Technological Development and Fisheries Management

Abstract

Many marine fish stocks are overexploited and considerable overcapacity exists in fishing fleets worldwide. One of the reasons for the imbalance between resource availability and fishing capacity is technological development, which continuously increases the efficiency of the vessels—a mechanism referred to as “technological creep.” We review how the introduction of new and more efficient electronic equipment, gear design, engines, deck equipment, and catch-handling procedures influences the capture efficiency (catchability) of commercial fishing vessels. On average, we estimate that catchability increases by 3.2% per year due to technological developments, an increase often ignored in fisheries management. The documentation and quantification of technological creep improves the basis for successfully integrating the effects of technological development (and catchability changes) in fisheries management regulations and policies. Ways of counteracting the undesired effects of technological creep are discussed as are the potential management benefits from improved fishing technology. Specific suggestions are given on the selection, application, and tuning of fisheries management tools that can be used to improve the balance between harvesting capacity and resource availability.

Keywords:

• catchability
• fishing mortality
• fishing power
• fisheries management
• fleet capacity
• technological development

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Many thanks to Holger Hovgaard for having pointed out the need to specifically address the role of technological development in fisheries management and for having inspired us to write this paper. The thorough and constructive criticism from the anonymous reviewers is also greatly appreciated.

FUNDING

This work was partly funded by the EU-DG Fisheries through the FP7 projects MYFISH (Maximising yield of fisheries while balancing ecosystem, economic and social concerns) and SOCIOEC (Socio economic effects of management measures of the future CFP) and partly by the EU-Interreg IVA–152207 project: “Bärekraftig rekefiske i Skagerrak”. This support is gratefully acknowledged.