Sustainable fisheries in the Mediterranean, Seabirds point of view Multiple choice and exercises ----

Transcription

1 Sustainable fisheries in the Mediterranean, Seabirds point of view ---- Multiple choice and exercises ----

2 Sustainable fisheries in the Mediterranean, Seabirds point of view 1. Marine environment: understanding fisheries playground Marine ecosystems an overview The Mediterranean, a sanctuary of marine biodiversity Seabirds life history & ecology Mediterranean seabirds Oceans and mankind: the need to find a balanced Marine ecosystems under pressure The role of fisheries Seabirds conservation concerns Seabird-fishery interactions Seabirds and discards Bycatch on seabirds Relevant fisheries and environmental policies Fisheries-related policies Policies related to the conservation of the natural heritage... 35

3 2. Oceans and mankind: the need to find a balanced 2.1. Marine ecosystems under pressure Perception of the impact of human pressures on the marine environment mark the wrong answer: A. The general perception of the seas for long time was that the sea is a huge place with unlimited resources. B. Lamarck, a respected naturalist of the XIX century, wrote that it is impossible for the mankind to extinguish marine species due to their abundance and high reproductive rate. He was right. C. Awareness of conservation problems has increased in the last decades. D. The marine ecosystem is significantly impacted by human pressures nowadays. B. Lamarck actually wrote such a statement, but he was wrong (we humans have the capacity to severely affect marine species, as well as the whole marine ecosystem). The marine environment is severely impacted by (mark the correct answer): A. Several human activities, but fisheries are the most serious threat to the seas. B. Several human activities, which must be regarded jointly taking into account their accumulated impacts. C. Environmental changes that are unrelated to humans. D. Several human activities, but fisheries play a minor role on this. B. The marine environment is affected by several human activities, and their effect must be regarded jointly. Fisheries are part of the equation, with important impacts, but other activities are also very relevant. 11

4 Among the threats to the marine environment (choose the correct answer): A. Climate change is irrelevant, as we cannot do anything to stop it. B. Pollution is a minor problem, because the sea is huge and pollutants spread across the world, thus reducing their concentrations. C. Alien species are a minor issue, as they are forms of life after all, and it doesn t matter which species inhabit a particular region. D. All the above threats are relevant and deserve attention. D. All the above threats are relevant and deserve attention. 12

5 2.2. The role of fisheries The impacts of fishing on the marine environment (choose the correct answer): A. Have remained constant over history B. Are of minor concern C. Are only important in the case of whaling D. Are of global concern nowadays D. Are of global concern. With the improvement of technical means and the increasing exploitation of traditional fishing grounds, fisheries have reached new environments and expanded to almost all regions of the planet in the last century, causing impact at global level. Whaling is one of the best documented examples of fishing exploitation and expansion, but the phenomenon is general. Fishing subsidies (mark the wrong answer): A. Have helped to minimise the impact of fisheries on the marine environment. B. Have contributed to the increase of fishing effort worldwide. C. Have usually disregarded environmental issues. D. Could have environmental and socioeconomic benefits if they were carefully designed to that aim. A. Historically, subsidies have been directed to boost fisheries, particularly industrial, while disregarding environmental, as well as socioeconomic impacts beyond the short-term. But the model of subsidies is slowly changing, aiming to prioritize those fishing practices that commit to minimise their impacts on the marine environment, and that ensure the long-term sustainability of the activity. 13

