Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Management procedures in a fishery based on highly variable stocks and with conflicting objectives: experiences in the South African pelagic fishery

  • Published:
Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The pelagic fishery in South Africa targets mainly anchovy, Engraulis capensis, and sardine, Sardinops sagax, both of which have varied substantially in abundance during the history of the fishery. Since 1988, there has been progress in this fishery towards the use of management procedures as the basis for determination of management regulations, where a management procedure is defined as a set of rules, derived by simulation and normally implemented for three to five years, specifying how the regulatory mechanism is set, the data collected for this purpose and how these data are to be analysed and used. Advantages of management procedures include formal consideration of uncertainty, the ability to choose decision rules based on their predicted medium-term consequences and a saving in workload compared with annual assessments.

This paper discusses the lessons learned in application of management procedures and their precursors in this fishery. The high variability in abundance of the two stocks, the trend in their relative abundance, the substantial uncertainties in information, strong pressure to meet socio-economic goals and the conflicting objectives which arose between the directed anchovy and directed sardine fishery are identified as major problems in implementation of procedures and management of the resources. However, the use of management procedures is considered to have led to greatly improved communication with the industry and to substantial input by them into the management process. The procedures and the simulations upon which they were based also enabled consideration of the major sources of uncertainty in understanding of the resource dynamics and facilitated the development of procedures that were robust to them.

It is argued that biological uncertainty greatly exacerbated the problems in application of the procedures but probably cannot be markedly reduced in the near future. Management procedures must be robust to likely variability and uncertainty. Of equal importance are identification and selection of achievable objectives, and allocation to the political decision makers and not to the scientists, of responsibility for determining acceptable trade-offs between conservation and socio-economic goals. Other issues, including the importance of long-term rights and allowance for flexibility in fishing practice, are also highlighted

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • African National Congress (1994) The Reconstruction and Development Programme. A Policy Framework. Johannesburg: Umanyano. 147 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anon. (1997) White Paper: A Marine Fisheries Policy for South Africa. Cape Town: Sea Fisheries. 46 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Armstrong, M.J. and Butterworth, D.S. (1986) Estimates of yield for the South African anchovy resource in ICSEAF Division 1.6. Colln Scient. Pap. Int. Commn. SE Atl. Fish. 13, 45–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baldursson, F.M., Stefansson, G. and Danielsson, A. (1993) On the rational utilisation of the Icelandic cod stock. ICES J. Mar. Sci. 53, 643–658.

    Google Scholar 

  • Basson, M. and Beddington, J.R. (1993) Risks and uncertainties in the management of a single-cohort squid fishery: the Falkland Islands Ilex fishery as an example. In Smith, S.J., Hunt, J.J. and Rivard, D., eds. Risk evaluation and biological reference points for fisheries management. Can. Spec. Publ. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 120, 253–259.

  • Bergh, M.O. and Butterworth, D.S. (1987) Towards rational harvesting of the South African anchovy considering survey imprecision and recruitment variability. In Payne, A.I.L., Gulland, J.A. and Brink, K.H., eds. The Benguela and comparable ecosystems. S. Afr. J. Mar. Sci. 5, 937–951.

  • Brewer, G.D. (1984) The wider dimensions of management uncertainty in world fisheries. In May, R.M., ed. Exploitation of Marine Communities. Dahlem Konferenzen. Berlin: Springer-Verlag, pp. 275–285.

    Google Scholar 

  • Butterworth, D.S. (1983) Assessment and management of pelagic stocks in the southern Benguela region. In Sharp, G.D. and Csirke, J., eds. Proceedings of the Expert Consultation to Examine Changes in Abundance and Species Composition of Neritic Fish Resources, San José, Costa Rica, April 1983. F.A.O. Fish. Rep. 291(2), 329–405.

  • Butterworth, D.S. and Bergh, M.O. (1993) The development of a management procedure for the South African anchovy resource. In Smith, S.J., Hunt, J.J. and Rivard, D., eds. Risk evaluation and biological reference points for fisheries management. Can. Spec. Publ. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 120, 83–99.

