Collaborative research enhances selectivity in a lake fisheryShow others and affiliations
2024 (English)In: Fisheries Management and Ecology, ISSN 0969-997X, E-ISSN 1365-2400, Vol. 31, no 6, article id e12723Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Size and species selectivity are crucial for developing sustainable fisheries. Our objective was to estimate the selectivity of whitefish fisheries in a large European lake through a collaboration of fishers, regional managers, and scientists. Fishers were given special permits to test, within a common framework and together with scientists, selectivity enhancement strategies adapted to their own experiences. Fishers and scientists jointly tested gillnets and pontoon traps and how fishing depth, soak time, fishing season, and mesh size were affected by bycatches of undersized fish of sensitive species. Results indicated that the selectivity of the fishery could be increased, particularly by targeting whitefish adjacent to spawning sites where spatiotemporal overlap with bycatch species was lower. Proposed changes to the fishery, such as new gear, would be costly initially but could become profitable over time due to a lower cost of handling bycatch. Our findings demonstrated that co-constructed knowledge can contribute to the governance of aquatic resources.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
John Wiley & Sons, 2024. Vol. 31, no 6, article id e12723
Keywords [en]
bycatch mitigation, gear selectivity, lake fisheries, participatory research, whitefish
National Category
Fish and Aquacultural Science Ecology Fish and Wildlife Management
Research subject
Ecological Modelling Group
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:his:diva-24399DOI: 10.1111/fme.12723ISI: 001262150700001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85197521570OAI: oai:DiVA.org:his-24399DiVA, id: diva2:1884724
Funder
EU, FP7, Seventh Framework ProgrammeSwedish Agency for Marine and Water Management
Note
CC BY-NC 4.0
© 2024 The Author(s). Fisheries Management and Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
First published: 04 July 2024
Correspondence Address: A. Sandström; Department of Aquatic Resources, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Drottningholm, Stångholmsvägen 2, SE-17893, Sweden; email: alfred.sandstrom@slu.se
This work was a part of the EU project GAP2. We are sincerely grateful to GAP2 participants S. Mackinson, T. Maxwell, M.Clarke, S. Raicevich, and P. Pita Ordunha. We also wish to sincerely thank all the fishermen who participated in the project. The project has received valuable support from the Swedish Inland Fishermen's Association (SIC), Lake Vättern Water Conservation Society, the county administration boards around the lake and the co-management group for the fisheries in L. Vättern. M. Bergström, M. Andersson, F. Engdahl, M. Hällbom, M. Johansson, and D. Rydberg provided essential support with field work. M. Lundin (SLU/Harmångers Maskin & Marin) contributed with invaluable help during the deployment and installation of pontoon traps. An earlier version of the manuscript was critically reviewed by S.-G. Lunneryd and J. Persson. The project was funded by the EU's Seventh Framework Programme via the “Science in Society” programme. Part of the project was also funded by the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SWAM).
2024-07-182024-07-182025-03-04Bibliographically approved