Investigators

Collaborators

Sea Around Us Project

Research project description

Background

Activities dependent on healthy marine fish populations make significant contributions to the global, regional and national economies of countries of the world. This includes extractive uses such as commercial and recreational fishing, as well as non-extractive uses such as tourism. The ocean fisheries economy also includes related activities such as the seafood processing, shipping, marketing, and retail sectors. And it also includes public sector activities such as fisheries management. In addition to direct economic values, the oceans also provide a number of indirect or non-market values such as ocean processes that influence climate and biodiversity, and bequest and existence values.

Often, fisheries managers feel pressure to sacrifice the long term health of marine fish resources in favor of short term economic needs of the fishing industry. The Global Ocean Economics Project will determine the global economic contribution of activities supported by healthy fish populations, now and in the future. Gaining a better understanding of the value to the global economy of healthy marine fish populations may provide a broader economic perspective for fisheries managers.

As a first step to initiate the Global Ocean Economics Project, Rashid Sumaila will convene a meeting of economic and fisheries experts to develop a research strategy for the Project. The tasks for this meeting include (but may not be limited to):

1. Identifying ocean fisheries activities to be covered, the most obvious being: (a) capture fisheries, (b) ocean fish hatcheries and aquaculture, (c) seafood processing, (d) boat/ship building and repairs, (e) tourism/recreational fisheries, (f) marine manufacturing and services, e.g., products aiding search and rescue of fish and fishers, (g) marine research, and (h) contributions from public services, e.g., fisheries management;
2. Identifying the regions and major countries where this analysis should focus on, in addition to the global level analysis;
3. Discuss relevant methodologies for the planned research;
4. Developing a plan for collecting, compiling and analyzing the necessary data to accomplish the research goals;
5. Breaking the research and analysis into tasks to be executed by the UBC team;
6. Specifying the role of an Advisory Panel for the project.

Project Duration

Two years

Funding source
Pew Charitable Trusts

Documentation
In December of 2007 we convened a planning meeting in Vancouver to develop a research strategy for the project.

Based on the discussion during the planning meeting we prepared a brief outline for the project. (PDF 81KB)

Preliminary results (working papers)

Preliminary results from the first stage of the project have been released as working papers on the UBC Fisheries Centre website. The first stage of the project involves four papers which will be part of a special issue in the Journal of Bioeconomics to be published sometime in 2010. Following is a list of the working papers available for download.

• Global patterns of potential catch and value losses due to overfishing (PDF 420 Kb)
• A global valuation of ecosystem-based marine recreation (PDF 821 Kb)
• Contribution of ocean fish populations to the world economy (PDF 182 Kb)
• A bottom-up re-estimation of global fisheries subsidies

Resources for contributors
The Global Ocean Economics Project is one of large scope and the data requirements are high. We depend greatly on contributions from those working in fisheries around the world to provide us with high quality information.

If you have any information to offer you may use the templates below to make a submission. Please email completed forms to The Global Ocean Economics Project. You may also contact Global Ocean Economics researchers directly through the members section or use the contact page.

• Government financial support form (Excel 165Kb)
• Recreational Fishing Data Form (Excel)
• Ex-Vessel Price Data Form (Excel)
• Costs of fishing data form (Excel 49Kb)

Investigators

Megan Bailey (Doctoral Student)
Ussif Rashid Sumaila

Collaborators

Conservation International
Fisheries Ecosystems Restoration Research group at UBC

Research Project Description

Objective
Raja Ampat, in Eastern Indonesia, boasts the highest coral reef biodiversity in the world, and is therefore an important area not only for fishing and tourism, but also for conservation. In an effort to understand this ecosystem, development of an ecosystem based management (EBM) framework was initiated by Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, and World Wildlife Fund. The economic component of this project was our particular focus. Specifically, our objective was to look at the economics of unregulated and illegal fishing in Raja Ampat. An unregulated anchovy fishery and the illegal use of dynamite and explosives in the region were studied.

