Applications of GIS/RS to Fisheries Management in Europe Overview

Anna Antonova NRS 509 (Concepts in GIS & RS) Final Project December 12, 2014 Applications of GIS/RS to Fisheries Management in Europe Overview With dwindling stocks and increased demand for piscatorial products worldwide, fisheries management presents multiple issues on a global scale. In Europe, as elsewhere, associated challenges include maintaining stocks' sustainability, ensuring ample levels of fish supply, providing employment opportunities within the fishing sector, and all in the context of high scientific uncertainty. In addition, the European Union (EU) presents unique problems and perspectives within the field. As a collective entity, the EU exerts an enormous influence on global fishing patterns with its purchasing power: it is the world's largest single market for fish products and fifth largest fish producer (European Commission, 2014). Recent reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), the governing regulation for the EU's capture and aquaculture fisheries as well as related markets, has emphasized the need for stronger fisheries science, ecosystem-based management, and integration with marine spatial planning efforts (European Commission, 2009) all issues to which geographical information systems (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) are extremely pertinent. The methodological versatility of GIS & RS in different academic endeavors makes the technology incredibly adaptable to the wide range of issues and contexts associated with European fisheries. GIS & RS approaches are employed in a spectrum of spatial constraints: from freshwater fisheries (Österling and Högberg, 2014) through near-coast marine fisheries (Papaioannou et al., 2012) to offshore fishing sites (Stelzenmüller et al., 2008). Additionally, the research demonstrates how GIS & RS may be fruitfully employed in types of fisheries that usually demand distinctly different approaches: shellfish (Molares and Freire, 2003), capture fisheries (Valavanis et al., 2008) or aquaculture (Peréz et al., 2013). The scale of these contexts also varies, whether small-scale or artisinal fisheries (Papaioannou et al., 2012) or large industrial operations (Stelzenmüller et al., 2008). In short, GIS & RS are especially powerful because of their wide applicability to fisheries issues. While the range of issues to which GIS & RS could be applied is hence very broad, some common approaches to using this technology in European fisheries can be distinguished. In many of the examined cases, satellite RS data proves invaluable for management problems because it can enrich the available information and support knowledge-building for addressing uncertainty. For instance, in Peréz et al.'s study on aquaculture sites determination in Tenerife, Spain, multispectral satellite imagery (such as NOAA-14 and AVHRR) serves as a useful source of data for surface chlorophyll levels, sea temperature, and water turbidity all data points that ultimately contribute to the model for cage placement (2013). Similarly, Valavanis et al. employ satellite data for various marine conditions (including SeaWiFS bathymetric imagery, AVHRR, and MODESA) in order to determine essential fish habitats (2008). Thus, RS certainly proves crucial for many management problems, in particular where it can improve knowledge and reduce scientific uncertainty. GIS technology, by contrast, enhances not so much the original data input as the analytical toolbox available to researchers. In Valavanis et al. and Peréz et al., as well as in Österling and Högberg's account of land use impact on trout populations in Sweden, GIS enhances ecosystem-based management by allowing managers to conduct system-wide analysis for ensuring more sustainable fisheries. Ecosystem-based management is extremely important in many of these cases, not only 1

because it figures among the policy priorities of the EU following the latest CFP reform (European Commission, 2009), but also because fisheries are often influenced by a multitude of factors outside the fishery itself. The articles that consider systematic factors (such as forestation, sea temperature or land runoff conditions) benefit from the overlay, buffer, aspect, and distance capabilities of ArcGIS (Österling and Högberg, 2014; Valavanis et al., 2008; Peréz et al., 2013). In Österling and Högberg, employing overlay and buffer procedures on local environmental and land use data allows the authors to draw inferences about the extent to which deforestation in a particular area of Sweden affects local populations of a freshwater pearl mussel and its host fish, the brown trout (2014). Peréz et al. likewise employ the overlay tool in order to examine factors such as land runoff, water quality and depth, and surface temperature and roughness, for their relevance to enhancing aquaculture efforts (2013). Similarly, Valavanis et al. demonstrate the