Fisheries ResearchPub Date : 2025-02-20DOI: 10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107307
Erin J. Fedewa , Pamela C. Jensen , Hamish J. Small , Michael A. Litzow , Michael J. Malick , Leah S. Zacher , W. Christopher Long , Stan Kotwicki
{"title":"Bitter crab disease dynamics in eastern Bering Sea Tanner and snow crab: An underestimated and emergent stressor","authors":"Erin J. Fedewa , Pamela C. Jensen , Hamish J. Small , Michael A. Litzow , Michael J. Malick , Leah S. Zacher , W. Christopher Long , Stan Kotwicki","doi":"10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107307","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107307","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tanner crab (<em>Chionoecetes bairdi</em>) and snow crab (<em>C. opilio</em>) populations in the eastern Bering Sea have reached historic lows in recent years, and declines have been linked to recruitment failures and mortality events. Bitter crab disease, caused by a parasitic dinoflagellate (<em>Hematodinium</em> sp.), contributes to high mortality rates in Tanner and snow crab, and outbreaks have the potential to reduce recruitment and population productivity. Here, we employed a polymerase chain reaction assay to detect <em>Hematodinium</em> sp. in Tanner and snow crab hemolymph samples to: 1) evaluate testing accuracy of visual disease detection methods; 2) estimate bitter crab disease prevalence from 2015 to 2017 in eastern Bering Sea monitoring sites; and 3) identify factors influencing the likelihood of <em>Hematodinium</em> sp. infection. Our results indicated that visual diagnostic methods failed to detect 93 % of infections, and underestimated disease prevalence by up to 90 %. Infection risk was highly dependent on host size, sex and sampling date. Small Tanner crab (<30 mm carapace width) were nearly twice as susceptible to infection, and female snow crab were 9 % more likely to be infected than males. Most notably, bitter crab disease prevalence exceeded 50 % at two monitoring sites during the study period, and annual disease prevalence increased by approximately 10 % per year in both populations. We emphasize the severe population-level consequences for these high prevalence levels in eastern Bering Sea Tanner and snow crab stocks. Our approach highlights the critical importance of continued monitoring and mechanistic modeling of bitter crab disease in severely depressed crab populations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50443,"journal":{"name":"Fisheries Research","volume":"283 ","pages":"Article 107307"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143453996","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fisheries ResearchPub Date : 2025-02-20DOI: 10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107306
Zi Wang , Naizheng Yan , Tohru Mukai , Kohei Hasegawa , Jun Yamamoto
{"title":"Broadband characteristics of Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) and Pacific chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) target strength identified using the tether method","authors":"Zi Wang , Naizheng Yan , Tohru Mukai , Kohei Hasegawa , Jun Yamamoto","doi":"10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107306","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107306","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Target strength (TS) is essential for acoustic fish biomass estimation. Traditional narrowband surveys, which are constrained by single-frequency TS measurements, limit species identification. In contrast, broadband technology, which utilises continuous frequency ranges, enhances differentiation through TS frequency response. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the structural differences in swim bladders between physostomous and physoclistous fish produce distinguishable TS characteristics. Pacific herring (<em>Clupea pallasii</em>) and Pacific chub mackerel (<em>Scomber japonicus</em>) were selected to represent physostomous and physoclistous species, respectively. TS measurements were conducted using the tether method in freshwater and seawater tanks, employing calibrated split-beam quantitative echo sounders (Simrad EK80 scientific echosounder system) within the range of 45–260 kHz. After the acoustic measurements, the theoretical TS estimated by the Kirchhoff ray mode model was compared with the measured results. The maximum TS<sub>cm</sub> increased with increasing L/λ (ratio of length (L) to wavelength (λ)) for both species. The tilt angle distribution was assumed to be represented by a normal distribution (mean value: −5°, standard deviation: 15°) regarding average TS<sub>cm</sub>. Pacific herring showed an overall decreasing trend, whereas Pacific chub mackerel showed no significant trend. At L/λ < 4.5, significant differences were observed in maximum and average TS<sub>cm</sub> and L/λ characteristics, with Pacific herring exhibiting a marked decrease and Pacific chub mackerel showing a slight increase. These results may improve the accuracy of fishery resource assessments of these two species, assist in their identification, and provide a reference for differentiating between physostomous and physoclistous fish.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50443,"journal":{"name":"Fisheries Research","volume":"283 ","pages":"Article 107306"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143445951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fisheries ResearchPub Date : 2025-02-19DOI: 10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107296
