Executive Summary The analysis of Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) data from the equatorial purse-seine fleet has the potential to increase the understanding of the operation of the fishery and lead to the quantification of the effective fishing effort expended by the fleet. In turn, this may enable the development of metrics that provide indicators of the performance of the fishery and, potentia...

We analyzed 1950s survey data with generalized estimating equations (GEEs) to quantify factors that influence the rate that bait is lost from pelagic longlines. Hook depth, bait species, local tuna abundance, and the timing of longline operations strongly influenced loss rates. Loss rates increased with tuna abundance and soak time. They declined with hook depth and were low for firm-bodied bai...

We propose a dynamic model for studying the time evolution of fish stocks in an environment divided into two adjacent zones with different fishing policies. We analyze two particular harvesting methods: constant fishing effort and profit maximization. In this case, some agents engage in competition based on maximization of individual profit whereas others cooperate. The asymptotic behavior of t...

Hastings et al. (1) model a fishery with a weak and a strong stock. Using several examples from the US West Coast they conclude that marine protected areas (MPAs) are an effective way to allow harvest of strong stock while allowing for persistence of weak stocks and that MPAs have distinct advantages over traditional fisheries management. I constructed a model similar to theirs, except my model...

We aimed to develop alternative fishing gear for catching the common octopus, to decrease the use of bait and operating costs in comparison to commercial net pots. A tubular-type pot was designed, and behavioral responses of the common octopus were experimentally monitored in tank and replicated 10 times to compare fishing performances between 300 experimental and 300 commercial net pots in the...

Responses to over-fishing are very similar. Efforts begin with gear restrictions, area closures and seasonal closures. Entry restrictions, including a license moratorium and a license buyback program, often follow. The results are similar too. Over-fishing and effort increases continue. Common property (not open access) regimes (community development quotas—CDQs), private property regimes (indi...

Marine protected areas (MPAs) have attracted much attention as a tool for sustainable fisheries management, restoring depleted fisheries stocks and maintaining ecosystems. However, even with total exclusion of fishing effort, depleted stocks sometimes show little or no recovery over a long time period. Here, using a mathematical model, we show that multiple stable states may hold the key to und...

The Mozambique Channel region in East Africa has diverse marine ecosystems and serves as a migratory corridor for economically important species. Local foreign industrial fisheries operate the Channel, but regional small-scale are crucially that provide food security, livelihoods, economic opportunities rural coastal communities. This study reconstructed investigated trends fishing effort catch...