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Spatially explicit action research for coastal fisheries management

We worked with artisanal fisherfolk along the Coromandel coast in two districts of Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Pondicherry in South India to map and quantify catch, gear and crew details for all fishing craft along 120 km. Spatially explicit fisheries data were collected to understand the...

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Autores principales: Lawrence, Tara N., Bhalla, R. S.
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Public Library of Science 2018
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6040741/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29995898
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0199841
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author Lawrence, Tara N.
Bhalla, R. S.
author_facet Lawrence, Tara N.
Bhalla, R. S.
author_sort Lawrence, Tara N.
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description We worked with artisanal fisherfolk along the Coromandel coast in two districts of Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Pondicherry in South India to map and quantify catch, gear and crew details for all fishing craft along 120 km. Spatially explicit fisheries data were collected to understand the distribution of fishing effort and to identify high pressure fishing zones. Approximately 7,945 square kilometres of fishing grounds were surveyed and 3,427 fishing trips were observed using nine GPS enabled echo-sounders operated by fishermen. Data were visualised and non parametric statistical analysis revealed distinct patterns in fishing effort, high density fishing zones and large overlaps in zones between traditional, motorised and mechanised craft. Existing marine fishing regulations for the respective regions were also evaluated and violations were mapped. Results were presented in each of the villages and then in district wide meetings with community leaders to spur discussions on resource based conflicts and fisheries management. Our findings suggest that the present trajectory of resource over-exploitation, the use of destructive fishing methods combined with the lack of compliance to current regulations will lead to a collapse of the small scale fishing industry and further intensify conflicts within the community. Recommendations made by fishing community leaders are presented and their role in local fisheries management is discussed. This study is the first of its kind for this region and can easily be replicated at regional scales to develop a better understanding of the spatial extent and nature of small scale fisheries, including conflict, for the purpose of fisheries management.
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spelling pubmed-60407412018-07-19 Spatially explicit action research for coastal fisheries management Lawrence, Tara N. Bhalla, R. S. PLoS One Research Article We worked with artisanal fisherfolk along the Coromandel coast in two districts of Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Pondicherry in South India to map and quantify catch, gear and crew details for all fishing craft along 120 km. Spatially explicit fisheries data were collected to understand the distribution of fishing effort and to identify high pressure fishing zones. Approximately 7,945 square kilometres of fishing grounds were surveyed and 3,427 fishing trips were observed using nine GPS enabled echo-sounders operated by fishermen. Data were visualised and non parametric statistical analysis revealed distinct patterns in fishing effort, high density fishing zones and large overlaps in zones between traditional, motorised and mechanised craft. Existing marine fishing regulations for the respective regions were also evaluated and violations were mapped. Results were presented in each of the villages and then in district wide meetings with community leaders to spur discussions on resource based conflicts and fisheries management. Our findings suggest that the present trajectory of resource over-exploitation, the use of destructive fishing methods combined with the lack of compliance to current regulations will lead to a collapse of the small scale fishing industry and further intensify conflicts within the community. Recommendations made by fishing community leaders are presented and their role in local fisheries management is discussed. This study is the first of its kind for this region and can easily be replicated at regional scales to develop a better understanding of the spatial extent and nature of small scale fisheries, including conflict, for the purpose of fisheries management. Public Library of Science 2018-07-11 /pmc/articles/PMC6040741/ /pubmed/29995898 http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0199841 Text en © 2018 Lawrence, Bhalla http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
spellingShingle Research Article
Lawrence, Tara N.
Bhalla, R. S.
Spatially explicit action research for coastal fisheries management
title Spatially explicit action research for coastal fisheries management
title_full Spatially explicit action research for coastal fisheries management
title_fullStr Spatially explicit action research for coastal fisheries management
title_full_unstemmed Spatially explicit action research for coastal fisheries management
title_short Spatially explicit action research for coastal fisheries management
title_sort spatially explicit action research for coastal fisheries management
topic Research Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6040741/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29995898
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0199841
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