  • Butterworth, D.S., De Oliveira, J.A.A. and Cochrane, K.L. (1993) Current initiatives in refining the management procedure for the South African anchovy resource. In Kruse, G., Eggers, D.M., Marasco, R.J., Pautzke, C. and Quinn, T.J. II, eds. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Management Strategies for Exploited Fish Populations (Anchorage, Alaska, October 1992). Fairbanks, AK: Alaska Sea Grant College Program AK-SG-93-02, pp. 439–473.

    Google Scholar 

  • Butterworth, D.S., Cochrane, K.L. and De Oliveira, J.A.A. (1997) Management procedures: a better way to manage fisheries? The South African experience. In Pikitch, E.K., Huppert, D.D. and Sissenwine, M.P., eds. Global Trends: Fisheries Management (Proceedings of the Symposium held at Seattle, Washington, 14–16 June, 1994). Am. Fish. Soc. Symp. 20, 83–90.

  • Charles, A.T. (1992) Fishery conflicts. A unified framework. Mar. Policy 16, 378–393.

    Google Scholar 

  • Charles, A.T. (1994) Towards sustainability: the fishery experience. Ecol. Econ. 11, 201–211.

    Google Scholar 

  • Charles, A.T. (1995) Fishery science: the study of fishery systems. Aquat. Living Resour. 8, 233–239.

    Google Scholar 

  • Christensen, S. (1997) Evaluation of management strategies — a bioeconomic approach applied to the Greenland shrimp fishery. ICES J. Mar. Sci. 54, 412–426.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cochrane, K.L. and Payne, A.I.L. (1998) People, purses and power: the role of policy in directing fisheries management as indicated in the debate surrounding a developing fisheries policy for South Africa. In Pitcher, T.J., Hart, P.J.B. and Pauly, D., eds. Reinventing Fisheries Management (Proceedings of Symposium held in Vancouver, Canada, February 20–24, 1996). London: Chapman & Hall (in press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Cochrane, K.L., Butterworth, D.S. and Payne, A.I.L. (1997) South Africa's offshore living marine resources: the scientific basis for management of the fisheries. Proc. Roy. Soc. Sth. Afr. 52, 149–176.

    Google Scholar 

  • Corten, A.D. (1996) The widening gap between fisheries biology and fisheries management in the European Union. Fish. Res. 27, 1–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crawford, R.J.M., Shannon, L.V. and Pollock, D.E. (1987) The Benguela Ecosystem. Part IV. The major fish and invertebrate resources. Oceanogr. Mar. Biol. Ann. Rev. 25, 353–505.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Oliveira, J.A.A. (1995) Assessment and management of the South African anchovy resource. MSc thesis, Univ. Cape Town. 185 pp.

  • De Oliveira, J.A.A., Butterworth, D.S., Roel, B.A., Cochrane, K.L. and Brown, J.P. (1998) The application of a management procedure to regulate the directed and bycatch fishery of the South African sardine. In Pillar, S.C., Moloney, C.L., Payne, A.I.L. and Shillington, F.A., eds. Benguela Dynamics. Impact of Variability on Shelf-Sea Environments and their Living Resources. S. Afr. J. Mar. Sci. 19 (in press).

  • Economist, The (1995) The World in 1996. London: The Economist. 135 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • FAO (1995) Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. Rome: FAO. 41 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • FAO (1996) Precautionary Approach to Capture Fisheries and Species Introductions. Rome: FAO, FAO Technical Guidelines for Responsible Fisheries. 2. 54 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • FAO (1997) Fisheries Management. Rome: FAO. FAO Technical Guidelines for Responsible Fisheries 4. 82 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Francis, R.C.C. (1992) Use of risk analysis to assess fishery management strategies: a case study using orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus) on the Chatham Rise, New Zealand. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 42, 922–930.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garcia, S.M. and Newton, C. (1997) Current situation, trends, and prospects in world capture fisheries. In Pikitch, E.K., Huppert, D.D. and Sissenwine, M.P., eds. Global Trends: Fisheries Management (Proceedings of the Symposium held at Seattle, Washington, 14–16 June, 1994). Am. Fish. Soc. Symp. 20, 2–27.

  • Gavaris, S. (1988) An adaptive framework for the estimation of population size. Res. Doc. Can. Atl. Fish. Scient. Adv. Comm. (CAFSAC) 88/29. 12 pp. (mimeo).

