A spatial method to calculate small-scale fisheries effort in data poor scenarios

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174064
• Publication Date: 2017-04-13T17:30:06Z
• Authors: Andrew Frederick ...; Marcia Moreno-Báez; Alfredo Giron-Nava; Julia Corominas; Brad Erisman; Exequiel Ezcurra; Octavio Aburto-Or...
• Keywords: Fisheries science

To gauge the collateral impacts of fishing we must know where boats operate and how much they fish. Although small-scale fisheries land approximately same amount fish for human consumption as industrial fleets globally, methods estimating their effort are comparatively poor. We present an accessible, spatial method calculating based on two simple measures that available, or at least easily estimated, in even most data-poor fisheries: number local coastal population. illustrate using a case study from Gulf California, Mexico, show our measure Predicted Fishing Effort (PFE), measured operating given area per day adjusted by people populations, can accurately predict landings Gulf. Comparing values PFE to commercial fishery throughout also indicates current is double what required theoretical maximum biomass. Our fishery-type independent be used quantitatively evaluate efficacy growth fisheries. This new provides important first step towards globally.