6 Regarding the Marine Sustainable Yield (MSY) choose the correct answer A. It is an unreachable target that we must forget about. B. It is the maximum fish catch that can be restored through natural reproduction, so that the stock is maintained at equilibrium. C. It is a fixed amount of fish that can always be removed safely from a population without impacting it, whatever the prevailing conditions. D. It is the solution to all fisheries problems. B. It is indeed the maximum fish catch that can restore through reproduction, so that the stock is maintained at equilibrium. However, this is a theoretical value, which changes with environmental conditions and is subject to error. Moreover, the MSY accounts for the impact on a given fish stock, but potential impacts on other components of the ecosystem (non-target species, bycatch, habitats, etc.) are not considered. Bycatch (choose the correct answer): A. Is good for fishermen because it reduces fish predators, which means less competition and therefore higher fish catch. B. Is a waste of time and money, as the species involved cannot be commercialised, cause damage to the fishing gear and reduce options of catching commercial prey. C. Does not pose a threat to the species involved, as it is unintentional and only a few animals are captured irregularly. D. Is irrelevant to fisheries. B. Bycatch represents a waste of time and money to fishermen and at the same time is a threat for several species of marine top predators. The reduction of competitors is a weak argument, as interactions in the marine environment are complex and difficult to predict, and reducing the abundance of a predator may bring unexpected consequences (e.g. increasing the abundance of other competitors). 14

7 On the potential impacts to the marine environment, chose the correct statement: A. Discards are beneficial for the marine environment, as they represent food for many species. B. Aquaculture is the solution to fisheries, as it allows producing fish under controlled situations and avoids impacting on wild populations and the marine environment C. Recreational fisheries must be disregarded as they cannot be comparable to professional fisheries. D. All impacts must be carefully considered and evaluated taking into account their impact on all components of the ecosystem. D. All impacts may be relevant, with different degrees depending on the situation. Ecosystem-based management (EBM) select the correct statement A. EBM is an old concept of fisheries management that is in disuse nowadays B. EBM is a fisheries management system based on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). C. EBM promotes fisheries management taking into account the impacts of fishing on all components of the marine ecosystem, and not only on fish stocks. D. EBM seeks the management of fisheries through the application of the Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) C. EBM is an increasing way of managing fisheries, which takes the whole ecosystem into account. It may promote several tools, as is MSY and MPAs, but is not limited to any particular one. 15

8 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) point out the wrong statement A. MPAs are areas of particular ecological value, where special attention is paid to protect their habitats and biota. B. In MPAs fishing is always forbidden and prosecuted. C. MPAs are compatible with human uses, including fishing, although their management pays more attention to the conservation of their ecological values. D. MPAs can bring economic profits to local communities. B. There are several models of MPAs, and a few of them require integral protection, but in most cases several human activities are allowed, including fishing. Moreover, these activities may benefit from the protection, if there is a good planning behind. Recreational fisheries (mark the wrong statement): A. Are often subject to lower regulation and weaker control than professional fisheries. B. Have lower individual impact, but could have a large accumulated impact on the marine environment, due to the high number of boats and licenses. C. Tend to target fewer fish species than professional fishermen. D. Should be favoured due to their low impact on the marine environment. D. They do have an impact, which can be significant if considered jointly for all recreational fishing. Their regulation and control should improve. 16

9 Aquaculture (mark the wrong statement): A. Is the future of the marine food industry because it can provide large amounts of fish protein at very low cost and has no impacts on the environment. B. May complement fish food coming from fisheries, but also requires management attention, having several environmental impacts. C. May be an important source of pollution for the habitats and biota surrounding fish farms. D. Better works for herbivore fish species than carnivore ones. A. This may be an important source of fish food in the future, and is already significant, but costs are not so low and impacts also deserve attention. Regarding Mediterranean fisheries (mark the wrong statement): A. Mediterranean fish stocks are in particularly bad situation compared to other regions. B. Mediterranean fisheries are largely regulated through fishing effort. C. Mediterranean fisheries are to a large extent multispecific, and the usual way to regulate them is through quotas. D. Mediterranean fisheries are largely of artisanal type. C. Mediterranean fish stocks have been largely regulated through effort, as it is difficult to apply quotas to multispecific fisheries. Most stocks are fully exploited on over-exploited. 17

