Researchers in Madagascar recently concluded that closing marine areas to fishing for even short periods of time can significantly restore depleted fish stocks. The researchers found that after an area off the coast of the island was closed to fishermen for seven months, the number of octopuses caught later rose 13 times while the total weight of the octopus catch jumped 25 times. This should make sense, of course, since most marine stocks are caught faster than they can breed. "The increase ... was far greater than we ever expected," said Alasdair Harris, scientific director of Blue Ventures, the marine conservation group that conducted the fieldwork. (The group has a permanent field research site off the southwestern Malagasy village of Andavadoaka, which allows citizen scientists like you to sign up and participate in their research.)
Upon the conclusion of the study, hopefully the local community implemented some sustainable fishing practices as opposed to letting the fishermen back into the area and return to overfishing.
1. Any idea whether this group has also researched the effects of international tradeable units (ITUs)? My understanding is that - through the issuance of ITUs - when wild ocean stocks are handled like privately owned livestock on land (cattle, sheep, pigs, etc.) their numbers and viability shoot up, too - without having to micromanage it. No need to regulate the size of nets, or the size of engines, or close down spawning or harvesting areas. Just good ol' fashioned self-interest. The problem the octupus fishermen cited in the story were facing - of course - was the tragedy of the commons. When "everyone" owns a resource, in fact no one owns it, and so it is in the interest of all players to get as much as possible as quickly as possible.
When true, tradeable ownership rights are introduced, all the harvesters start thinking about the future, and harvesting more responsibly.
Cheers.
Posted at 6:23AM on Jan 22nd 2007 by Steve