Fishermen unloading their catch. Photo by Megan Bailey 

Method

To study an unregulated fishery, we conducted interviews with anchovy fishermen twice, once in the spring (dry season) and fall (wet season) of 2006. Information from these interviews was used to estimate the catch, income and profitability of the fishery. To study an illegal fishery, a principal-agent analysis was conducted. Principal-agent analysis is a type of game theory that is applicable when there is specific ownership over a resource. In the case of small scale fisheries in Raja Ampat, the village chief is the informal legal owner of coastal resources.

Results

The catch and profitability of the unregulated anchovy fishery proved to be quiet substantial (see Marine Policy paper linked below). In the principal-agent analysis, we identified a disincentive structure that would essentially discourage the use of these illegal fishing gears. This structure was based on the probability of detecting illegal fishing, and the penalty applied to apprehended fishers. Results from this study can be found in chapter three of the Research Report (16(1)) linked below.

Funding sources

Conservation International 
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)

Project Duration

January 2006 – January 2007

Project Publications
Bailey, M., C. Rotinsulu, and U.R. Sumaila. 2008. The migrant anchovy fishery in Kabui Bay, Raja Ampat, Indonesia: Catch, profitability and income distribution. Marine Policy 32: 483-488

Bailey, M, and T.J. Pitcher. 2008. Ecological and economic analyses of marine ecosystems in the Bird’s Head Seascape, Papua, Indonesia: II. Fisheries Centre Research Reports 16(1): 186 pp

Pitcher, T.J., C.A. Ainsworth, and M. Bailey. 2007. Ecological and economic analyses of marine ecosystems in the Bird’s Head Seascape, Papua, Indonesia: I. Fisheries Centre Research Reports 15(5): 184 pp.

Last Updated: November 2008.

Investigators

FERU, UBC Fisheries Centre
Ussif Rashid Sumaila (Co-applicant)
Gakushi Ishimura

University of Alaska Anchorage
Matthew D. Berman (Principal Investigator)

Marine Mammal Research Unit, UBC Fisheries Centre
Andrew Trites (Co-applicant)
Edward Gregr

Research Project Description

Background

Marine habitat closures for fisheries are widely used for protecting or rebuilding marine bio-resources as well as endangered species. Decisions about such closures require spatial information of the potential value of fisheries. This study develops a method and estimates the spatial and temporal distribution of the economic value of groundfish fisheries in U.S. Alaskan waters to quantify the cost of Steller Sea Lion (SSL) critical habitat closures.

Objectives

This research will develop and apply methods for estimating the cost to the North Pacific groundfish fisheries of current SSL critical habitat closures by major fishery and gear group with detailed temporal and spatial scales relevant to management decisions.

Method

The method extends econometric models of discrete spatial choice (random utility models) in fisheries to incorporate detailed and flexible geographic scales by economic variables of fisheries and marine environmental variables.

Funding Sources

North Pacific Fisheries Council
North Pacific Universities Marine Mammal Research Consortium

Last Updated: March 2006.

Co-Investigators:
Yajie Liu (FERU, UBC)
Dr. Jane Tosh (University of Guelph)
Matt Lemay (University of Guelph)

Network Collaborators/Partners:
Cheryl Quinton (University of Guelph)
Ruth E. Withler (Pacific Biological Station, DFO)
Bamfield Huu-Ay-Aht Community Abalone Project

Research Project Description

Summary:

Our research project will develop a selective breeding program for cultured pinto abalone at the Bamfield Huu-Ay-Aht Community Abalone Project (BHCAP). This breeding program will apply modern animal breeding methodology to improve the cultured population for economically-important traits, while minimizing inbreeding accumulation. Such a breeding plan is essential because of the potential for rapid inbreeding accumulation resulting from the high fecundity of the abalone and limited rearing space in the hatchery. Our project is novel in incorporating the molecular markers to monitor inbreeding, estimate genetic parameters, and identify the parents of potential broodstock. Fisheries economists on the project team will help identify important traits to target for selection by predicting the relative economic value of these different traits in the global marketplace. These economic weights will be incorporated into a multi-trait selection index that will be used for genetic evaluation of potential brood stocks.