Leigh P. Gaffney, Micah Quindazzi, Emma Polard, Chloe Kraemer, Lydia N. Walton, Zoe A. Molder, Wesley L. Greentree, Will Duguid, Nick Bohlender, Francis Juanes
{"title":"Vateritic otoliths in hatchery-reared Strait of Georgia coho salmon: Variation among stocks, hatcheries, and life stages","authors":"Leigh P. Gaffney, Micah Quindazzi, Emma Polard, Chloe Kraemer, Lydia N. Walton, Zoe A. Molder, Wesley L. Greentree, Will Duguid, Nick Bohlender, Francis Juanes","doi":"10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107296","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107296","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coho salmon (<em>Oncorhynchus kisutch</em>) populations have been declining, prompting large-scale hatchery-rearing programs to mitigate these losses. Despite these efforts, hatchery-reared coho salmon exhibit lower marine survival rates compared to their wild counterparts, potentially due to differences in rearing environments. One well-documented difference is the occurrence of abnormal (vateritic) sagittal otoliths, which occur at much higher rates in hatchery-reared salmon (50–80 %) compared to wild salmon (<10 %). Given the critical role of sagittal otoliths in inner-ear function, understanding the factors influencing vaterite occurrence is crucial. Our study aimed to quantify the proportion and percent coverage of vateritic sagittal otoliths in hatchery-reared coho salmon smolts and adults from eleven stocks across eight hatchery facilities and river systems around the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada, collected over two years. We also compared otoliths from smolts and adults originating from the same brood year to assess potential impacts on survival. Our results show that vaterite proportion and percent coverage vary significantly by hatchery facility, stock, and brood year. Smolts from the Coldwater River stock, reared under unique early rearing conditions, exhibited the lowest proportion of vateritic sagittal otoliths (29 % of fish had at least one vateritic otolith) compared to all other hatchery smolt and adult stocks (43–91 %). The proportion and percent coverage of vateritic otoliths did not differ significantly between outmigrating smolts and returning adults from the same brood year, suggesting that vateritic otoliths did not impact marine survival This research emphasizes the variability in vateritic otoliths across hatcheries and stocks, highlighting the need to evaluate hatchery rearing practices to better understand and mitigate the potential impacts of vateritic otoliths on the health and marine survival of hatchery-origin Pacific salmon.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50443,"journal":{"name":"Fisheries Research","volume":"283 ","pages":"Article 107296"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143445869","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fisheries ResearchPub Date : 2025-02-19DOI: 10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107293
Li Su , Kui Zhang , Youwei Xu , Zuozhi Chen
{"title":"Variations in the fish community of the Beibu Gulf (South China Sea) following fishery resources protection measures","authors":"Li Su , Kui Zhang , Youwei Xu , Zuozhi Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107293","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107293","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Beibu Gulf is a resource–rich bay in the northwestern South China Sea; however, its fishery resources have been in decline owing to overfishing and other factors. To rebuild the depleted fish stocks, China has implemented a series of fishery resources conservation and management measures; the most influential of these is possibly the summer fishing moratorium, in effect since 1999. This study used data from bottom–trawl surveys conducted in spring and autumn from 1998 to 2020 to analyze variations in the fish community of the Beibu Gulf following implementation of the fishery resources protection measures. The data analysis indicated improvements in fish species richness, diversity, and mean trophic level, but further declines in fish abundance and biomass since 1998. The composition of dominant species, except for the small–sized glowbelly <em>Acropoma japonicum</em>, changed obviously from 1998 to 2020, although still mainly composed of small–sized demersal and pelagic species. Abundance–biomass comparison curves indicate that the disturbance level affecting fish in the Beibu Gulf remained unchanged and that it is still in a heavily disturbed state. These findings suggest that the current fishery resource conservation policies are inadequate for reversing the trend of declining fishery resources. China’s marine fishery resources management measures should be refined by incorporating more–precise conservation measures consistent with the characteristics of the local resources. In particular, relevant measures are needed to control the fishing output, such as the quota fishing system currently being piloted.