10 2.3. Seabirds conservation concerns Of the following seabird conservation considerations, choose the correct statement: A. Seabirds adapt easily to changes in the environment and have largely grown in the last half century thanks to human resources, thus being a problem to society that requires control. B. Seabirds are among the most threatened avian groups worldwide, because they are long-lived species with low capacity to adapt to environmental changes. C. Seabird threats are limited to their breeding colonies. D. There are threatened seabirds in some regions of the world, such as the Antarctic, but this is not the case of the Mediterranean. B. Seabirds are indeed among the most threatened bird groups, have reduced their overall abundance about 70% in the last 60 years, and several species face extinction, due to threats both on land and at sea. A few species, however, have taken profit of human resources and have increased in numbers. Of the following seabirds conservation considerations, choose the correct statement: A. In a 60-year period ( ) seabird abundance has declined 70% worldwide. B. There is no relationship between introduced predators and the decline of bird populations. C. Coastal development helps improving seabirds reproductive rates, as they use ports and buildings to build their nest and find more food in humanized areas. D. Seabird conservation concerns are completely unrelated to fishing activities. A. There has been a 70% decline overall, and for some species up to 95% of their populations has disappeared. Threats include predation by introduced predators in islands (breeding colonies), coastal development (reducing breeding habitat) and fishing bycatch at sea. 18

11 Seabirds and environmental change (mark the wrong statement): A. Marine windfarms may contribute to reduce the impacts of climate change, but they are not exempt of environmental impacts, such as seabird collisions. B. Climate and global change may increase seabird mortality rates through different ways, for instance by increasing the frequency and intensity of storms. C. Climate and global change interfere in the conservation of delta areas leading to a recession of this environment. D. Plastic contamination in seas and oceans can cause a visual impact but has no direct effect on seabirds and other biota. D. Plastics cause entanglements and may also obstruct the digestive tracts of several marine organisms. Moreover, they can be a source of chemical pollutants that the animals absorb through their digestive systems. Status and threats to Mediterranean seabirds - choose the wrong answer. A. Over 15 species of seabirds breed in the Mediterranean region, including a few that are endemic (only breed here). B. Some Mediterranean seabird species are threatened at global level, with the Balearic shearwater leading the list. C. The colonisation of islands by humans probably had a major impact on Mediterranean seabird populations, through the introduction of terrestrial predators. D. Fishing pressure has nothing to do with the current status of Mediterranean seabirds. D. Fishing pressure, and most importantly bycatch, represents a severe impact to some of the most threatened Mediterranean seabird species, such as the Balearic and Yelkouan shearwaters. 19

12 2.4. Seabird-fishery interactions Seabirds as indicators to fisheries mark the wrong sentence. A. With the decrease of fish stocks, in the last few decades fishermen have learnt to use seabirds to find their fish prey. B. Seabirds can contribute to fish stock assessment by providing indirect information on fish abundance, through their diet and their breeding performance. C. Seabirds may provide reliable information on fish distribution patterns. D. Seabirds are particularly useful to assess the status of young fish cohorts, before these are targeted by fisheries. A. The role of seabirds as direct indicators of the location of fish prey is still relevant to some fisheries, but was far more important in the past, when the current technological systems of positioning and fish detection did not exist. Both seabirds and fisheries can be regarded as top predators, and thus competitors. Within this context, choose the correct statement. A. Seabirds represent a major competitor to fisheries, and measures to minimize their impact on fish stocks should be undertaken. B. Fisheries are beneficial to seabirds because they remove their competitors and therefore there is more fish prey left to seabirds. C. Fisheries may significantly deplete stocks of seabirds fish prey, causing significant impacts in some populations. D. Seabirds are unable to compete with fisheries under any circumstance, as they don t have comparable capabilities. C. Fisheries may have significant impact on seabird s fish prey, and therefore may influence seabird populations in occasions (as has been documented in the coasts of Western South America). The contrary is unusual, but locally seabirds may exert enough pressure as to affect fish stocks, particularly near huge seabird colonies. 20

