History,effort distribution and landings in an artisanal bottom longline fishery: An empirical study from the North Atlantic Ocean |
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| Institution: | 1. Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK;2. Department of Biology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK;3. Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK |
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| Abstract: | Commercial fishing data were used to reconstruct historical spatio-temporal patterns of fishing effort and landings in the bottom longline fishery of the Azores. Key events during an important 15-year period were charted, through fisher interviews together with GIS analysis. While effort distribution varied over time, the prevailing pattern was a shift in focus from eastern to western areas and from shelf/slope to offshore banks and seamounts in response to policy measures (e.g. banning bottom longline inside 3 NM, public aids for modernization of the fleet) and reduced fishing yields. Areas 12–50 NM from shore represented the most vital fishing grounds in terms of fishing effort and production. Declining landings of the major demersal species, in recent years, indicate that present catch levels are not sustainable and further measures need to be taken in order to sustain fisheries resources. Knowledge of fleet behavior and the distribution of fishing effort, particularly in patchy environments, provide valuable insights into the impacts of past management decisions and help predict the outcome of new policies both in this region and elsewhere. |
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| Keywords: | Spatial analysis Fishing effort Marine policy Deep Sea fishing Metapopulations |
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