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50443,"journal":{"name":"Fisheries Research","volume":"283 ","pages":"Article 107293"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143436914","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fisheries ResearchPub Date : 2025-02-18DOI: 10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107294
Chloe Blackman , Lynda Blackadder , Elizabeth M. Harper , Clive Fox
{"title":"Re-assessing the growth parameters for the razor clam, Ensis siliqua, from Scottish electrofishing grounds using external shell marks and oxygen isotope validation","authors":"Chloe Blackman , Lynda Blackadder , Elizabeth M. Harper , Clive Fox","doi":"10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107294","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107294","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Landings of razor clams by global capture fisheries have increased by around 15 times since the turn of the century. Harvesting techniques range from hand-picking and use of brine solutions to force the clams to emerge, to more intensive mechanical and hydraulic dredging. In Scotland, electrofishing for the pod razor (<em>Ensis siliqua</em>) is presently the focus of a government run scientific trial. Growth estimates are an important component of fisheries management contributing to yield-per-recruit and natural mortality estimation. However, growth rate estimates should be periodically re-evaluated, particularly when harvesting practices have changed. Interpretation of external shell growth increments alongside validation by oxygen isotope analyses was used to generate length-at-age data for <em>E. siliqua</em> collected from five sites within the Scottish electrofishing scientific trial. Von Bertalanffy growth curves were then fitted to these data using a hierarchical Bayesian approach. Across all five sites the mean of the asymptotic length (L<sub>∞</sub>) was estimated to be 191 mm and the mean of the Brody coefficient (k) estimated at 0.27 y<sup>−1</sup>. The 95 % credible intervals for L<sub>∞</sub> were from 182 to 206 mm, and for k were between 0.17 and 0.33 y<sup>−1</sup>. These new estimates are consistent with previous published results from Scottish sites suggesting that recent changes to harvesting practices have not led to substantial changes in <em>E. siliqua</em> growth rates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50443,"journal":{"name":"Fisheries Research","volume":"283 ","pages":"Article 107294"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143430090","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fisheries ResearchPub Date : 2025-02-16DOI: 10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107297
Karin E. Limburg , Yvette Heimbrand , Karin Hüssy , Martina Blass , Jay B. Thomas , Katja Mäkinen , Tomas Næraa
{"title":"The forgotten element: Why do we ignore calcium in otolith studies?","authors":"Karin E. Limburg , Yvette Heimbrand , Karin Hüssy , Martina Blass , Jay B. Thomas , Katja Mäkinen , Tomas Næraa","doi":"10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107297","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107297","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Typical analyses of otolith microchemistry use calcium, a major constituent, as an internal standard, setting its value as a constant and ignoring any potential variations. In fact, patterns do occur in otolith Ca deposition, as can be observed either by repeating the analysis, by creating two-dimensional maps of Ca, or both. Here we present evidence of Ca variations in fish otoliths from analyses using synchrotron-based scanning X-ray fluorescence microscopy, electron microprobe analysis, and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). 2-D maps of otoliths created with LA-ICP-MS indicate that Ca is elevated where especially Zn and P are low, and vice versa, suggesting that spatial variations in protein deposition may affect concentrations of Ca. We encourage others to examine Ca concentrations in their biomineralized samples to check for variations, using LA-ICP-MS and other methods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50443,"journal":{"name":"Fisheries Research","volume":"283 ","pages":"Article 107297"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143419523","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fisheries ResearchPub Date : 2025-02-16DOI: 10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107298
Antonio Palermino , Sven Gastauer , Andrea De Felice , Giovanni Canduci , Ilaria Biagiotti , Iole Leonori
