Status and Management of Mixed Fisheries: A Global Synthesis

Abstract

Mixed fisheries occur when multiple species are caught together and harvested by multiple fleets. The biological and technical interactions in mixed fisheries distinguish them from single-species fisheries, which makes them challenging for their assessment and management. The present knowledge synthesis reviewed pertinent policy documents and academic databases for twenty-three mixed fisheries worldwide; aiming to characterize attributes of mixed fisheries, provide overviews on their assessment and management, assess current research progress, and identify key factors that impact management effectiveness. Mixed fisheries were found to exhibit varying characteristics worldwide, rendering the implementation of universal management solutions unlikely. While mixed fisheries stock assessment and management are mostly based on single-species approaches, additional mixed fisheries considerations were incorporated at various scales, including multispecies, sector-specific, fishery, and ecosystem levels. Ecosystem-wide management considerations were the most significant contributor to improved management performance in terms of conserving stock biomass and preventing overfishing, underscoring the merits of the Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management (EBFM) principle. Mixed fisheries research demonstrated regional and thematic variations, with the most popular topics addressing immediate and practical management concerns, and the less frequently discussed topics offering valuable insights related to climate change and socio-ecological perspectives. The synthesis identified the available management approaches for mixed fisheries from different jurisdictions, yet their diversity highlighted a lack of global consensus on best management practices. Future mixed fisheries will benefit from balancing tradeoffs between ecological and socio-economic needs, implementing EBFM, adopting diverse and harmonized management tools, and prioritizing monitoring efforts.

Keywords:

• EBFM
• fisheries management
• mixed fisheries
• multispecies fisheries
• stock assessment
• stock status

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the following people for their advice in preparing the paper and data (in alphabetical order): Cristian Canales, Mariella Canales, Michael De Alessi, Wei Li, Rich Lincoln, Mackenzie Mazur, Yiping Ren, Keith Sainsbury, Panca Susila, and Yi Tang. The authors would also like to especially thank Sarah Chasis for the editing and comments. This research is supported by funding from the Natural Resource Defense Council.

Data availability statement

Data used in this paper are publicly available from official documents, online data repositories and fisheries reports from the following management agencies: AFMA, DAFF, DFO, FAO, GFCM, ICES, IFOP, IOC, IPHC, MARA, MMAF, NOAA Fisheries and the affiliated regional management councils, STECF, UNEP, and UNESCO. Details can be found in the Appendix.