WHAT “CATCH” MEANS IN ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT? Sachiko TSUJI (FAO) 30/10-01/11/2012 UNECE TF on Environmental Indicators

30/10-01/11/2012 UNECE TF on Environmental Indicators  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

30/10-01/11/2012 UNECE TF on Environmental Indicators  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

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

Dynamics of biological stock

Catch diagram # boats; Gear technology; Fishing Days ENSO events; Climate changes impacts, CATCH = [Fishing Effort] * [Fish abundance available to fishing]

Sustainable Yields Stock Abundance Catch Sustainable Yields Fishing Efforts

Catch diagram Urbanization; Water front development; Pollution # boats; Gear technology; Fishing Days ENSO events; Climate changes impacts, CATCH = [Fishing Effort] * [Fish abundance available to fishing]

Dynamics of biological stock

Dynamics of biological stock -- Impacts of habitat destruction

Dynamics of biological stock -- Combination with aquaculture Removal of predators; Fertilizing; Blocking fish moves Release of farmed seeds

30/10-01/11/2012 UNECE TF on Environmental Indicators 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

Small scale.vs. large scale

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

30/10-01/11/2012 UNECE TF on Environmental Indicators 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:

Concept of catch Diagram Fish Encountering Gear GROSS REMOVAL GROSS CATCH RETAINED CATCH LANDINGS Live Escapement Pre-catch Losses Discards: Live / Dead Losses and gains prior to landing (e.g. handlings, processing) Not for landings (dumps, substantial uses) Landing * Conversion factors > NOMINAL CATCH

30/10-01/11/2012 UNECE TF on Environmental Indicators 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

30/10-01/11/2012 UNECE TF on Environmental Indicators 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

30/10-01/11/2012 UNECE TF on Environmental Indicators 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;

30/10-01/11/2012 UNECE TF on Environmental Indicators 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

Thank you for your attention!!