Innovations In Fishing Technology Aimed At Achieving Sustainable Fishing

Over the last fifty years, human exploitation of marine resources has become more efficient as the understanding of the habits and behaviour of the various species available in the sea gradually increased. Thus, technologies have developed naturally over time and fishing gears and practices have become more sophisticated. These technical advances in fishing gear have generally led to more efficient economic fishing operations and better access to resources. However, fishing implies the harvesting of marine organisms directly from their natural environment, therefore general awareness of environmental problems due to the exploitation of fishery resources has also increased. In particular, the poor selectivity of some gears is responsible for the capture of juveniles, immature and undersized specimens of many species, with negative consequences on the state of stocks. In addition, bycatch in marine fisheries is a major source of human-caused mortality of marine megafauna, often leading to the capture of vulnerable species. Finally, many bottom-towed gears are responsible for high impacts on bottom communities and habitats, with cascading consequences on the entire marine ecosystem. All these impacts can lead to changes in the structure, function and integrity of ecosystems, including effects on the food webs and multispecies predator-prey relationships.

In developing countries, traditional fishermen are important food contributors, yet technological information and development assistance to third-world nations often focuses on agriculture and industrial fishing, without addressing the needs of independent, small-scale fishermen. This book explores technological considerations of small-scale, primitive fishing technologies, and describes innovative, relatively inexpensive methods and tools that have already been successfully applied in developing countries. It offers practical information about all aspects of small-scale fishing, including boat design and construction, fishing methods and gear, artificial reef construction and fish aggregating devices, techniques for coastal mariculture, and simple methods for processing and preserving fish once they are caught. Fisheries Technologies for Developing Countries is illustrated throughout with photographs of the devices and construction methods described in the text.

The 2023 annual meeting of the ICES-FAO Working Group on Fishing Technology and Fish Behaviour (WGFTFB) and the International Symposium on “Innovations in Fishing Technologies for Sustainable and Resilient Fisheries” was held from 13 to 17 February 2023 in Kochi, India. [Author] The symposium was hosted by FAO in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries, Government of India, organized by the Bay of Bengal Programme Intergovernmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO) and National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) in collaboration with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Fisheries Institutes and State Fisheries Universities. [Author] The symposium brought together 325 participants comprising of scientists, researchers, officials, policymakers, diplomats, industry, entrepreneurs, and students from 32 countries both online and offline delivering a total of 137 presentations providing a platform for discussions on the challenges facing world fisheries including depleted fish stocks, habitat destruction, pollution, climate change, fish loss and wastage bycatch, and ghost fishing. [Author] This report summarizes the symposium on “Innovations in Fishing Technologies for Sustainable and Resilient Fisheries” which comprised of eight thematic sessions: (i) active gears (ii) passive gears (iii)indicators (iv) abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) (v) survival/behaviour/physiology (vi) energy efficiency (vii) general topics and (viii) gear design. [Author]

Linking sustainable performance and tourism, this book presents a collection of tools and case studies. It provides an excellent source of high quality research. Readers will find different and new ways to approach sustainability. Applied case studies where historic Mediterranean theatres and traditional equestrian Iberian routes combine with the modernity of a luxurious beach terrace are included. The state-of-the-art research on street art or slow tourism strategies and its relation with tourism-marketing strategies are also highlighted. Policy-makers will be find it useful to read the discussion of the analysis of sustainable fisheries, the Latin American ecosystem and their relationship with eco-tourism. Lastly, the book addresses the need for energy reduction, including conventional approaches and also new measurement metrics and regulatory proposals. This book presents real world research with a pragmatic focus; it is of key interest to students, academics, practitioners and policy makers.inking

This book presents multi-level approaches to the problem of unsustainable fisheries and provides potential solutions to address it. It discusses the importance of fisheries from a global perspective, describes current fisheries failings, and provides recommendations for more sustainable practices (e.g., food and livelihood security, interdisciplinary approaches, ecosystem-based and community-based management, governance reforms, reduced capacity, and accountability).

After the United Nations adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to "end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all," researchers and policy makers highlighted the importance of targeted investment in science, technology, and innovation (STI) to make tangible progress. Science, Technology, and Innovation for Sustainable Development Goals showcases the roles that STI solutions can play in meeting on-the-ground socio-economic and environmental challenges among domestic and international organizations concerned with the SDGs in three overlapping areas: agriculture, health, and environment/energy. Authors and researchers from 31 countries tackle both big-picture questions, such as scaling up the adoption and diffusion of new sustainable technologies, and specific, localized case studies, focusing on developing and middle-income countries and specific STI solutions and policies. Issues addressed include renewable energy, automated vehicles, vaccines, digital health, agricultural biotechnology, and precision agriculture. In bringing together diverse voices from both policy and academic spheres, this volume provides practical and relevant insights and advice to support policy makers and managers seeking to enhance the roles of STI in sustainable development.

In the last decades, the human harvesting of marine resources became more efficient as the understanding of the habits and behaviours of the various species available in the sea gradually increased. Technologies naturally developed over time and fishing systems became more sophisticated and increasingly adapted to catch the most desirable species and sizes. This evolution is still in progress and technological development goes on especially in the Mediterranean area, where small and relatively old fishing vessels are traditionally used. These technical advances in fishing gears have generally led to more efficient fishing operations and improved access to resources and fishing grounds. On the other hand, general awareness on the environmental problems due to the exploitation of fisheries resources has also increased. Therefore, in order to preserve fishery resources and marine environments, fishing gears and their impacts need to be further investigated and less impacting techniques should be developed. In this regard, fishing technologists are responsible to provide fishery managers as well as fishermen and stakeholders, with useful advice and technical solutions for mitigating adverse impacts of fishing gears. By taking these problems into account, the book contents are based on the requirements of ecosystem-approach to fisheries management. The Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries of the FAO (1995) encouraged the use of selective, environmentally safe and cost effective gear and techniques. Thus the book aims at providing information on sustainable fishing technologies, and transfers the expertise on fishing technology to Mediterranean fisheries scientists and end-users such as fisheries managers, administrators, controllers etc. This book is structured to provide information on fishing gear technology, selectivity, bycatch-impact reduction and fishing vessel technology, with particular attention to the Mediterranean context. The information included might be used to learn how to assess the impacts and selectivity of different fishing gears and find technical solutions to mitigate these impacts and to address scientific studies. Furthermore, advices on the properties of fishing vessels affecting energy efficiency have been also considered in order to address possible technical changes to the currents boats. Finally the contents of this book might be considered as a useful tool when preparing management measures as well as for the establishment, enforcement or improvement of fishing rules.