Objectives:

1. To develop a Selective Breeding Program for the Bamfield Huu-Ay-Aht Community Abalone Project (BHCAP) including a multi-trait selection index;
2. To determine which traits are economically important and their relative importance so that they can be weighed appropriately in the Selection Index;
3. To measure these traits on individually-tagged hatchery-bred animals;

Funding sources:

Aquanet

Last Updated: Feburary 2006.

1. How much better could the management of Fraser River sockeye have been, in terms of several different objectives, given what we now know about stock-recruitment dynamics?
2. Given uncertainty about the underlying biology of the system, what are the likely economic implications of different management approaches that might be implemented?

Investigators

Louise Teh (MSc project)
Ussif Rashid Sumaila (Supervisor)

Research Project Description

Background

The majority of the world’s shallow coral reefs are concentrated along the coastlines of developing nations. These biodiversity rich ecosystems harbour a wide range of fish and invertebrate species that are caught mostly by small-scale fishers using multiple gears. Coral reef fisheries provide a main source of food and income for these small-scale subsistence and artisanal fishers. However, in recent decades, burgeoning populations and poverty in the coastal zones of developing countries, particularly in Southeast Asia, have led to the overexploitation and degradation of many nearshore reef resources and habitats, putting these vulnerable ecosystems under serious threat. Yet, small-scale tropical reef fisheries are often marginalized from mainstream policy makers, leading to less than adequate management of these valuable fisheries. The continuation of this trend is likely to lead to depleted reef ecosystems, with dire socio-economic consequences for the communities who depend on them. As such, there is an immediate need to understand the local dynamics of small-scale reef fisheries. Filling in basic data gaps can enable assessments of the state of the studied fisheries, ultimately leading to the identification of management strategies which can ensure the long-term ecological and socio-economic sustainability of reef fisheries.

Objectives

This research focuses on the small-scale, artisanal reef fisheries of southern Banggi island in Sabah, Malaysia. It represents the first attempt of understanding both the ecological and socio-economic dynamics of the island’s reef fisheries. The goal of this research is to identify viable management strategies which will lead to the long term sustainability of the reef fisheries and associated socio-economic systems. Insights from this research can also be applied on a broader scale to other reef fisheries in the region, many of which share similar characteristics and problems as Banggi. The three objectives of this research are:

• Characterize and describe the ecological, social, and economic aspects of south Banggi’s artisanal reef fisheries;
• Assess the sustainability of south Banggi’s reef fisheries;
• Explore the fishery effects of potential management strategies, and identify a feasible strategy, or strategies, that will contribute to the long-term ecological and socio-economic sustainability of Banggi’s reef fisheries.

Research Methods

Fishery and socio-economic data is collected by monitoring fish landings and interviewing local fishers during two field periods in 2004 and 2005. I then do ecosystem modelling using Ecopath with Ecosim (www.ecopath.org) to explore the ecosystem effects of different policy options. These results are then considered under the prevailing social and economic context to identify an appropriate management strategy for Banggi’s reef fisheries.

Main Findings

This study suggests that Banggi’s reef fisheries resources may still be relatively productive, but have declined significantly over time. They are likely to become depleted in the future if current rates of exploitation are maintained. Results from an ecosystem modelling exercise, considered within the context of Banggi’s socio-economic environment, indicate that: i) the establishment of a small, community-managed marine reserve within the current fishing grounds; and ii) the implementation of alternative livelihood programmes, will be the most suitable courses of action for sustainable management of Banggi’s reef fisheries. 

This project was completed in January 2006

• A key output is a report containing the findings of the project, which will be published both as an Oceana Technical Report and a UBC Fisheries Centre Research Report. Material in the report will be distilled into papers for submission to the primary literature.
• Provide facts and figures on the web for policymakers and other interest groups.
• Make presentations at international conferences and workshops.
• Make contributions to international resource management efforts such as the Millennium Assessment.