  • Hersoug, B. (1996) Social considerations in fisheries planning and management — real objectives or a defence of the status quo. In Crean, K. and Symes, D., eds. Fisheries Management in Crisis. Oxford: Blackwell Science, pp. 19–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hilborn, R. (1997) Uncertainty, risk and the precautionary principle. In Pikitch, E.K., Huppert, D.D. and Sissenwine, M.P., eds. Global Trends: Fisheries Management (Proceedings of the Symposium held at Seattle, Washington, 14–16 June, 1994). Am. Fish. Soc. Symp. 20, 100–106.

  • Hilborn, R. and Walters, C.J. (1977) Differing goals of salmon management on the Skeena River. J. Fish. Res. Bd Can. 34, 64–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hilborn, R., Pikitch, E.K. and Francis, R.C. (1993) Current trends in including risk and uncertainty in stock assessment and harvest decisions. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 50, 874–880.

    Google Scholar 

  • IWC (1994) Report of the Sub-Committee on Management Procedures. Rep. Int. Whal. Commn 44, 74–92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jentoft, S. (1989) Fisheries co-management. Delegating government responsibility to fishermen's organizations. Mar. Policy 13, 137–154.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirkwood, G.P. (1992) Background to the development of Revised Management Procedures. Rep. Int. Whal. Commn 42, 236–243.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirkwood, G.P. (1997) The Revised Management Procedure of the International Whaling Commission. In Pikitch, E.K., Huppert, D.D. and Sissenwine, M.P., eds. Global Trends: Fisheries Management (Proceedings of the Symposium held at Seattle, Washington, 14–16 June, 1994). Am. Fish. Soc. Symp. 20, 91–99.

  • Laurec, A. and Armstrong, D. (1997) The European Common Fisheries Policy and its Evolution. In Pikitch, E.K., Huppert, D.D. and Sissenwine, M.P., eds. Global Trends: Fisheries Management (Proceedings of the Symposium held at Seattle, Washington, 14–16 June, 1994). Am. Fish. Soc. Symp. 20, 61–72.

  • Ludwig, D.E., Hilborn, R. and Walters, C. (1993) Uncertainty, resource exploitation and conservation: lessons from history. Science 260, 17, 36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Masood (1996) Scientific caution ‘blunts efforts’ to conserve fish stocks. Nature 379, 481.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matthews, D.R. (1995) Commons versus open access. The collapse of Canada's east coast fishery. The Ecologist 25, 86–96.

    Google Scholar 

  • May, R.M., Beddington, J.R., Clark, C.W., Holt, S.J. and Laws, R.M. (1979) Management of multispecies fisheries. Science 205, 267–277.

    Google Scholar 

  • McAllister, M.K., Pikitch, E.K., Punt, A.E. and Hilborn, R. (1994) A Bayesian approach to stock assessment and harvest decisions using the sampling/importance resampling algorithm. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 51, 2673–2687.

    Google Scholar 

  • Olver, C.J., Shuter, B.J. and Minns, C.K. (1995) Towards a definition of conservation principles for fisheries management. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 52, 1584–1594.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parsons, L.S. and Beckett, J.S. (1997) Fisheries management in Canada: the case of Atlantic groundfish. In Pikitch, E.K., Huppert, D.D. and Sissenwine, M.P., eds. Global Trends: Fisheries Management (Proceedings of the Symposium held at Seattle, Washington, 14–16 June, 1994). Am. Fish. Soc. Symp. 20, 73–79.

  • Payne, A.I.L. and Punt, A.E. (1995) Biology and fisheries of South African Cape hakes (M. capensis and M. paradoxus). In Alheit, J. and Pitcher, T.J., eds. Hake: Biology, Fisheries and Markets. London: Chapman & Hall, pp. 15–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pearce, P.H. (1994) Fishing rights and fishing policy: the development of property rights as instruments of fisheries management. In Voigtlander, C.W., ed. The State of the World's Fisheries Resources. Proceedings of the World Fisheries Congress, Plenary Sessions. Lebanon: International Science, pp. 76–91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pearce, F. (1996) Only stern words can save world's fish. New Scientist, 10 February 1996, 4.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pikitch, E.K. (1988) Objectives for biologically and technically interrelated fisheries. In Wooster, W., ed. Fishery Science and Management Objectives and Limitations (Lecture Notes on Coastal and Estuarine Studies, 28). Berlin: Springer-Verlag, pp. 107–136.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pikitch, E.K., Sissenwine, M., Huppert, D. and Duke, M. (1997) Summing up: an overview of global trends in fisheries, fisheries science, and fisheries management. In Pikitch, E.K., Huppert, D.D. and Sissenwine, M.P., eds. Global Trends: Fisheries Management (Proceedings of the Symposium held at Seattle, Washington, 14–16 June, 1994). Am. Fish. Soc. Symp. 20, 275–278.

