Policy background of the Impact Regulations on Fishing Effort and Fishing Mortality

Fleet Dynamics

Fleet dynamics is the ability of a fishing fleet to compensate for restrictions in effort. It can be brought about by a shift in balance between efficiency and inefficiency, improved technology, financial input, the skills and experience of individual fishermen and many subtle underlying influences which are very difficult to quantify.

In recent years, and particularly with the revision of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP)¹, the European Union has moved away from earlier fisheries management techniques which consisted mostly of single-species, annual plans to an increasingly ecosystem-based approach with long-term planning and a repertoire of regulations usually referred to as technical conservation measures (TCMs).

Technical measures take the form of:

• Minimum landing sizes
• Specifying mesh sizes and other mesh parameters such as twine thickness
• The use of square mesh panels or other selective devices
• Specifying the type or amount of fishing gear
• Closed areas/restricted time

In addition to TCMs, the Commission uses a mechanism known as Total Allowable Catch (TAC) - the TACs are currently agreed by Member States each December and are an overall limit on the amount of fish which Member States may land. They are based on advice provided by fisheries scientists in the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES), with occasional socio-economic input by STECF (Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries), on appropriate levels of catches. Once the TACs are agreed they are divided between Member States according to the system of 'relative stability' under which each receives a set percentage of the TAC. 

Originally it was thought that fishing mortality was in direct proportion to the fishing capacity hence a decrease in the effort would bring about a proportionate decrease in fishing mortality but the ability of a fleet to compensate for such restrictions has meant that these measures have been far less effective than planned. In some cases the outcome has not matched the expected, and hoped for result, which would point to the fleet dynamic playing a more significant role than that allowed for.² The combination of TCMs and TAC used to ensure the sustainable exploitation of most fish stocks must be structured to reflect this ability. Studies of fleet dynamics to date point to such factors as financial investment, or lack of it, effort allocation, harvesting efficiency and discards being very important driving forces but there is also a very considerable impact from less quantifiable socio-economic factors which need immediate investigation.

Improving the efficiency of fishing fleets has also been an aim of the Commission, in line with its commitments to international agreements on sustainable development and environmental rectitude, it now has to reconcile greater efficiency with improved catching (harvesting) capacity. Despite the importance of improving efficiency and attempting to balance productive capacity with harvest levels, relatively little analysis has been conducted in the EU on the level of efficiency in EU fishing fleets and the potential harvesting capacity of the existing fleet (as compared with the current capacity). Measurement of efficiency (and hence inefficiency) in fisheries is important for several reasons, particularly when input controls are in place. As well as the obvious impact on the harvesting capacity, increases in efficiency over time could result in biased effort measures and hence affect stock assessments. Also, where effort controls are in place, changes in efficiency over time need to be measured in order to determine if the controls need to be adjusted. The distribution of efficiency is also important where effort reduction measures are in place, such as fleet down-sizing. With differences in technical efficiency in a fleet, who leaves the fishery under such measures may be as important as how much nominal capacity is reduced. Removing inefficient operators may result in little reduction in catching capacity. ³

By estimating the level of efficiency and inefficiency, it may be possible to identify the causes of inefficiency in a fishery. As one objective of the CFP is to improve efficiency, an understanding of the causes of inefficiency may result in improved fisheries management. By estimating the potential relationship between input usage and harvesting levels, taking into account existing levels of efficiency, better estimates of optimal fleet size may be obtained.⁴

Analysis of the underlying dynamics which contribute to efficiency is very difficult. The EU-funded project "Technical developments and tactical adaptations of important EU fleet" (TECTAC) has attempted to "supply managers with a modeling tool that will allow them evaluate the impact of regulations on the dynamics of fleets and fishing mortality". This has involved data collection under seven different headings

• EFLALO: Effort and landings, based on log-books
• TECVESS: Technological development of vessel
• TECGEAR: Technological development of gears
• TACENQ: Fishing tactics, mainly based on on-board enquiries
• TECSAT: Fishing activity, based on satellite monitoring
• ECOENQ: Costs and earnings, by year and by vessel
• MANENQ: management measures

This gives some indication of the complexity of the data input which is necessary to evaluate the effect of change in the inter-relationships of fisheries management, fleets, stocks, and fishing communities. With the relevant input it should be possible going forward to model the true impact of regulations on fleet dynamics and fishing mortality.

Summaries

The summaries (Technical Leaflets) relating to research on the impact of regulations (TCMs) on fishing effort (fleet dynamics) and fishing mortality are:

• Linking fleet capacity and fishing effort to fishing mortality [CAFÉ]
• How does policy have to change to stop fishermen from violating regulations? [FISHREG]
• The impact of fisheries management on stocks and fisheries [TECTAC]
• A methodology for estimating technical efficiency in fisheries [TEMEC]

Footnotes

1. Council Regulation (EC)2371/2002. 20 December 2002. On the conservation and sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources under the Common Fisheries Policy. Official Journal of the European Union, L358(31/12/2002) (2002) 59-80.

2. http://ec.europa.eu/research/fp6/ssp/cevis_en.htm

3. http://cordis.europa.eu/data/MSS_PROJ_FP5_EL/ACTIONeqDndSESSIONeq5668200595ndDOCeq49ndTBLeqEN_PROJ.htm

4. http://fish.jrc.cec.eu.int/fisheries/cafe/meetings/london/tectac.pdf