{"title":"Characterization of European sprat acoustic backscatter through modeling techniques: A comparison with in situ observations in the Mediterranean Sea","authors":"Antonio Palermino , Sven Gastauer , Andrea De Felice , Giovanni Canduci , Ilaria Biagiotti , Iole Leonori","doi":"10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107298","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107298","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In fisheries acoustics, the identification of targets and the precise conversion of acoustic energy into biologically important meaningful metrics remain a challenge. Backscattering cross-section, or its logarithmic form, Target Strength (TS, dB re 1 m<sup>2</sup>), is a key parameter in this process. While numerous studies exist on the TS of commercially important species, there is a paucity of research on commercially ancillary species, such as the European sprat in the Mediterranean Sea, which is nonetheless of great importance for the pelagic ecosystem. The application of backscattering models can enhance our understanding of this species’ acoustic properties. In this study, we applied several backscattering models on three-dimensional swim bladder shapes derived from Computer Tomography (CT) scans of sprat collected during the MEDiterranean International Acoustic Survey (MEDIAS). The theoretical TS pattern was compared with empirical empirically TS measurements, demonstrating a good fit at 38 and 70 kHz between 0° (broadside incidence) and −20°. Significant differences were observed at higher frequencies and tilt angles. This study provides estimates of the relative frequency response and broadband backscatter of sprat in the Mediterranean Sea. We proposed a new relevant TS to length relationship of 20 log(L)-68.3 dB re 1 m<sup>2</sup> at 38 kHz for European sprat in the Mediterranean Sea.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50443,"journal":{"name":"Fisheries Research","volume":"283 ","pages":"Article 107298"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143419522","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fisheries ResearchPub Date : 2025-02-16DOI: 10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107300
Devanshi Kasana , Hector Daniel Martinez , Julio Sánchez-Jiménez , Elisa M. Areano-Barillas , Kevin A. Feldheim , Demian D. Chapman
{"title":"Hunt for the Easter Sharks: A genetic analysis of shark and ray meat markets in Guatemala","authors":"Devanshi Kasana , Hector Daniel Martinez , Julio Sánchez-Jiménez , Elisa M. Areano-Barillas , Kevin A. Feldheim , Demian D. Chapman","doi":"10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107300","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107300","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Guatemala, situated in Central America along the eastern Pacific Ocean and the western Caribbean Sea, is a major regional consumer of elasmobranch (shark and ray) meat during the Roman Catholic Lenten season. Elasmobranch meat is supplied by a combination of domestic fisheries and imports. Despite being a component of economic and nutritional security for local communities, fisheries and trade lack monitoring and management. Limited information on species-specific landings and fisheries and trade supply chains is further complicated by Guatemala’s bicoastal geography, which necessitates the separation of landings by geographic origin for robust stock assessments and targeted management interventions. This study employs molecular techniques to identify the species and, for the main species in trade, ocean basin provenance, occurring in meat samples collected from domestic markets across Guatemala in 2022 as well as historical samples from 2016 and 2017. Successful genetic testing of 370 meat samples identified 19 shark and ray species in the trade, including many threatened species, as well as a significant proportion of species now listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). It also revealed substantial (22 %) mislabelling of teleost fish as elasmobranchs. Pacific coast markets and the largest inland market (Guatemala City, the largest urban centre) predominantly relied on domestic and imported landings from the Pacific coast, while Guatemala City also had inputs from domestic and likely imported landings from the Atlantic coast. One Atlantic coastal market sampled was exclusively supplied from that basin. Some imports of Pacific Ocean species are reported to CITES but there is limited national management of pelagic and coastal shark and rays landings on the Pacific coast, which needs to be rectified given the importance of these species and populations to elasmobranch meat consumption in Guatemala. Better enforcement of CITES is required to ensure sustainable imports of Atlantic Ocean sharks, while recent efforts to manage Atlantic domestic landings needs to be continued and likely expanded to promote sustainability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50443,"journal":{"name":"Fisheries Research","volume":"283 ","pages":"Article 107300"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143419650","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fisheries ResearchPub Date : 2025-02-13DOI: 10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107295