13 The global fisheries catch is estimated at million tonnes per year. Could you indicate which that of seabirds is? A. 70 million tonnes per year. B. 20 million tonnes per year. C. 10 million tonnes per year. D. 1 million ton per year. A. 70 million tonnes per year, which is a significant part of what fisheries capture. However, seabirds and fisheries do not always overlap in fishing areas, and moreover they often fish on different species. The largest catch of seabirds is that of krill and other planktonic organisms and invertebrates, particularly in the Southern Oceans. Choose the correct answer: A. Mediterranean fisheries do not pose any problem to seabird, as seabirds are scarce in the region. B. In the Mediterranean Sea fisheries are considered the dominant predator, consuming 50 to 100 times more fish than seabirds. C. The main threat to Mediterranean seabirds is the harvest of eggs and chicks in their colonies. D. Seabirds have increased to levels that are unsustainable by natural resources, and need to be culled for the sake of fisheries. B. Mediterranean seabirds are relatively scarce and catch far less fish than fisheries. 21

14 2.5. Seabirds and discards The reasons to discard fish are (chose the wrong answer): A. They are below their maximum landing size. B. Their catch overpasses the allowed quota. C. They have been damaged. D. They belong to non-edible or low valued species. A. For many commercial species there is a minimum landing size, but not a maximum size limit. The amount of discards generated by fisheries worldwide is estimated at about: A. 100 million tonnes per year. B. 10 million tonnes per year. C. 5 million kg per year. D. 10 tonnes per year. B. 10 million tonnes per year, around 10% of total commercial catch, as a conservative estimate. Seabirds are known to use discards worldwide. Choose the correct statement: A. Discards may explain the increase of some seabird populations. B. Discards are unequivocally beneficial to seabirds. C. Discards are a major threat to seabirds, as they get used to them and lose their ability to catch natural prey. D. Discards have no influence on seabird ecology. A. Some populations, particularly of opportunistic seabirds, appear to have increased at least partly to the availability of discards. There is certainly an influence on seabird s ecology. On the other hand, there is no black or white, this resource has advantages and disadvantages to seabirds. 22

15 Discards may influence seabirds ecology in a number of ways. For instance (mark the wrong statement): A. They can influence the breeding performance of seabirds. B. They can influence the foraging behaviour and movements of seabirds at sea. C. They fertilize the seas, so they provide food to seabirds directly, and at the same time favour the proliferation of their natural prey, such as sardines and anchovies. D. They can influence the daily activity patterns of seabirds. C. Discards may favour some scavenging species of fish and marine invertebrates, but these are rarely directly predated by seabirds. Moreover, this does not compensate for the impact of fishing on the natural prey of seabirds, which are often fully exploited or over-exploited. Discards may have the following impacts on seabirds (chose the wrong statement): A. They can bring higher levels of pollutants, as many discarded fish (bottomdwelling species) is more contaminated than typical seabirds natural prey (pelagic species). B. They are a major source of pathogens to seabirds. C. They can enhance seabird bycatch, as seabirds get used to associate with boats and therefore have more risk in getting entangled in their gears. D. They may alter the equilibrium of seabird communities, favouring the most opportunistic species in detriment of more specialised ones. B. So far there is no evidence that discards may be a (major) source of pathogens for seabirds. 23

16 In the Mediterranean, discards (choose the correct statement): A. Are too scarce as to have any significance for seabirds. B. Are exclusively consumed by opportunistic gull species. C. Could affect seabirds, but there are no studies in the region to demonstrate it. D. Represent a significant source of food for most seabird species. D. They represent a significant source of food for many Mediterranean seabird species, including gulls, terns and shearwaters. There are quite a few studies in the region documenting it. If discards were drastically reduced or completely banned in the Mediterranean (choose the wrong statement): A. Most seabird populations would collapse. B. Some seabird populations might have significant declines. C. Competition for food would increase within and between seabird species. D. Seabird bycatch might increase at least in the short-term. A. Most seabird populations would collapse. In fact, there could be significant declines for some species but, overall, seabird populations would probably endure the change. 24

