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1.
- In order to increase their catches, longliners targeting sharks in the Gulf of Gabes, Tunisia, have increased the number of hooks per basket and have included new bait types instead of mackerel (Scomber scombrus). This paper reports the effects of these changes on catch composition, catch rates, size distribution, life‐stage captures, and mortality at haulback.
- Data from 48 and 96 longline sets, carried out during the shark fishing seasons of 2007 and 2008, with two hooks per basket, and 2016 and 2017, with five hooks per basket, respectively, were examined to assess the effect of gear change. Moreover, the effects of bait types were inspected based on 33 fishing sets using whole mackerel, 19 using salema (Sarpa salpa) halves, and 27 using pieces of stingray (Dasyatis spp.), sampled during 2016 and 2017.
- The species composition indicated that longliners expand the vertical distribution of their hooks to operate from the surface to the bottom. The catches with both longline designs were dominated by sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus). Despite gear changes, the catch rate of C. plumbeus decreased by 42.21%, suggesting population decline. The size composition indicated a shift towards larger specimens, mainly adult females, which could jeopardize the shark population. Moreover, the mortality of the main species at haulback seems to be affected by the design of the longline.
- The bait used, mainly pieces of stingray, significantly increased the catch rate of sandbar shark, which suggests a greater attractiveness of the new bait; however, fish size and mortality rates at haulback were unchanged in response to bait variation.
- The fishery operates in shark nursery grounds, which exposes these fish (principally C. plumbeus) to considerable exploitation pressure. The new fishing practices intensified the pressure and thus the risk of a rapid depletion of populations. To preserve the shark species in the area, the use of new gear and attractive bait should be banned.
2.
Javier Noe Serrano-López Katherin Soto-López Rosa Isabel Ochoa-Báez John O'Sullivan Felipe Galván-Magaña 《水产资源保护:海洋与淡水生态系统》2021,31(7):1624-1635
- Devil rays of the genus Mobula are subject to fishing exploitation worldwide and are considered vulnerable to overexploitation due to population reduction, which is evidenced by a decline in the number of catches of these animals.
- Limited biological knowledge on these species has forced the use of precautionary conservation measures in countries where intensive fishing occurs.
- This study aimed to describe biological data of interest for estimating the feasibility of the recovery of Mobula populations, emphasizing the reproductive activity of three endangered species of the genus Mobula (Mobula munkiana, Mobula thurstoni, and Mobula mobular) in the Gulf of California.
- Reproductive organs were collected during 7 years of commercial fishing (2001–2007), and data on population structure, sex ratio, gamete production, and the number of offspring per breeding period were obtained.
- Maturity stages were determined through histological analysis of the gonads for both sexes, and the size at maturity was estimated based on anatomical and histological characteristics of the specimens caught.
- Considering the wide global distribution of Mobula species, there is an urgent need to apply strict conservation measures, such as established fishery closures during the breeding season or the establishment of catch periods after specimens have reached sexual maturity, especially in the countries where these animals are caught.
3.
Marzia Bo Martina Coppari Federico Betti Francesco Enrichetti Marco Bertolino Francesco Massa Simone Bava Guido Gay Riccardo Cattaneo-Vietti Giorgio Bavestrello 《水产资源保护:海洋与淡水生态系统》2021,31(3):543-566
- Seamounts host some of the most important deep-sea ecosystems. The unique environmental characteristics of seamounts sustain rich biological hot spots, which, in recent times, have suffered the effects of intense fishing pressure.
- Biodiversity and vulnerability data are extremely scarce for Mediterranean seamounts, and this, in addition to the complex socio-economic and juridical status of offshore sites, results in difficulty in identifying the best management strategies.
- An extensive remotely operated vehicle (ROV) survey was used to characterize the megabenthic assemblages of the summits of two upper bathyal seamounts, Ulisse and Penelope (Ligurian Sea, north-west Mediterranean Sea). The biogeographic implications of these findings and the possible environmental factors favouring the occurrence of these communities are discussed.
- High densities of abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear (mainly longlines) and a reduction in the average size of the fragile and slow-growing habitat-forming gorgonian Callogorgia verticillata indicate the occurrence of high levels of anthropogenic impacts on the summit regions, which are fishing grounds for artisanal and recreational fishers.
