386
M.W. Russell et al.
to assist those adversely affected by the increase in the area closed to fi shing.
However, political positioning, industry lobbying, and inconsistencies in claims for
assistance resulted in many of those affected by the increased protection being
dissatisfi ed, and the cost to government was signifi cantly more than originally estimated
(Macintosh et al. 2010 ) .
11.4 Management Successes and Failures
Most fi shery departments were initially established to promote and develop fi sheries. A major challenge to management is that government actions may simultaneously be taken to develop and preserve a fi shery (Hilborn 2005 ) . Government
subsidies for the purchase or increase in size of boats and engines have allowed fi shers to increase their fi shing range without due consideration for the condition of, or
impact on, the resource base at the same time that management is being considered.
Combined with the increasing commercial demand for reef fi shes, this has inevitably elevated pressure on aggregations. Introduction of ice plants in the Indo-Pacifi c
as development initiatives, especially in remote locations, typically have not taken
into account the underlying sustainability of the species likely to be affected.
Development and management arms of government typically act independently in
relation to fi sheries.
Throughout the Caribbean, the status of over 70% of known exploited aggregations, assessed on the basis of both direct and indirect evidence of spawning, is
unknown, while a further 20% are decreasing and very few show positive trends
(database, www.SCRFA.org ). Examples of successes and failures can be attributed
to enforcement, political priorities, presence or absence of monitoring information
and local interest. Several examples are illustrative (also refer to Cayman Islands
example above).
An example of a management failure was the temporal fi shing closure on a
degraded Nassau grouper aggregation in Mahahual, Mexico. This closure was
unsuccessful due to insuffi cient enforcement and that the aggregation no longer
formed (Aguilar-Perera 2004 , Alfonso Aguilar-Perera personal communication
2010). The potential for return of spawning fi sh has been further constrained by
the construction of a major cruise ship terminal (about one million visitors per
year) within 1 km of the aggregation site. This terminal not only changed some
physical characteristics of the aggregation site but the busiest cruise ship months
are during December and January, the peak spawning months (KCL personal
communication 2010).
In Bermuda, a seasonal spawning closure was introduced in 1974 for red hind
because fi shers raised concerns to government about declines of two red hind aggregations due to perceived overfi shing by commercial and recreational fi shers. Fishers
had already witnessed the overfi shing of Nassau grouper spawning aggregations in
Bermuda which led to their eventual extirpation, and did not want the same thing to
happen to red hind. The initial steep decline in red hind landings (Fig. 11.5 ) is
M.W. Russell et al.
to assist those adversely affected by the increase in the area closed to fi shing.
However, political positioning, industry lobbying, and inconsistencies in claims for
assistance resulted in many of those affected by the increased protection being
dissatisfi ed, and the cost to government was signifi cantly more than originally estimated
(Macintosh et al. 2010 ) .
11.4 Management Successes and Failures
Most fi shery departments were initially established to promote and develop fi sheries. A major challenge to management is that government actions may simultaneously be taken to develop and preserve a fi shery (Hilborn 2005 ) . Government
subsidies for the purchase or increase in size of boats and engines have allowed fi shers to increase their fi shing range without due consideration for the condition of, or
impact on, the resource base at the same time that management is being considered.
Combined with the increasing commercial demand for reef fi shes, this has inevitably elevated pressure on aggregations. Introduction of ice plants in the Indo-Pacifi c
as development initiatives, especially in remote locations, typically have not taken
into account the underlying sustainability of the species likely to be affected.
Development and management arms of government typically act independently in
relation to fi sheries.
Throughout the Caribbean, the status of over 70% of known exploited aggregations, assessed on the basis of both direct and indirect evidence of spawning, is
unknown, while a further 20% are decreasing and very few show positive trends
(database, www.SCRFA.org ). Examples of successes and failures can be attributed
to enforcement, political priorities, presence or absence of monitoring information
and local interest. Several examples are illustrative (also refer to Cayman Islands
example above).
An example of a management failure was the temporal fi shing closure on a
degraded Nassau grouper aggregation in Mahahual, Mexico. This closure was
unsuccessful due to insuffi cient enforcement and that the aggregation no longer
formed (Aguilar-Perera 2004 , Alfonso Aguilar-Perera personal communication
2010). The potential for return of spawning fi sh has been further constrained by
the construction of a major cruise ship terminal (about one million visitors per
year) within 1 km of the aggregation site. This terminal not only changed some
physical characteristics of the aggregation site but the busiest cruise ship months
are during December and January, the peak spawning months (KCL personal
communication 2010).
In Bermuda, a seasonal spawning closure was introduced in 1974 for red hind
because fi shers raised concerns to government about declines of two red hind aggregations due to perceived overfi shing by commercial and recreational fi shers. Fishers
had already witnessed the overfi shing of Nassau grouper spawning aggregations in
Bermuda which led to their eventual extirpation, and did not want the same thing to
happen to red hind. The initial steep decline in red hind landings (Fig. 11.5 ) is