Zhongtang He , Mingju Luo , Weijie Cui , Yang Zhou , Tao He
{"title":"Use left or right otolith for shape analysis in Schizothorax grahami?","authors":"Zhongtang He , Mingju Luo , Weijie Cui , Yang Zhou , Tao He","doi":"10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107295","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107295","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Lots of studies using otolith microstructures to divide fish stocks only select one of the left and right otoliths as the object, and the difference between the left and right otoliths has not been considered in detail. In this paper, we used Shape Index method and R language to compare the microstructures of the left and right asteriscus otolith of <em>Schizothorax grahami</em> (Regan, 1904) in the source section of Chishui River. The paired t-test results of otolith morphological index showed significant difference between the roundness (P < 0.05), and the Mann-Whitney U test results showed significant difference between circularity (P < 0.05) and format-factor (P < 0.05). The results of principal component analysis showed that the eigenvalues of two principal components are greater than 1, and the cumulative contribution rate of the first two principal components was 72.84 %. In the first principal component, except for the rectangularity, the other shape indexes were greater than the second principal component, which reflected the degree of difference between the long and short axes, and the irregularity of the contour. The results of ANOVA in R language showed that there was no significant difference in Fourier coefficients of the left and right otoliths (P > 0.05). At the same time, according to the average shape reconstructed by wavelet coefficient, the contours of the left and right otoliths were symmetrical. The values of the left and right sides based on the wavelet coefficient were symmetrically distributed on both sides of the origin, while based on the Fourier coefficient were clustered in the center of the origin. Through the two analysis methods, it is indicated that there is no significant difference between the left and right aster otolith profiles of <em>S. grahami</em> in the source section of Chishui River. When otolith microstructures were used to classify <em>S. grahami</em>, the selection of a single otolith (left or right) would not affect the analysis results.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50443,"journal":{"name":"Fisheries Research","volume":"283 ","pages":"Article 107295"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143395137","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fisheries ResearchPub Date : 2025-02-12DOI: 10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107285
Serra Örey , Jennifer Rehren , Torsten Schulze , Oscar Puebla , Rabea Diekmann
{"title":"Identifying fishing behavior groups from vessel movement data: Application to the German brown shrimp fleet","authors":"Serra Örey , Jennifer Rehren , Torsten Schulze , Oscar Puebla , Rabea Diekmann","doi":"10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107285","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fishres.2025.107285","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The German brown shrimp (<em>Crangon crangon</em>) fleet in the North Sea is declining due to rising fuel costs and unpredictable shrimp prices. Furthermore, this fishery is adapting their area use to new EU Natura 2000 regulations. We analyze thirteen years of Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) data spatially and temporally to investigate fisher behavior for this specific métier. A total of 1938408 VMS pings from 211 vessels are clustered into four behavioral groups differing in vessel length, engine power, total brown shrimp catch, and landing per unit effort (LPUE). We evaluated the potential effect of recently implemented and future marine protected area (MPA) closures linked to the EU Action Plan 2023. The former have negligible overlap with areas exploited by shrimp fishers, but the latter cover grounds from which 70 % of brown shrimp landings originated during 2009–2021. The most affected behavioral group includes 119 vessels, characterized by smaller sizes (vessel length ∼ 16 m), with potential landings decreasing by up to 80 % without effort relocation or behavioral adaptation. Our results show that vessels targeting the same species differ in fishing behavior and spatial footprints. More generally, our approach assesses diversity in fishing behavior and highlights varying adaptability to changing economic and management conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50443,"journal":{"name":"Fisheries Research","volume":"283 ","pages":"Article 107285"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143387339","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}