- The recovery of fishing data describing the first catches in the 1970s proved to be useful in inferring the short- and long-term effects of fishing practices in these previously unexploited offshore areas. In particular, the local extinction of demersal top predators, subjected to exceptional catches nearly 50 years ago, highlights the slow recovery rate of such species.
- Criteria defining vulnerability are discussed for the two study areas, and specific conservation actions, including the creation of regulated protected areas, are proposed.
4.
Bechir Saidi Khaled Echwikhi Samira Enajjar Sami Karaa Imed Jribi Mohamed N. Bradai 《水产资源保护:海洋与淡水生态系统》2020,30(6):1172-1181
- This study evaluated the circle hook use as a tool for shark management in the pelagic longline fishery in the Gulf of Gabès.
- The usual J‐hook No. 2 with 10° offset, which has been traditionally used by the fishery, was compared to the 18/0 non‐offset circle hook in an alternating fashion along the main line. In total, 22 experimental longline sets were deployed through the shark fishing seasons of 2016 and 2017 to examine the effects of hook types on the catch composition, the catch rates, the hooking location, and the status at haulback.
- The catch composition differed significantly among hook types. Moreover, an overall increase in catch rates for the main species, the sandbar shark Carcharhinus plumbeus, and the shortfin mako shark Isurus oxyrinchus, was observed when using circle hooks.
- There was no size‐selective effect of circle hooks for the common species. The circle hooks were not effective at reducing at‐haulback mortality of sandbar shark. Conversely, shortfin mako and smooth‐hound shark Mustelus mustelus showed significantly lower relative mortality at haulback with circle hooks than with J‐hooks. Furthermore, circle hooks were more frequently hooked externally than the J‐hooks for the three shark species.
- Results demonstrated that the use of 18/0 non‐offset circle hooks in the pelagic shark longline fishery can reduce mortality at haulback for some species without any benefit for the dominant species, the sandbar shark.
- Overall, it is difficult to promote the adoption of the use of circle hooks as a management measure in this specialized fishery. Management measures focusing on fishing effort controls, fishing closures in critical habitats, and size limits could have significant benefits for the conservation of shark species and may help to improve the sustainability of the shark fishery in the Gulf of Gabès.
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Amani S.Y. Al-Zaidan Abrar Akbar Hussain Bahbahani Salim Y. Al-Mohanna Biju Kolattukudy Varun Balakrishna 《水产资源保护:海洋与淡水生态系统》2021,31(4):802-817
- To our knowledge, this is the first inclusive assessment of the status of Sparidae fisheries in the territorial waters of Kuwait, integrating information on catch trends, consumer preferences, recreational fishing behaviour, and molecular based identification of fish species by DNA barcoding
- Fisheries landing data were obtained from the official fisheries bulletin released by the Kuwait Central Statistical Bureau. Surveys were conducted to assess consumer preferences on seabream species, landed seabream species, and the behaviour of recreational anglers towards seabream species. DNA barcodes were generated to authenticate commercial seabream using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COXI) gene and then compared with GenBank sequence entries; these sequences were then used to construct a neighbour-joining (NJ) phylogenetic tree.
- Yellowfin seabream Acanthopagrus latus was the prime and most favoured commercial seabream species (45%), followed by Sparidentex hasta, which was the top-rated secondary, unassessed seabream species. Approximately 54% of households conduct recreational fishing more than twice a month, and most (77%) primarily target S. hasta and Ac. latus. Consumer demand for secondary seabreams, which were not assessed and are listed in the bulletin under the category ‘others’, was evident.
- The NJ phylogenetic tree revealed that Arabian Gulf seabreams, including those of Kuwait, are genetically different from their counterparts inhabiting neighbouring waters.
- The data presented here highlight the urgency to modify the existing fisheries list using accurate identification tools, such as DNA barcoding, for the sustainable and conservation-oriented management of local fisheries, which are in decline.
7.
Margaret M. Lamont Nickolas Moreno Fatima Yedith Camacho-Sánchez H. Hugo Acosta-Sánchez Scott Glaberman Miguel Angel Reyes-Lopez Ylenia Chiari 《水产资源保护:海洋与淡水生态系统》2021,31(10):3003-3010
- The Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) is the world’s most endangered sea turtle species. Predominately nesting at only one beach in Mexico, this species declined to an estimated 300 females in the mid-1980s. Conservation efforts in the United States and Mexico, including a head start programme in southern Texas in which hatchlings were reared in captivity for several months before being released into the wild, resulted in the recovery of this species.