overall importance of such inquiries to EU fisheries management in general as they rely on ArcGIS to help analyze EU-wide areas in which fish are spawned, where juvenile fish grow, or that are otherwise crucial to recruitment and therefore overall stock sustainability (2008). Apart from supporting ecosystem-based management in this way, GIS technology also helps reconcile it with the numerous human demands on the marine space. It does so through proving itself extremely valuable for marine spatial planning as it pertains to fishing effort. Several studies employ akin methods: using data from vessel monitoring systems (VMS) and comparing it to other data sets so as to derive conclusions about particular marine uses and thereby inform fisheries management as well as vice versa. Stelzenmüller et al., for instance, make use of ArcGIS' interpolation abilities (2008). Based on a VMS time series from offshore trawlers in the UK, they construct a semi-variogram of fishing pressures that helps inform not only how best to manage the fisheries in that areas, but also how best to integrate management approaches for the fishery with other needs for the marine space (Stelzenmüller et al., 2008). In a similar fashion, Papaioannou et al. make use of VMS data in order to map, and thereby understand, where small-scale German fishermen fish and land their catch (2012). In this way, the authors are able also to inform future decision making in the area through enhancing policy-makers' understanding of the needs of small-scale fishermen (Papaioannou et al., 2012). Additionally, in many of these cases GIS technology proves helpful, if not crucial, with its visualization capabilities. The above mentioned study by Papaioannou et al. presents an innovative approach to a fishing problem relatively new to both global and European management. Increasingly, managers have come to understand the unique challenges faced by non-industrial fishermen. Although sustenance is not as urgent an issue for small-scale fishermen in Europe as it is in other parts of the world (especially developing countries), cultural identity and specific local knowledge are often threatened for traditional fishers when dwindling stocks are overfished by industrial giants. Even in light of improved understanding, studies such as that of Papaioannou et al. are relatively rare, and it is thus that much more important that their results are communicated well. In short, the visualization capabilities of GIS support management as much as its analytical tools, albeit in different ways. Finally, insights from various research suggest that GIS could be employed not only as an analytical tool enhancing the reliability of data or as a visual aid to communicating it but also as a policy tool in and of itself. To a certain extent, this is still facilitated by the analytical and communicative capabilities of the technology. In two of the cases reviewed here, however, GIS also facilitates direct management on a community level either through collecting local knowledge for state-wide planning purposes (Vlachopoulou et al., 2013) or through empowering local groups to devise their own plans using state knowledge (Molares and Freire, 2003). The earlier case by Molares and Freire concerns co-management in Galicia, Spain (2003). In this area, a co-management structure exists between the local government and self-organized groups of 2

fishermen ( cofradias ) for a more effective, community-based management of the local specialty, the goose barnacle (Molares and Freire, 2003). The authors describe how,to enhance the cofradias ' ability to comprehend complex scientific data and base operational plans on it, the local government has financed a GIS-powered, user-friendly software that visualizes the available data and helps draw inferences from it (Molares and Freire, 2003). Here, the GIS technology's communication tools solve an unique, pressing local issue: how to integrate increasingly elaborate scientific knowledge with the need to empower the community to govern itself. Similarly insightful for management is the more recent case described by Vlachopoulou et al. in the Greek Aegean Sea (2013). In this case, the opposite dynamic is facilitated through GIS technology: local communities enabling their government's policy-making by providing them with information in an accessible way. The participatory mapping approach utilized, with locals indicating areas of use during working sessions, simultaneously supplies new data and ensures co-management by making this data conditional on local participation (Vlachopoulou et al., 2013). Just as in Molares and Freire, here GIS serves to enable as well as reverse the relationship between government and governed, thus enhancing management. In short, the range of research in European fisheries suggests that the GIS & RS technology are viable and powerful tools for management. They enhance governance through supporting concrete EU-wide policy goals (improving scientific knowledge, managing in the face of uncertainty, employing an ecosystem-based approach, and encouraging marine spatial planning). But GIS, in particular, also makes for an excellent management tool in and of itself. In short, hence, GIS & RS technology present an important contribution to fisheries management in Europe as a whole. 3