17 2.6. Bycatch on seabirds Seabird populations are sensitive to bycatch because (mark the right answer): A. Seabirds vital strategy relies on living long and reproducing slowly, and bycatch reduces their life expectancies and precludes birds to leave enough descendants, on average, as to keep population levels stable. B. Seabirds tend to be caught during the breeding period, and this means that their chicks are abandoned in the nest and die before fledging. C. Most seabirds caught are young, and their survival is essential for the stability of their populations. D. In fact they are not sensitive to bycatch. A. Seabirds vital strategy relies on living long and reproducing slowly, which means that adult survival is the most important parameter influencing population trends. Effects on reproductive performance (probability of chicks leaving their nest) and young survival are not so important for these organisms. The number of seabird deaths per year due to fisheries bycatch worldwide is estimated at about: A. Two million B. A few thousands C. Half a million D C. Half a million. While this figure is only tentative, and alone does not provide enough information as to clearly understand the impact of this problem on seabird populations, it gives at least an overview of the magnitude of the problem. 25

18 Where does seabird bycatch occur? (Choose the right answer): A. This is a problem restricted to the Southern Oceans. B. It may occur anywhere, but is only relevant in the Southern Oceans. C. It is an issue typical of the major oceans, while it is very rare in smaller seas. D. It is a widespread issue, though some regions are of more concern than others. D. It is a widespread issue, though some regions are of more concern than others. Initially concerns were raised in the Southern Oceans, but increasing evidence has shown that the problem extends to many other regions of the planet, including small seas such as the Mediterranean. What types of gears are involved in bycatch? (Choose the right answer): A. Pelagic longlines, because they set baited hooks near the surface, and seabirds may access them easily. B. Pelagic and demersal longlines. C. There are several gears that may cause bycatch, including pelagic and demersal longlines. D. There are several gears that may cause bycatch, including pelagic but not demersal longlines, as in the latter case the hooks are set in the bottom, beyond the reach of most seabirds. C. There are several gears that may cause bycatch, including pelagic and demersal longlines (as well as trammel nets, trawlers, purse-seiners and others). In the case of longlines, seabirds usually get entangled during the setting operation, when the baited hooks are near the surface, so the risk is there even if the hooks are intended to descend to the seafloor (demersal longline). 26

19 Information on seabird bycatch is (chose the right answer): A. Abundant and easy to record and access for consultation. B. Hard to get, and usually comes from different sources, such as anecdotal communications by fishermen, questionnaires, specific studies emplacing observers onboard. C. Systematically collected by fishermen. D. Systematically collected by observers onboard. B. Hard to get, and usually comes from different sources, such as anecdotal communications by fishermen, questionnaires, and specific studies emplacing observers onboard. However, there are increasing efforts to incorporate this type of information into fisheries statistics, as part of fishermen and observers reporting roles, as well as through automatic monitoring systems (e.g. onboard cameras). Choose the wrong statement about seabird bycatch A. It is often difficult to properly quantify, as it tends to occur on an irregular basis, with few events involving many birds, and lots of operations where bycatch does not occur. B. Its population implications are hard to assess, as it is always difficult to relate what happens at sea with population trends. C. Is of little relevance to seabird populations, because just a few birds dies from time to time. D. Can be easily overlooked due to the irregularity of catches, but even so can have important implications for many seabird populations. C. Is of little relevance to seabird populations, because just a few birds die from time to time. 27

20 In the Mediterranean, seabird bycatch (mark the correct statement): A. Is a side issue of little relevance because there are few seabirds in the region. B. Is a significant threat for many seabird species, which is aggravated by their relatively low numbers and their restricted distribution ranges. C. Is of main concern for gulls, as they are the species that most often associate to fishing vessels. D. Is basically associated with trawling. B. Is a significant threat for many seabird species, which is aggravated by their relatively low numbers and their restricted distribution ranges. This is the case of endemic species such as the Balearic and the Yelkouan shearwaters. In the Mediterranean, the main gears involved in seabird bycatch (mark the correct statement): A. All gears cause high levels of seabird bycatch. B. Are basically longlines, although there are claims that other gears might occasionally catch birds too. C. Are diverse, particularly longlines and trammel nets, but also purse-seines, trawlers and others. D. Is basically associated with trawling. C. Are diverse, particularly longlines and trammel nets, but also purse-seines, trawlers and others. 28

