Title: Perceptions des pcheurs et donnes scientifiques sur l'cosystme de MancheEst
1Perceptions des pêcheurs et données scientifiques
sur l'écosystème de Manche-Est
Magali Prigent, Marie-Joëlle Rochet, Guy
Fontenelle, Verena Trenkel, Jacques A. Bertrand,
André Carpentier, Franck Coppin, Jean-Paul
Delpech, Eric Foucher, Kelig Mahé, Emilie Rostiaux
2Towards an Ecosystem Approach of Fisheries
- Involving stakeholders
- Knowledge on fisheries and ecosystem
- Views on management objectives and tools
- How do fishers describe the marine ecosystem?
(components and interactions, current vs past
state)
3Study areaEastern English Channel
- a small ecosystem under pressure from a
diversity of human activities (fisheries, land
runoffs, traffic) - with a good knowledge base
4Methods
- Semi-directive interviews 1-2 hours cognitive
maps - Four themes
- - Reference system (what is the Eastern English
Channel) - - The stakeholders perception of the ecosystem
- - Current fisheries management objectives and
methods - - Expectations for the future
- 29 interviewees
- - represent the diversity of métiers and
fishers age structure - - from a diversity of ports Boulogne, Le
Tréport, Dieppe, Honfleur, Trouville, Port en
Bessin, Grandcamp
5Methods cognitive maps
- A bubble diagram drawn by the interviewee showing
the main components and interactions in the
ecosystem (incl. strength)
6Results fishers perceptions
- Eastern Channel ecosystem status
- Fisheries resources are depleted for 76 of the
interviewees, especially flatfish and cod - Some population changes are ascribed to water
warming fishing seasons vary and are shorter - Pollution is high, although improving
- Fishing gears and gravel extraction are thought
to damage sea bottom
7Results fishers perceptions
- The major ecosystem components
Métiers
Number of times items were mentioned in cognitive
maps
Commercial fishing impacts the marine ecosystem,
but pollution, climate change, and the industry
have strong impacts too.
8Results fishers expectations
- The current management system is unsatisfactory
- - management tools inefficient and not well
understood - - historical quotas criticized
- - feeling of unequal treatment among fishers
from different member states - - insufficient communication between managers
and fishers - Management objectives
- 1) primarily economic
- 2) resource and habitat preservation
9Results a cognitive map averaged across 10
trawlers
Fisheries resources are threatened by many factors
10Results comparison with scientific knowledge
- Fishers statement 1. Overall resources decreased
- Total abundance and biomass from the CGFS
groundfish survey
11Results comparison with scientific knowledge
Fishers statement 2. Especially flatfish, cod,
whiting and cuttlefish decreased
- Abundance indices from the CGFS landings
12Results comparison with scientific knowledge
- Fishers statement 2. seabass red mullet
increased and scallops remained stable - Abundance indices from CGFS COMOR landings
13Results comparison with scientific knowledge
- Fishers statement 3. Average size of catch
decreased, especially for sole - Average sole weight in landings
? Agree
14Results comparison with scientific knowledge
- Fishers statement 4. Sole fishing season shifted
to a later period - Monthly sole landings (2000-2005)
? Agree
15Conclusions
- Interviewed fishers are pessimistic about the
current status of the Eastern English Channel
ecosystem and are not satisfied with the
management system - Most of their perceptions are corroborated by
available scientific data - Both views concur that the Eastern English
Channel is in a poor state - Cognitive maps have proven useful to formalise
stakeholder views.