- Although genetic data have previously been used to assess the success of the head start programme and dispersal of individual adults, data on immature turtles sampled at foraging areas and adult females sampled at the main nesting beach in Mexico are lacking. Genetic characterization of immature individuals is important for understanding recruitment, survival, and population demography, while genetic data on individuals from Mexico are essential for understanding dispersal and overall genetic diversity in this species.
- To address these gaps, mitochondrial DNA data were collected from 106 immature individuals sampled at four different foraging sites in the northern Gulf of Mexico and from 18 nesting females at the primary nesting beach in Mexico.
- Two previously unknown mitochondrial DNA haplotypes were discovered among the immature individuals.
- Except for these two new haplotypes, the genetic diversity of immature individuals in the northern Gulf of Mexico closely corresponds to that of adults sampled in Mexico, which suggests that much of the diversity within the nesting population can be found among immature animals dispersing to foraging grounds, including locations in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
- Continued monitoring of the genetic variation of different life stages of this species across its distribution range will help assess the success of conservation programmes by ensuring the maintenance of genetic diversity and representation of this diversity across the species’ distribution range.
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Olivier Le Duc Thong Pham Van Benjamin Leprince Cedric Bordes Anh Nguyen Tuan John Sebit Benansio Nic Pacini Vinh Quang Luu Luca Luiselli 《水产资源保护:海洋与淡水生态系统》2020,30(6):1074-1087
- Next to cetaceans and megafishes, freshwater turtles are the most iconic endangered freshwater species.
- A detailed questionnaire survey conducted with more than 100 individuals from fishing communities in northern Vietnam was used to investigate the current status of Southeast Asian turtles and provides new hope concerning the survival of Rafetus swinhoei, for which recent official records in the wild are limited to a single individual in Vietnam.
- The survey included the entire Vietnamese portion of the Da River in Hoa Binh and Son La provinces, as well as the Chu and Ma river system in Thanh Hoa Province, as they are the last sites where the world's rarest and largest Asian softshell turtle has been seen. The questionnaire, conducted in Vietnamese, focused on demographic details, fishing intensity and gear, the status of fishing grounds, and the frequency of interaction with turtles.
- The great majority of fishers could recognize different turtle species from photographs and describe their preferential breeding habitats; not all knew that they are protected. A few confirmed that more than once each year they still encounter freshwater turtles during their fishing activities.
- This survey provides detailed information on sites where freshwater turtles are still seen in northern Vietnam and broadens our hope that wild individuals of the extremely rare R. swinhoei may still be present in the remaining riparian wetlands of these biodiverse, dammed, and controlled river basins in North Vietnam.
10.
Giuseppa Buscaino Maria Ceraulo Giuseppe Alonge Daniela Silvia Pace Rosario Grammauta Vincenzo Maccarrone Angelo Bonanno Salvatore Mazzola Elena Papale 《水产资源保护:海洋与淡水生态系统》2021,31(8):2241-2256
- Dolphins interact with many types of fishing gear, causing damage to fishing activities and in some cases facing harm and becoming entangled as bycatch.
- In this study, the behaviour of bottlenose dolphins during their interaction with set nets, equipped with and without interactive pingers, was investigated. Acoustic monitoring of the nets was conducted for a total of 56 hauls and 814.9 hr of recordings, from the 16 October to 13 November 2015, along the coast of Lampedusa island (Sicilian Channel, Italy, Mediterranean Sea).
- The level of interaction between dolphins and the nets was evaluated considering the number of dolphin clicks grouped over time (single acoustic incursion on each net), the duration of every acoustic incursion, and the number of dolphin clicks per incursion. Moreover, the catch rate was measured as the number of fish per hour for each net.
- Based on the recording time of dolphin clicks, the spatio-temporal development of the interaction with the nets located in different bays of the island was assessed.
- The duration of the interaction between dolphins and nets significantly increased over the study period, with a concomitant reduction in catch rate. The interactive pinger showed efficacy in protecting the nets from dolphin depredation during the first period of 36 hauls and 11 fishing days (higher catch rates and lower incursion durations), whereas no differences were found in any interaction parameters between pinger and control nets in the second period (20 hauls and six fishing days).
- Interactive pingers may be an effective, short-term (2–3 weeks) tool in deterring depredation by bottlenose dolphins in small-scale artisanal fisheries. Other mitigation approaches, such as gear modification, lessons learned through outreach, and passive acoustic monitoring of the nets, could improve the management of the interactions between fisheries and bottlenose dolphins.
