Suchergebnisse

An economically important, small-scale fishery operates during the winter months in Mallorca. Using a special surrounding net that is hauled over the sand and gravel bottoms of bays at depths reaching 30 m, it primarily targets Aphia minuta and Pseudaphya ferreri, but other goby species and juveniles of the Pagellus spp are also caught. Similar fisheries are operated on the Spanish coast and in Italy. This fishery is run with specific licenses, equipment controls, and closed seasons (based on species availability). In cooperation with local fishermen, the administration has in recent years established a daily quota for sustaining the sales prices 22of the species caught. A management plan was set up in 2013 in accordance with European Union rules to ensure the sustainability of the fishery. Its sustainable quotas have been set at 30 kg/day/boat for A. minuta and 50 kg/day/boat for P. ferreri, and the by-catch cannot exceed 10% of the total catch. Landings are permitted in 11 fixed ports and only 35 boats can fish with the regulated nets from December 15 to April 30. A co-management committee was created with the participation of the public administration, fishermen's associations, researchers, and certain non-governmental organizations. The co-management process was revised and fishermen's opinions were obtained in a successful enquiry that was answered by the majority of the operating fleet, and their views on the management rules will be considered in future regulations. The co-management of the small-scale boat seine fishery in the Balearic Islands is thus an ongoing collaborative and communicative process in a local community that continues to evolve over time. Although the fishermen are represented by their port guilds, communication efforts are necessary in the near future to ensure the success of the co-management process. ; This research was supported by the H2020 REA 634495-MINOUW Project ; Peer reviewed

13 páginas, 6 figuras, 5 tablas. ; The use of MPAs to recover fish stocks in littoral areas of the western Mediterranean has made it possible to obtain time dataseries on the biomass evolution over the last decade. The biomass of six fully protected MPAs increased between two- and threefold over a period of five years. After this time the biomass remained stable. This pattern allowed us to adjust logistic curves between the biomass and protection time, and to estimate the carrying capacity (K) of each site. In the present study we investigate the relationships between carrying capacity (K) and habitat characteristics at each protected site. The relationships between habitat/environmental variables and K are analysed by applying generalized linear models. Environmental descriptors showing major effects on biomass are related to depth, exposure, rugosity, and offshore slope at different spatial scales. Comparison of observed and predicted values using the model for exploited sites in the Balearic Islands made it possible to determine their conservation status. This empirical approach to the relationships between environmental factors and fish assemblage biomass could constitute a very useful tool when traditional fishery management based on catch and effort data from the artisanal and recreational fleets is difficult to apply. ; This paper is mostly a result of the projects funded by the Balearic regional Government for the development of MPAs in the Balearic Islands and the co-funded EU projects LIFE 00NAT/E/7303, IFOP ES.R.BAL.3.1.04, ES.R.BAL.3.1.07 and FEP 321NBAL00001. ; Peer reviewed

The cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) trammel net fishery is one of the most important small-scale fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea. Here we describe the main catch, by-catch and discard patterns found in this fishery on Mallorca Island by onboard surveys of 1005 netting walls from 23 fishing trips. The number of items captured, their size and their subsequent use, i.e. kept for sale or discarded, were recorded. Furthermore, the immediate survival of the unwanted items (i.e. vitality state when the gear came on board) and the medium-term survival of a subsample were assessed. The cuttlefish was the dominant species in the commercial fraction of the catch, particularly during the fishing season peak (March). However, S. officinalis catches quickly decreased further into the season, with other high-value fish, such as Scorpaena scrofa, increasing in the commercial fraction of the catch. As species composition is continuously changing, it is often difficult to determine the main target species of this fishery. This strategy possibly complicates management but maximizes fishing revenue, which was an average of €175 per trip. With respect to discards, up to 104 different species were caught but not commercialized. The most abundant were Holothuria sp. and Torpedo marmorata. Their immediate survival was 100% and 20%, respectively. In both cases, the medium-term survival and the vitality status were high after seven days in monitored captivity. Therefore, in these cases, their immediate release to the sea should be promoted, given that they are exempt from the EU landing obligation. Interviews with fishers revealed that the perceived quantity of discards was lower than the amount recorded by the present study. Currently, just a small percentage (1.5%) of these discards will be affected by the landing obligation enforced by the new European discards ban. ; This study is a result of the Associated Unit LIMIA-IMEDEA. It received funding from the European Commission's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No. 634495 for the Science, Technology, and Society Initiative to Minimize Unwanted Catches in European Fisheries (MINOUW). G. Catanese was supported by a postdoctoral research contract from INIA-CCAA. H. Hinz was supported by a Ramón y Cajal Fellowship (grant funded by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad de España and the Conselleria d'Educació, Cultura i Universitats de la Comunidad Autónoma de las Islas Baleares). ; Peer reviewed