Annotated Bibliography Molares, J. and J. Freire. 2003. Development and perspectives for community-based management of the goose barnacle (Pollicipes pollicipes) fisheries in Galicia (NW Spain). Fisheries Research 65: 485-492. Molares and Freire present a fascinating account of the use of GIS as a management tool in the lucrative goose barnacle fishery in Galicia, Spain. Since the early 90s, the fishery had been co-managed by the regional government and local community fishers' organizations through territorial user rights for fishing (TURFs). However, the complexity of stock and habitat assessment soon resulted in serious issues with equity and sustainability in determining correct levels of fishing. The local fishers' organizations were required to produce their own management plans, yet they rarely had the knowledge or capability to do so given the high level of scientific complexity involved. As a solution, the regional government sponsored a GIS-powered system that could the organizations could access freely and operate easily. This combination of GIS-based software and database integrated statistical data and spatial models that could inform the organizations' planning. At the same time, it improved the quality of communication between the regional government and these organizations. Thus Molares and Freire's account shows a GIS management success story of almost fairy tale proportions, although it does, regrettably, stop short of assessing the long-term results of this management decision. Österling, M. and J. Högberg. 2014. The impact of land use on the mussel Margaritifera margaritifera and its host fish Salmo trutta. Hydrobiologia 735(1): 213-220. Österling and Högberg construct a fascinating study that uses GIS to consider land use impacts on a particular fishery habitat in Sweden a freshwater pearl mussel and its host fish, the brown trout. Forestation and land use changes in surrounding landscapes affect streams' water quality and sediment loads, in turn causing deterioration in juvenile mussel recruitment and brown trout populations. To examine these impacts more closely, the authors employ ArcGIS buffer and overlay capabilities to analyze geographical and land use data from areas adjacent to 38 streams in the River Ljungan catchment. They analyze two scales, a 50m and a 150m buffer, using ANOVAs and stepwise multiple linear regression to assess upstream and whole stream conditions. The authors therefore illustrate well the use of GIS technology with statistical methods and in the context of freshwater fisheries management. Further, their article makes a good case for ecosystem-based management as they observe a positive (though weak) relationship between deciduous forest and brown trout density. Papaioannou, E. A., A. T. Vafeidis, M. F. Quaas, and J. O. Schmidt. 2012. The development and use of a spatial database for the determination and characterization of the state of the German Baltic small-scale fishery sector. ICES Journal of Marine Science 69(8): 1480-1490. Papaioannou et al.'s focus falls on developing a spatial database of small-scale fishing in the German Baltic, relying on data from the European Community Fleet Register and the German Federal Office for Agriculture and Food. They include technical specifications about fleet vessels, their target species and operational range, landing and fishing spots. GIS is utilized as a visualization tool supporting management plans country-wide. It is crucial to note that such studies of small-scale fishing patterns are as of yet relatively rare, in Europe as well as abroad, as most research on fishing activity usually places a focus on industrial fleets. The pioneering nature of Papaioannou et al.'s study makes its 4

use of GIS' visualization tools crucial given the novelty of the project, GIS enables the authors to communicate the relevance of its results best. Hence, although this is by far the simplest use of GIS software included in the bibliography, it illustrates an important application. Peréz, O. M., L. G. Ross, T. C. Telfer, and L. M. del Campo Barquin. 