senegal

Breaking ground on illegal fishing in Senegal

senegal

Photo credit: Dyhia Belhabib

 

One of our PhD students Dyhia Belhabib headed a study that revealed catch numbers in Senegal have been misreported largely due to high levels of illegal fishing.

Belhabib’s research —a joint project with Sea Around Us and US Agency for International Development— found that the number of industrial catches is vastly underestimated.  She worked with the DPM, World Wildlife Fund and data from the U.S. Navy, in the study that began in March 2012. It was published earlier this month.

In effect, the study has increased Senegal’s awareness of illegal fishing vessels. Earlier this month, they arrested members of an illegal Russian vessel for fishing in Senegalese waters.

Belhabib’s report stated that official reports and fishers’ accounts document the presence of illegal vessels—which are thought to be a major cause of problems for Senegalese artisanal fisheries.

Belhabib noted that artisanal fisheries have increased in both time and space.

“They go out more often and travel further away,” she said.  “It’s been undetected for years.”

Senegalese artisanal fishing numbers have been reported at 80 per cent, but Belhabib’s research discovered the numbers are closer to half artisanal fishing and half industrial.

She stressed the importance of the findings, as they’ll help fishery decision-makers make more informed policy choices.

“These findings can help solve the problems of over-capacity in Senegalese waters,” she said.

 

You can read more about the study here:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165783613003007

See press on illegal fishing in Senegal here: 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25621864

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25859387

Scientific American Article Explores Catch Data Controversy

A recent study by Trevor Branch and colleagues asserted that the decline in the mean trophic index is no longer present in the global catch data. But does it really cast doubt on the depletion of big ocean species?

In an article published today at Scientific American, journalist Mike Orcutt explores how best to measure commercial fishing’s impact on ocean biodiversity. He discusses the findings of Brach et al. in light of the new study quantifying fisheries expansion. Orcutt reports:

Pauly says the new PLoS One paper “completely invalidates” Branch’s Nature paper because the authors failed to account for the spatial expansion described in the former. As fisheries move offshore, he says, they first target large fish high on the food web—just as they did closer to shore. “Hence, moving offshore will mask inshore declines in mean trophic levels.”

Read the full article here.

Photo: Tiny fish caught by a trawler off of Hong Kong by Stanley Shea/BLOOM.

Whale Watching: Worth a Lot

A new study by authors from the Fisheries Economics Research Unit and the Sea Around Us Project shows that whale watching is a booming industry and a good alternative to whaling. Based on ecological and socio-economic criteria, whale watching could generate an additional US$413 million in yearly revenue, supporting 5,700 jobs. Together with current global estimates, this would bring the total potential for the whale watching industry to over US$2.5 billion in yearly revenue and about 19,000 jobs around the world. The research was covered widely during the IWC meeting. Read, for instance, this piece at Discovery News.



Reference: A.M. Cisneros-Montemayor, U.R. Sumaila , K. Kaschner , D. Pauly (in press) The global potential for whale watching. Marine Policy.

Daniel Pauly Contributes to the Huffington Post

fish-loveDaniel Pauly published today an article on Fish As Food: A Love Affair, Issues Included in the Huffington Post. His article begins: Imagine the evolution of a relationship, when the delight in discovering a new lover is followed by the discovery of his or her issues, which eventually leads to the relationship being reassessed, however painful this might be. I speak here about seafood, discovered by many only in the last few years. Read the full piece here.

2009 Radio & TV Interviews

March 17 BC Almanac Nutrition Guidelines Rashid Sumaila Windows Media
March 16 CBC.ca Advice to eat fish hurts environment Rashid Sumaila Acrobat Reader
March 15 Radio New Zealand International US fishing subsidies to American Samoa and others contributing to overfishing Rashid Sumaila Acrobat Reader
March 14 Radio France Daniel Pauly Daniel Pauly Real Player
March 9 Discovery News Fish fare best at economic extremes by Emily Sohn Rashid Sumaila Acrobat Reader
March 2 SVT.Se Svensk naiv TV-kfritikk Daniel Pauly Acrobat Reader
March 2 Radio Canada International Canada en las Americas: Cuantos peces hay en el oceano? by Christian Sida
Feb. 25 Swedish Public Broadcasting, SVT.se Rosa Guld (Pink Gold)

Translation

Daniel Pauly Acrobat Reader
Feb. 25 Svt.se Odlad lax ger mindre fisk i haven Daniel Pauly Real Player
Feb. 13 WBUR Boston Cod population could plummet by 2050 by Sascha Pfeiffer Real Player
Feb. 12 CNN.com Fish migrating to cooler waters by Azadeh Ansari William Cheung Acrobat Reader
Feb. 12 STV News Fish seen shifting 125 miles by 2050 due to warming by Alister Doyle William Cheung Acrobat Reader
Jan. 16 iNews 880 Fish Poop: New Findings! Villy Christensen Acrobat Reader
Jan. 16 Komo News Fish poop helps balance ocean’s acid levels Villy Christensen Acrobat Reader
Jan. 16 Press TV Fish control seawater harmful acid levels Acrobat Reader
Jan. 15 CBC.ca Study suggests fish waste helping neutralize carbon dioxide levels in oceans Villy Christensen Acrobat Reader
Jan. 15 CBC.ca Fish feces reduce ocean CO2 levels Villy Christensen Acrobat Reader
Jan. 15 KSL.com Fish poop helps balance ocean’s acid levels Acrobat Reader
Jan. 15 FoxNews.com Fish feces may maintain ocean acid balance Acrobat Reader
Jan. 15 Eyewitness News Fish poop helps balance ocean’s acid levels Acrobat Reader
Jan. 15 DiscoverChannel.com Fish poop helps balance ocean acidity Acrobat Reader
Jan. 15 Central Florida News 13 Fish poop helps balance ocean’s acid levels Acrobat Reader
Jan. 15 CTV.ca Fish feces may help neutralize carbon dioxide levels Villy Christensen Acrobat Reader
Jan. 15 STV.tv Fish digestions help keep the oceans healthy Villy Christensen Acrobat Reader
Jan. 15 KATU.com Scientists find benefit to fish poop by Scott Sistek Acrobat Reader
Jan. 15 CBS News Fish poop helps balance ocean’s acid levels Acrobat Reader
Jan. 15 KOMO News Scientists find benefit to fish poop by Scott Sistek Acrobat Reader
Jan. 15 KTAR.com Fish poop helps balance ocean’s acid levels Acrobat Reader

2009 Magazine Coverage