  • Punt, A.E. (1989) Pilchard TAC determination using a maximum-likelihood catch-at-age approach. Cape Town: Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Unpublished report WG/SEP/89/P/3. 12 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Punt, A.E. (1992) Selecting management methodologies for marine resources, with an illustration for southern African hake. In Payne, A.I.L., Brink, K.H. and Hilborn, R., eds. Benguela Trophic Functioning. S. Afr. J. Mar. Sci. 12, 943–958.

  • Restrepo, V.R., Hoenig, J.M., Powers, J.E., Baird, J.W. and Turner, S.C. (1992) A simple simulation approach to risk and cost analysis, with applications to swordfish and cod fisheries. Fish. Bull. 29, 736–748.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg, A.A., Fogarty, M.J., Sissenwine, M.P., Beddington, J.R. and Shepherd, J.G. (1993) Achieving sustainable use of renewable resources. Science 262, 828–829.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sandberg, A. (1996) Community fishing or fishing communities. In Crean, K. and Symes, D., eds. Fisheries Management in Crisis. Oxford: Blackwell Science, pp. 34–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • SFRI (1989) Pilchard TAC recommendations for 1990. Cape Town: Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Unpubl. doc., 31 October 1989, 8 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • SFRI (1990) Recommendations for 1990 pilchard TAC revision. Cape Town: Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Unpubl. doc. WG/JAN/90/P/6, 7 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • SFRI (1994) Updates to the management procedures for South African anchovy and pilchard. Cape Town: Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Unpubl. doc. WG/JAN94/PEL/3, 9 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • SFRI (1996) Statement by the Sea Fisheries Research Institute regarding ad hoc changes to management procedures. Cape Town: Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Unpubl. doc. WG/JUN96/PEL/7, 2 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • SFRI (1997) Correction to the acoustic time-series of anchovy and sardine biomass. Cape Town: Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Unpubl. doc. WG/JAN97/PEL/8, 8 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shelton, P.A., Armstrong, M.J. and Roel, B.A. (1993) An overview of the application of the egg production method in the assessment of anchovy in the southeast Atlantic. In Hunter, J.R., Lo, N.C.H. and Fuiman, L.A., eds. Advances in the Early Life History of Fishes, Pt II. Ichthyoplankton Methods for Estimating Fish Biomass. Los Angeles: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Science Series, pp. 778–794.

    Google Scholar 

  • Starr, P.J., Breen, P.A., Hilborn, R. and Kendrick, T.H. (1998) Evaluation of management decision rules for a New Zealand rock lobster. Marine Freshw. Res. (in press).

  • Stephenson, R.L. and Lane, D.E. (1995) Fisheries management science: a plea for conceptual change. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 52, 2051–2056.

    Google Scholar 

  • Symes, D. (1996) Fishing in troubled waters. In Crean, K. and Symes, D., eds. Fisheries Management in Crisis. Oxford: Blackwell Science, pp. 3–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Talbot, L.M. (1996) Living resource conservation: an international overview. Washington, DC: Published report to the Marine Mammal Commission. 56 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walters, C. and Maguire, J.J. (1996) Lessons for stock assessment from the northern cod collapse. Rev. Fish Biol. Fish. 6, 125–137.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Kevern L Cochrane
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Doug S. Butterworth
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. José A.A. De Oliveira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Beatriz A. Roel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cochrane, K.L., Butterworth, D.S., De Oliveira, J.A. et al. Management procedures in a fishery based on highly variable stocks and with conflicting objectives: experiences in the South African pelagic fishery. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 8, 177–214 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008894011847

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008894011847

Search

Navigation