11.
- Pinna nobilis is a sensitive and vulnerable species and is hence considered a good indicator of anthropogenic pressures on marine ecosystems.
- This study provides novel data on the density and distribution of endangered P. nobilis on the Turkish coasts. Threats to the status of P. nobilis, including by‐catch and illegal collection, were assessed, as was the general awareness of people about the endangered status of fan mussels.
- The data sources consisted of direct observations from diving surveys and the local ecological knowledge (LEK) of fishers and scuba‐divers.
- Results demonstrated that the density of P. nobilis significantly changed with environmental parameters, such as depth, and among different sampling areas. The number of damaged individuals was lowest in the areas that were distant from human influences such as ports and tourist beaches. The density estimations of P. nobilis across a wide geographic area around the Turkish coasts revealed that the density of fan mussels was highest around western coasts in comparison with southern coasts.
- Fishers and divers indicated that the population of this species has decreased during the last decade. The main causes of this decline were suggested to be the impacts of fishing gear, poaching, pollution, and boat anchoring. The highest volume of by‐catch was estimated to be taken by trawls. In general, the knowledge and local awareness of the conservation importance and status of fan mussels was poor.
- The study has identified those areas where fan mussels occur at a high density, and hence may indicate areas for possible conservation protection status. Second, areas exposed to the illegal harvesting of fan mussels were highlighted. Societal concern would benefit from educational activities to raise awareness of the ecological importance and conservation needs for fan mussels in Turkey.
12.
Leontine Baje Andrew Chin William T. White Colin A. Simpfendorfer 《水产资源保护:海洋与淡水生态系统》2021,31(11):3100-3110
- One-third of all elasmobranch species currently known to occur in Papua New Guinea are taken as bycatch in the Gulf of Papua trawl fishery. An ecological risk assessment was conducted on the 16 species of sharks and 23 species of rays caught by the fishery.
- Eight species were classified to be at low risk, 28 species were at medium risk while three species – Rhynchobatus palpebratus (eyebrow wedgefish), Carcharhinus coatesi (Australian blackspot shark) and Maculabatis astra (blackspotted whipray), all endemic to New Guinea and northern Australia – faced the highest level of risk from the fishery at current fishing levels.
- There is potential for more vessels to enter the fishery in future, which is likely to elevate the risk for a greater proportion of elasmobranch species. Ongoing monitoring of bycatch levels, supported by biological and ecological studies on frequently caught species, is required to assess and manage risk in the future.
- The development and use of trawl excluder devices or bycatch reduction devices in this fishery have the potential to reduce bycatch levels and reduce risk levels.
13.
Nina Luisa Santostasi Silvia Bonizzoni Olivier Gimenez Lavinia Eddy Giovanni Bearzi 《水产资源保护:海洋与淡水生态系统》2021,31(Z1):101-109
- Regional populations (“subpopulations”) of globally abundant species can be exposed to human impacts that threaten their viability. Given the value of cetacean subpopulations as evolutionary significant units, keystone and umbrella species, it is important to assess their conservation status separately and propose area-specific conservation measures.
- We used a threat assessment process and applied IUCN Red List criteria to a regional population of common dolphins Delphinus delphis in the semi-enclosed Gulf of Corinth, Greece. We compiled subpopulation-specific information about abundance and trends, estimated the geographic range of the subpopulation (area of occupancy and extent of occurrence), and calculated the probability of extinction through stochastic modelling.
- The subpopulation qualified as Endangered according to criteria A (population size reduction over three generations) and B (geographic range), and as Critically Endangered under criteria C (population size and decline) and D (very small or restricted population). The probability of extinction was estimated to be ≥50% in three generations, qualifying the subpopulation as Critically Endangered under criterion E (quantitative analysis). We concluded that the subpopulation should be classified as Critically Endangered.
- Considering the high extinction risk faced by common dolphins in the Gulf of Corinth, we recommend that: (a) immediate action is taken to mitigate anthropogenic activities known or suspected to have a negative impact on cetaceans in the area (particularly commercial fishing); and (b) a marine protected area is established in the Gulf of Corinth as a management tool for enforcing conservation action and facilitating the recovery of common dolphins.
