What “Catch” means in environmental context?

1. UNECE TF on Environmental Indicators What “Catch” means in environmental context? Sachiko TSUJI (FAO)

2. How “catch” is determined – meaning of catch • Detailed definition of catch • Indication of “catch” in a context of monitoring “environment” • We cannot see underneath of water – limitation in available information; invisible, less noticeable • Aquatic – terrestrial biological dynamics – no difference in principle

3. Senior Fishery Statistician of FAO • Responsible for all Fishery and Aquaculture statistics disseminated from FAO • Participated in development of UN SEEA, CBD - aquatic • Secretary of Coordinating Working Party on Fishery Statistics (CWP) • FAO Statutory global coordinating mechanism - 22 organizations as members • Objectives - set up standards, concepts and classifications for fisheries statistics, review information needs, coordination for research and collaboration • Personal background – population dynamics

4. What “catch” means ? Dynamics on aquatic stocks, fishing activities, catch and environmental impacts.

5. Dynamics of biological stock Natural mortality Catch Recruit-ment Growth Fish stocks

6. Dynamics of biological stock Natural mortality Catch Recruit-ment Growth Fish stocks

7. Catch diagram Catch Fishing Efforts CATCH = [Fishing Effort] * [Fish abundance available to fishing] Avail- ability # boats; Gear technology; Fishing Days Fish stocks ENSO events; Climate changes impacts,

8. Sustainable Yields Stock Abundance Fishing Efforts Sustainable Yields Catch

9. Catch diagram Catch Fishing Efforts Habitat Destruction; Pollution CATCH = [Fishing Effort] * [Fish abundance available to fishing] Avail- ability # boats; Gear technology; Fishing Days Urbanization; Water front development; Pollution Fish stocks ENSO events; Climate changes impacts,

10. Dynamics of biological stock Natural mortality Catch Recruit-ment Growth Fish stocks

11. Dynamics of biological stock -- Impacts of habitat destruction Natural mortality Catch Recruit-ment Growth Recruit-ment Growth Natural mortality Catch Fish stocks Fish stocks

12. Dynamics of biological stock -- Combination with aquaculture Natural mortality Catch Recruit-ment Growth Recruit-ment Growth Natural mortality Catch Release of farmed seeds Fish stocks Fish stocks Removal of predators; Fertilizing; Blocking fish moves

13. Multi-species context • Single population theories not applicable to multi species context: • Too complex for modeling • Generally lower suitable harvest point; conflict between over-exploited primary species .vs. under-exploited secondary species • “Fished – down” – size change • Big fish and commercially high valued fish removed, first • Size of fish getting smaller – matured at small size with young age; fish becoming thin > lower productivities • “Fished – down” – change in species composition • Moving to alternative less preferable species • Lowering average trophic level

14. Small scale .vs. large scale

15. What to measure ? Identifying measurement and indicators suitable to monitor target events

16. Selection criteria of indicators: • Directly measurable, not abstractive concepts: • Sensitive and responsive to change in targets: • Clear reflective relation to behavior of targets; • Cost-effective: • Robust and less sensitive to noise: • Consistent with public understandings and technical indications: • Adequate time-series:

17. Concept of catch Diagram Landing * Conversion factors > NOMINAL CATCH

18. Currently available data and indicators • Contribution to food security -- FAO • Catch by species and species groups : Retained catch < converted from Landings • Trades, disposition by species and species groups • Stock assessment / management purpose -- Regional Fishery Management Organizations (RFMOs) • Gross removal (including discards), species-specific • Stock indicator – e.g. catch taken by unit effort (CPUE) • Stock assessment results of species under management • Inventories and summary of stocks assessment results – FAO SOFIA / FIRMS; ICES

19. Currently available data and indicators • Stocks status as macro-indicators • Average trophic level – EU Indicators • Gross removal adjusted with effort indicator (quasi-CPUE) – SEEA • Bio-diversity – CBD for aquatic (FAO) in pipeline • List of aquatic species captured as well as farmed: survey questionnaires in preparation • RFMOs – observer data on incidental-catch, discards, of ecologically related species and vulnerable ecosystem species • List of Protected Areas

20. UNECE members – data reporting status • In general, good data quality and species breakdown; • Belarus, Finland, Kazakhstan, FYR Macedonia, Russian; Serbia, Ukraine • Recently, struggle in communication: • No reporting – Armenia (2005), Bosnia and Herzegovina (2007); Georgia (2005, except marine capture in 2010); Turkmenistan (2005); Uzbekistan (2010) • Some component systematically not reported: • Belgium (inland aquaculture); Moldova (no aquaculture since 2005); Montenegro (aquaculture); Tajikistan (no capture since 2005) • Some incomplete or inconsistent among years; • Azerbaijan; Kyrgyzstan;

21. Points for consideration: • Indicators of human pressure on environments – important: • Fishing pressure, small and large scale operations • Non-fishery human activity pressure – no indicator available • Impacts of human intervention – stocking, landscaping, protected area • Clarify the monitoring target: • Not possible to monitor biodiversity and human pressure on aquatic environments with one indicator • Direct measurement better than indirect indicators – e.g. for pressure on aquatic environment, energy use in fishing • Clarify a link with policy decision – interpretation and actual utilization • Avoid duplication and build upon available resources: • Enhancing overall monitoring capacity • Rebuilding historical assessment

22. Thank you for your attention!!