21 The Balearic shearwater is threatened by bycatch because (choose the right statement): A. This is a wrong premise, the actual problem of the endemic and critically endangered Balearic shearwater is the predation by introduced mammals in its breeding colonies. B. This is a wrong premise, the actual problem of the endemic and critically endangered Balearic shearwater is climate change. C. The Balearic shearwater is scarce and endemic to the Balearic Islands, but according to current knowledge it is not threatened. D. The number of birds caught every year is too high as to be compensated by reproduction, and therefore it causes a population decline. D. The number of birds caught every year is too high as to be compensated by reproduction, and therefore it causes a population decline. Introduced predators are also a significant threat to the species, and climate change might also affect it negatively, but these threats are neither exclusive nor more relevant. Regarding seabird bycatch mitigation measures (mark the wrong statement): A. They are technical or operational measures that are intended to reduce seabird bycatch. B. They include technical measures such as bird-scaring lines, acoustic alerts, added weights, etc. C. They may consist in operational changes, such as setting at night, changing bait to make it less attractive, setting temporal and/or spatial closures, manage discards adequately, etc. D. Seabird bycatch by longliners and trawlers has received more attention than that caused by nets, but there are very efficient mitigation measures for all types of gears. D. It is true that seabird bycatch by longliners and trawlers has received more attention, but correspondingly the mitigation of such bycatch is better understood and there are more efficient mitigation measures for these gears. In particular, set nets (such as trammel nets) still pose a challenge, with no obvious solutions being widely effective. 29

22 Which of the following associations between gear type and mitigation measure is wrong? A. Set nets added weights, bird-scaring lines. B. Set nets - visual and acoustical clues. C. Longlines added weights, bird-scaring lines. D. Trawlers bird-scaring lines, discards management. A. Set nets added weights, bird-scaring lines. These devices help sinking the gear faster and keeping birds away during setting, respectively, and are important for longlines and trawlers. However, in the case of set nets birds are caught when the net is already set, near the seafloor, and these devices are of no help. There are general standards as to what should be a good bycatch mitigation measure, according to international organizations such as FAO and ACAP. Of the following recommendations, chose the incorrect one: A. A good mitigation measure should be practical, safe, cost effective and widely available. B. A good mitigation measure should not significantly increase the bycatch of other taxa, such as sea turtles or marine mammals. C. A good mitigation measure should have clear and proven specifications and minimum performance standards for their deployment and use. D. A good mitigation measure should be only applied if it also increases fish catch. D. A good mitigation measure should be only applied if it also increases fish catch. Higher fishing efficiency might be of help for its acceptance and implementation, but its main aim has to be the reduction of bycatch, while ensuring that fishing efficiency is not reduced. 30

23 To develop and implement solutions to seabird bycatch (choose the correct answer): A. Scientists must be in charge, as they are the ones that best know the problem, and administrations and fishermen should follow their recommendations. B. When deciding mitigation methods is important to know the main problem instead of wasting the time in collateral concepts such as adapting measures to the local particularities. C. It is important to involve seabird experts, fishermen and administrations to work together, as their combined experience is the best guarantee of achieving successful and widely accepted measures. D. We have to avoid wasting time in testing and refining solutions, as this is an urgent matter for which solutions have already been proved elsewhere, and only political willingness is needed to implement them. C. It is important to involve seabird experts, fishermen and administrations to work together, as their combined experience is the best guarantee of achieving successful and widely accepted measures. Also, although solving the problem may be urgent in some cases, it is important to take the minimum time to test and refine solutions, in order to ensure efficacy. 31