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Khaled Echwikhi Imed Jribi Mohamed Nejmeddine Bradai Abderrahmen Bouain 《水产资源保护:海洋与淡水生态系统》2010,20(5):525-530
- 1. Sea turtles may migrate vast distances from their feeding areas to home rookeries where they nest. During these migrations sea turtles are subject to many threats, among which are interactions with pelagic longlines.
- 2. This gear is used frequently in the summer period in the Gulf of Gabes targeting mainly the sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus). Hooks are baited with mackerel (Scomber scombrus) or pieces of stingray (Dasyatis pastinaca).
- 3. Twenty‐one fishing trips (48 sets with a total of 35 950 hooks deployed) were conducted using onboard observers in the south of the Gulf of Gabes during the months of July, August and September in 2007 and 2008. Stingray and mackerel bait were used in 19 and 29 sets, respectively.
- 4. In total, 29 loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) were captured; the majority of them were juvenile and active. Turtles were caught at a statistically greater frequency on sets with hooks baited with mackerel than on sets with hooks baited with pieces of stingray.
- 5. The type of bait also affected the catch of the target species by increasing the efficiency when pieces of stingrays were used.
- 6. These results encourage further research into new baits to mitigate turtle catch by longline fisheries without affecting the catch of target species. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
16.
Xiaoyong Xie Zhou Wu Chun‐Chieh Wang Yijian Fu Xueping Wang Peng Xu Xing Huang Yongyan Liao Shiang‐Lin Huang Kit Yue Kwan 《水产资源保护:海洋与淡水生态系统》2020,30(2):260-272
- Identification, protection and enhancement of essential habitats are priority issues for management and restoration of exploited species. The shores utilized by Asian horseshoe crabs as nurseries were surveyed and the coastal habitat characteristics were described in the northern Beibu Gulf of China. Regression models were applied to explore species‐habitat relationships.
- Fourteen and ten nursery sites were identified for Tachypleus tridentatus and Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda populations, respectively. Xiacun and Jinhaiwan in the eastern region of the northern Beibu Gulf were the essential nurseries for T. tridentatus, whereas Shanxin and Jiaodong in the western part were the primary nursery shores for C. rotundicauda. These shores supported high densities (4–6 individuals/100 m2) of juvenile horseshoe crab populations.
- Mangrove and seagrass coverage area, coupled with sediment physico‐chemical parameters, particularly grain size, and the environmental heterogeneity of nursery habitats explained the distribution pattern of juvenile populations. Most juvenile populations were found along the outer fringe of mangroves in the small shallow estuary, particularly near outflows of tidal creeks with generally higher chlorophyll a and organic carbon contents. The distribution of high‐density juvenile populations of both species also overlapped with areas of seagrass patches.
- These findings highlight the importance of mangroves and seagrasses in the nursery habitat use of Asian horseshoe crabs. Preserving the estuarine habitats with these vegetation types and identifying the high‐use nursery sites should be prioritised in China and other Asian places to conserve the declining Asian horseshoe crab populations.
17.
Andrés de la Cruz Fernando Ramos Gabriel Navarro Andrés Cózar Juan Bécares Gonzalo Muñoz Arroyo 《水产资源保护:海洋与淡水生态系统》2021,31(7):1700-1714
- Spatial modelling is an important research tool to improve our knowledge about the distribution of wildlife in the ocean. Using different modelling techniques (MaxEnt and a generalized linear mixed model), a predictive habitat suitability model was developed for one of the most threatened seabirds in the world: the Balearic shearwater, Puffinus mauretanicus.
- Models were developed using a 10-year dataset from the Gulf of Cádiz (on the south-western Iberian Peninsula), a key foraging area for Balearic shearwaters during migration and the non-breeding season.
- Predictive habitat maps strongly matched the observed distribution patterns, pointing to bathymetric features as the main modelling drivers. The species was concentrated on shallow areas (up to approximately 100 m in depth) of the continental shelf, very close to the mouth of the Guadalquivir River. In contrast with previous studies, Balearic shearwater distribution in the highly dynamic Gulf of Cádiz was not correlated with areas of high chlorophyll a concentration.
- This lack of spatial correlation probably arises from the delay between the phytoplankton bloom and the response of the zooplankton and small fish that are preyed upon by Balearic shearwaters, which may result in important displacements of this trophic chain across the Gulf of Cádiz.
- The analysis presented contributes to a better understanding of the spatial distribution and ecology of the critically endangered top predator in the Gulf of Cádiz and offers important information to improve management plans.
18.
