Fishers as foragers: Individual variation among small-scale fishing vessels as revealed by novel tracking technology

Autor: Timothy H. Frawley, Brianna Villalon, Larry B. Crowder, Timothy D. White, Rachel R. Carlson, Hannah Blondin
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Fisheries Research. 238:105896
ISSN: 0165-7836
Popis: Effective fisheries management requires an understanding of fisher behavior. Though vessel tracking systems are increasingly used to describe the movements and activities of industrial fishing fleets, their use has been limited within the small-scale fisheries employing the vast majority of the world’s capture fishers. Here we combine novel vessel tracking technology with logbook data to conduct a high-resolution analysis of behavior and decision-making within a small-scale fishery. Our results indicate significant heterogeneity in fisher behavior, catch composition, and profits within a small-scale fleet operating in the central Gulf of California, even amongst fishing vessels using similar gear types. The weekly home ranges (75 % Kernel Utilization Distribution) occupied by fishers spanned 1.5–1121.8 km2 across 13 vessels, while weekly profits ranged from -1810 to 26,160 pesos. Differences in the spatial interactions and catch profiles of observed vessels revealed the existence of behavioral associations linked with distinct fishing strategies. After identifying and describing the contextual factors driving such heterogeneity among vessels using hook and line fishing gear, we interpret emergent patterns and processes using insights from foraging theory and marine social science. In illustrating the applications and opportunities presented by recent advances in vessel tracking technology, we argue for the use of spatially explicit analytical approaches in assessing behavioral diversity within small-scale fisheries and in designing robust and equitable management strategies.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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