Improving the exploitation pattern in the fishery for Northeast Arctic Saithe (Pollachius virens)

• Main Authors: Sandberg, Per, Nedreaas, Kjell Harald
• Format: Report
• Language: English; unknown
• Published: International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade
• Subjects: Fisheries > Economic aspects > Congresses; Sustainable fisheries > Congresses; Aquaculture; Northeast Arctic Saithe; Fisheries Economics; Exploitation Pattern; Consultative Management; Bioeconomic Modelling; Fisheries management; Arctic; Norway
• Online Access: https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/conference_proceedings_or_journals/7d278v17z

Fisheries affect fish stocks through their exploitation rate and exploitation pattern. Both influence the economic yield from the fish stock. In regulated fisheries, the exploitation rate is determined either by the acceptable level of fishing effort or catch, whereas the exploitation pattern is determined by selectivity of gears and/or regulatory measures like closed areas, closed seasons and minimum catch and/or landing sizes. This paper describes the process of improving the exploitation pattern in the fishery for Northeast Arctic Saithe in Norway. The process was started in 1996 when the Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries requested the Directorate of Fisheries and the Institute of Marine Research to calculate the biological and economic consequences of increasing the minimum catch size in the fishery. Data on the biological characteristics of the fish stock, the selectivity of the various fishing gears and cost and earnings from the various fleet segments were collected. Using these data, the biological and economic consequences of increasing the minimum catch size on spawning stock biomass, catch and net economic revenue during a 10-year period were calculated. Regional consequences for the fishermen were also described. The calculated consequences were written in a report sent to various interested parties. Comments to the report were treated and in cooperation with the fishing industry, new minimum catch sizes were advocated in 1997 and formally established in 1999. Since then, the spawning stock has grown and it is debated whether this growth has been caused by a modest exploitation rate or by an improved exploitation pattern. This underlines the mutual dependency between the exploitation rate and exploitation pattern when managing a fishery.