2003. Water quality requirements for marine fish cage site selection in Tenerife (Canary Islands): predictive modelling and analysis using GIS. Aquaculture 224: 51-68. In this study, Peréz et al. employ GIS to build a spatial database of water quality indicators to inform site selection for seabass and seabream aquaculture developments in Tenerife, Spain. The correct choice of caging sites is vital for successful and financially viable aquaculture projects. It depends, however, on a multitude of variables such as levels of pollution, nutrient availability, water temperature and ph, or dissolved oxygen. The authors employ GIS, particularly overlay and multi-criteria evaluation, to model different resource allocation approaches based on these variables. They also employ other ArcGIS tools in calculating individual variables within the database (e.g., ASPECT & DISTANCE for runoff calculations). Peréz et al. demonstrate well the software's capability to simplify what is otherwise a highly complex problem. By integrating modified equations for different indicators into GIS and representing the resulting variability spatially, they are easily able to suggest cage site choices that could maximize the project's natural and financial productivity. Stelzenmüller, V., S. I. Rogers, and C. M. Mills. 2008. Spatio-temporal patterns of fishing pressure on UK marine landscapes, and their implications for spatial planning and management. ICES Journal of Marine Science 65: 1081-1091. Stelzenmüller et al. use GIS to create a semi-variogram of fishing pressures on offshore marine landscapes in the UK. To do so, they draw on a time-series data of vessel monitoring systems (VMS) from UK and foreign fishing vessels that use both trawling and dredging gear. The article's most interesting contribution is its use of GIS software and semi-variograms in order to assess fishing pressure dynamics under conditions of uncertainty that are typical of many fisheries. Stelzenmüller et al. produce a reliable spatial pattern of fishing pressures over time. Further, they are able to draw wider conclusions from their results, with implications not just for fisheries management but also for general marine spatial planning. In this case, then, GIS not only helps determine how best to manage fisheries, but also how best to integrate relevant management decisions into other types of marine use. Valavanis, V. D., G. J. Pierce, A. F. Zuur, A. Palialexis, A. Saveliev, I. Katara, and J. Wang. 2008. Modelling of essential fish habitat based on remote sensing, spatial analysis and GIS. Hydrobiologia 612(1): 5-20. Valavanis et al. present an overview of their work in the European Communities' 2005-2008 project, Environmental Approach to Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Designation. The project aimed to support the development of ecosystem-based approaches in European fisheries, for which EFH identification was deemed vital. GIS was the main tool employed in data processing for the project. It was used to combine data sets (from both satellite imagery and oceanographic surveys) into species-habitats relationship models. The authors illustrate their application of different tools: for example, they utilized ArcGIS info/tables and ArcPLOT for attaching environmental data to individual sampling points, used distance functions to derive EFH descriptors such as proximity to distinct water 5

fronts or productivity hotspots, and finally employed mapping tools to display EFHs graphically. Additionally, the article includes an interesting discussion on the merits of data mining (relying on observed correlation patterns for predictions) in areas where hypothesis-driven science is difficult because of knowledge limitations as is the case with assessing fish stock trends. Ultimately, the authors relate this discussion to an important conclusion about ecosystem-based fisheries management: EFH modeling is crucial but raises reliability questions because of its dependence on data quality that may be hard to obtain. Vlachopoulou, E. I., A. M. Wilson, and A. Miliou. 2013. Disconnects in EU and Greek fishery policies and practices in the eastern Aegean Sea and impacts on Posidonia oceanica meadows. Ocean & Coastal Management 76: 105-113. Vlachopoulou et al.'s project studies illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing through a variety of methods in a Greek seagrass ecosystem in the Aegean Sea. As part of their approach to examining ecological, policy, and socio-economic factors, the authors construct GIS-based maps of the sites and conduct public participation mapping workshops with local stakeholders to gain understanding of possible conflicts. In a sense, then, data gathering in this study was a collective exercise. Based on this information, the authors were able, through overlay, buffer, and visualization tools, to construct maps of trawler routes, healthy and degraded seagrass beds, and depleted and functional fishing grounds, all mapped together within 1nm and 1.5nm buffers from the shore. Thus, Vlachopoulou et al. demonstrate a powerful method for gaining information and displaying it using participatory GIS. Additional References European Commission. 2009. Green Paper on Reform. Available online: <http://eur-lex.europa.eu>. European Commission. 2014. The European Union explained: Maritime affairs and fisheries. Available online: <http://europa.edu/pol/pdf/flipbook/en/fisheries_en.pdf>. 6