Lili Pelayo-González Claudia J. Hernández-Camacho David Aurioles-Gamboa Juan P. Gallo-Reynoso Isai D. Barba-Acuña Carlos Godínez-Reyes David Ramírez-Delgado Rosalía Ávalos-Téllez Uriel Rubio-Rodríguez Héctor Villalobos 《水产资源保护:海洋与淡水生态系统》2021,31(7):1730-1748
- The 13 California sea lion breeding colonies in the Gulf of California (GoC), Mexico are each characterized by different population growth trends, including a variable number of births. Despite being located in a highly productive marine area, both the species’ population and the number of births have declined significantly over the past few decades.
- The goal of this study was to assess the effects of certain environmental variables on the number of births at colonies in three regions (northern, central and southern) of the GoC (1995–2018). Data on diet, small pelagic fish catches by fisheries, the density of small pelagic fish schools, remotely sampled values of sea surface temperature and chlorophyll-a concentration and El Niño Southern Oscillation events were collected in order to evaluate whether these variables had an effect on the number of births using correlations and generalized linear models.
- No significant relationships were found between the environmental variables and the number of births. However, the number of births decreased when the sea surface temperature anomalies exceeded 1°C in the northern and central regions of the GoC. Although no significant relationships were found between the small pelagic fish catches and the number of births, positive trends were observed between sardine catches and the number of births during certain periods in the central region. A positive correlation between the density of small pelagic fish schools and the number of births suggests a possible relationship between prey availability and reproductive success in the central region.
- A Programme of Action for the Conservation of the Species should be promoted by the Federal Government and carried out in order to implement specific management actions. Specifically, surveillance efforts should increase, fishing gear conversion plans should be established and sea lion exclusion devices should be introduced, among other measures.
19.
- 1. An ecosystem analysis was developed focusing on resource exploitation and biodiversity conservation for the Northern Gulf of California. The main tools employed were a trophic ecosystem model and time dynamic simulations.
- 2. The ecosystem was represented by an Ecopath model that included 34 functional groups, from primary producers to top predators. It included relevant species in the area such as commercially important shrimp (e.g. Litopenaeus stylirostris) and highly endangered species (Phocoena sinus and Totoaba macdonaldi).
- 3. Temporal simulations of changing fishing effort allowed the evaluation of fishing impact on the ecosystem components and, particularly, on protected species. Formal optimization methods were applied with the purpose of searching viable temporal patterns of fishing effort that might minimize social, economic and conservationist conflicts in the area.
- 4. The results of those simulations showed the capability of the model to represent reference temporal series of relative biomass. The search for viable fishing strategies resulted in effort allocation consistent with those proposed by other studies; that is, a decrease in the industrial shrimp fleet (35–65%), a decrease in the gillnet fishing fleet (52–57%), and an increase of the artisanal shrimp fishery (63–222%).
- 5. The main conflicts in the Northern Gulf of California seem to take place between social and conservation interests, while the economic and ecological benefits seem to be relatively independent. The next steps towards conflict resolution and ecosystem management should consider the design and operation of MPAs already established in the region.
20.
- 1. Artisanal fishing on coral reefs in Papua New Guinea is an important livelihood activity that is managed primarily at the level of local communities. Pockets of overexploitation exist and are expected to increase with plans for increased commercialization.
- 2. This paper provides a current assessment of the artisanal multi‐species coral reef fishery by examining selectivity of the dominant gear, namely line fishing, spearguns, and gill nets. Each gear has its own strengths and weaknesses in terms of use and conservation of resources, with no clear problem gear.
- 3. The three gears utilize different resources but there was moderate overlap in the species caught, particularly between gill nets and line fishing and marginally between lines and spearguns. Gill nets have the disadvantage of being destructive to coral and the advantage of catching commercial species. Line fishing catches an intermediate number of species but mostly large‐bodied and predatory species that could potentially reduce predation and the mean trophic level of the fishery. Spearguns catch the highest numbers of species, including many non‐commercial and herbivorous fish and could reduce the diversity of fish and encourage algal growth.
- 4. This information could be used in combination with scientific monitoring and traditional ecological knowledge to develop an adaptive management framework that uses local restrictions on the various gears to restore or balance the fishery and ecosystem. Restrictions could be selectively imposed: on gill nets when coral cover is low, line fishing when large‐bodied predators are depleted, and spearguns when biodiversity is reduced and algal abundance high.