Mamun, Petra Schneider and Mohammad Mojibul Hoque Mozumder
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2021, 9(10), 1137; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse9101137 - 16 Oct 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3408
Abstract
Stock assessment is necessary to understand the status of fishery stocks. However, for the data-poor fishery, it is very challenging to assess the stock status. The length-based Bayesian biomass (LBB) technique is one of the most powerful methods to assess the data-poor fisheries [...] Read more.
Stock assessment is necessary to understand the status of fishery stocks. However, for the data-poor fishery, it is very challenging to assess the stock status. The length-based Bayesian biomass (LBB) technique is one of the most powerful methods to assess the data-poor fisheries resources that need simple length frequency (LF) data. Addressing the present gap, this study aimed to assess the stock status of three sardines (Sardinella fimbriata, Dussumieria acuta, and D. elopsoides) in the Bay of Bengal (BoB), Bangladesh using the LBB method. The estimated relative biomass for S. fimbriata was B/B0 < BMSY/B0, indicating the overfished biomass, while the assessed B/B0 > BMSY/B0 for D. acuta and D. elopsoides indicates healthy biomass. Additionally, for S. fimbriata, the length at first landing was smaller than the optimum length at first landing (Lc < Lc_opt), indicating an overfishing status, but a safe fishing status was assessed for D. acuta and D. elopsoides (Lc > Lc_opt). Therefore, increasing the mesh size of fishing gears may help to ensure the long-term viability of sardine populations in the BoB, Bangladesh. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Fisheries Management)
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12 pages, 1671 KiB  
Article
A Comparison of Traditional and Locally Novel Fishing Gear for the Exploitation of the Invasive Atlantic Blue Crab in the Eastern Adriatic Sea
by Luka Glamuzina, Alexis Conides, Giorgio Mancinelli and Branko Glamuzina
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2021, 9(9), 1019; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse9091019 - 17 Sep 2021
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3265
Abstract
The Atlantic Blue Crab Callinectes sapidus has been recognized as invasive in the Mediterranean Sea, where it now provides a significant contribution to artisanal fisheries. In this study, we compared the efficiency, selectivity, and productivity of American wire crab traps and traditional fyke [...] Read more.
The Atlantic Blue Crab Callinectes sapidus has been recognized as invasive in the Mediterranean Sea, where it now provides a significant contribution to artisanal fisheries. In this study, we compared the efficiency, selectivity, and productivity of American wire crab traps and traditional fyke nets for the capture of Blue Crabs in a study conducted from June to December 2019 in the Parila Lagoon (River Neretva Estuary, Croatia). A total of 7707 specimens were caught in 15 wire traps, comprising 6959 males and 749 females. The total catch using 50 traditional fyke traps was 1451 crabs, of which 1211 were males and 240 were females. In general, wire crab traps showed a higher capture selectivity and economic performance compared to fyke nets. The catch per unit effort (CPUE) was 102.76 kg for the American wire crab trap and 5.96 kg for the traditional fyke net. The CPUE of gravid female Blue Crabs was lower for the wire traps than the fyke nets. Herein, the utility of crab traps as selective fishing gear for the capture of Blue Crabs, and management tools for control of the reproductive and recruitment phases of the crab, are discussed, with the perspective of future exploitation of the species as a commercially valuable shellfish product in the Mediterranean. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Fisheries Management)
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16 pages, 1880 KiB  
Article
A Concept and Framework of the Extended Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Assessment Approach Incorporating Other Driving Forces
by Heejoong Kang and Chang-Ik Zhang
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2021, 9(5), 545; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse9050545 - 18 May 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2513
Abstract
The ecosystem-based fisheries assessment (EBFA) approach to evaluate four management objectives: sustainability, biodiversity, habitat quality, and socio-economic benefits, has been developed in previous studies. The existing EBFA approach is a risk-based assessment framework and was designed to assess the impacts of fisheries on [...] Read more.
The ecosystem-based fisheries assessment (EBFA) approach to evaluate four management objectives: sustainability, biodiversity, habitat quality, and socio-economic benefits, has been developed in previous studies. The existing EBFA approach is a risk-based assessment framework and was designed to assess the impacts of fisheries on offshore ecosystems. This approach only considers one driving force of wild capture fisheries. However, in coastal ecosystems, there are a number of anthropogenic activities. In this study, we propose an extended EBFA approach that incorporates the effects of capture fisheries and other driving forces, including various human activities and natural processes. This paper focuses on (i) revising the process and equations related to the nested risk indices defined in the existing EBFA approach, and (ii) demonstrating the applicability of the proposed approach by applying it to Uljin coastal waters and comparing the results with the previous case study of the existing EBFA. However, indicators and their relevant reference points have not yet been fully developed—particularly for the tier 1 approach. Hence, further research, especially regarding the reference points, would be required for practical use of the proposed approach. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Fisheries Management)
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