iFish6

The Challenge of Whale-related Regulations and Windfarms for Fishermen in the North Atlantic

Ann S. Backus, Harvard Chan Education and Research Center, USA
Poster (Coming Soon)

How can fishermen in the North Atlantic get their heads and hands around the various “emerging” challenges on the horizon? In addition to the long-standing challenges of a high-risk profession, which we are still grappling with – vessel fires, man overboard, sinkings, weather, etc., the industry in the North Atlantic is facing pressures from stakeholders and situations that have made or may make fishing even riskier and perhaps less sustainable.

Landings in Maine from 2018-2021 decreased 25% while the value of the catch increased 40%. The fisheries (non-aquaculture) experiencing a decrease in landings range from alewife and Atlantic herring to lobster and urchins. However, oyster landings showed a strong upward trend, while soft clam landings showed a modest increase.

While trying to respond to the stress of decreases in the resource, fishermen, and especially gear fishermen such as lobstermen and gillnetters were required to make gear changes in order to protect the right whales. These gear changes had economic and safety implications.

We will discuss the chronology and characteristics of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Program (ALWTRP) from 2014 to the June 16, 2023 ruling of U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in favor of the lobstermen. The lawsuit brought by the Maine Lobstermen’s Association argued that the ALWTRP regulations would destroy the lobster fishery, and the Court of Appeals stipulated that NMFS must not resort to “worst-case scenarios” when developing whale-take reduction regulations.

Another stressor for the North Atlantic fisheries is the proposed windfarms. We will sketch out the salient aspects of the USCG Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular No. 01-19 that seeks to minimize disruption and ensure safe transit of marine traffic including commercial fishing in windfarm locations. We will invite discussion of the “lived experience” of fishermen and regulators.

Introduction: Mass mortality events (MMEs) threaten the health of fish and are also a potential threat to the health and safety of aquaculture (AOHS) workers. MMEs involve the sudden death of thousands to millions of fish and are a type of major accident requiring rapid mobilization of workers, vessels and other supports and working under pressure to a) investigate the extent and cause of the die-off; b) remove, transport, and dispose of dead finfish; and c) adjust farm design and practices to reduce future risk. MMEs have the potential to cause injury or fatalities to aquaculture personnel.

Methods: An international AOHS research team performed a desktop exercise using information on definitions of MMEs, incident reports, legal and regulatory guidance and documentation and media coverage to generate five country profiles (Canada, Chile, Ireland, Norway, Scotland) of potential AOHS hazards and risks associated with MMEs. Country profile findings were synthesized and incorporated into a multi-disciplinary, expert elicitation risk assessment process to identify causes and consequences of MMEs including from an OHS perspective.

Findings: Findings indicate variability in MME definitions, requirements for event reporting and AOHS-related contingency planning across countries. Key hazards and potential pathways between MME-prevention planning, monitoring and response and AOHS risks were mapped using a bow-tie risk analysis. The Chile case study found large numbers of MMEs and high injury and fatality risk. Of the countries profiled, only Chile had issued a health and safety circular related to diving and transport of dead fish associated with MMEs.

Conclusion: AOHS concerns need to be fully and effectively integrated into broader risk assessments, policy and surveillance systems to prevent MMEs and reduce their consequences in aquaculture. The Chilean OHS guidelines related to aquaculture MMEs may be adapted and used in other countries.

Whether they realize it or not, recreational fishers in Canada are usually operating in water which is cold enough to impair their ability to perform self-rescue should they fall in. When a person unexpectedly falls into cold water, they immediately experience cold shock response followed by cold incapacitation and hypothermia. During unexpected cold-water immersion, wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) is critically important for ensuring a person’s head is kept above water to prevent drowning. If the individual is lacking sufficient thermal protection, it also becomes critically important that they have a reliable means for signaling their need to be rescued. One of the most versatile and reliable methods for initiating a rescue response is a personal locator beacon (PLB). A PLB can reduce the search time and, when used with a PFD, increase the chance of survival in a maritime emergency.

Our research aims to reduce the number of boating related fatalities by increasing the usage rate of PFDs and PLBs during boating activities. To achieve this goal, we are conducting a multi-phase research project for recreational boaters in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), Canada. Our research includes: 1. a systematic review of previous work examining factors associated with the use of PFDs and PLBs by recreational boaters, 2. an observational study of PFD use by recreational boaters in NL, 3. a survey to further understand the barriers and incentives influencing the use of PFDs and PLBs, and 4. the design and delivery of an intervention that will target the use of PFDs and PLBs by recreational boaters. Our paper will present the findings of the systematic review and observational study, along with our research design and any results collected to date.

The fishery sector of Bangladesh directly and indirectly employs approximately 17 million people, of which 1.4 million are women. Many of them are fishing laborers who perform a variety of jobs: operational crew members, engine drivers, and boat skippers in sea-going fishing boats, dry fish processing workers, shrimp and prawn post-larvae collectors, and workers in export-oriented fish processing industries. Because of technological advancements, high riches in fisheries, the open access nature of common pool access, and better integration with foreign markets have increased fishing activity substantially, and so has the number of fishing laborers. Nevertheless, the livelihoods and wellbeing situation of fishing are precarious. The worker is hired at a predetermined sub-optimal wage rate imposed by the owner with rigid terms and conditions. These laborers, including the children, work in very precarious workplace environments on land and on the sea with insufficient time for rest and leisure. Boat owners are often forced to disregard cautionary rough weather signals and continue fishing in stormy weather that often results in morbidities or even death. Without any formal job agreement, effective labor organization, or insurance coverage, any occupational accident will likely push fishing labor households into poverty and low wellbeing. Finally, this study calls for interventions to consider fishing rights as human rights. Thus, the rights of the fishing labor should be protected with sufficient wages and insurance for risky fishing ventures in the sea.

Distant-water fisheries (DWF) – industrial fishing fleets that originate in one country but fish in the waters of other countries or in the high seas – are currently the focus of considerable attention in global research and policy arenas. They are emblematic case studies for contradictions, inequities, and wicked governance problems in the use of ocean spaces and resources. The extractive pressure exerted by these fleets also suggests they may have both direct and indirect impacts on local fisheries and coastal communities where they operate, which are important to understand to develop solutions that address the fundamental injustices, inequities and management dilemmas involved. This work analyzes socio-economic, and environmental tradeoffs of Liberia’s current catch-based management system used for licensing DWF vessels operating in its EEZ. Data were obtained from the SeaAroundUs Project, Liberia’s National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), interviews, and secondary data from publications and reports. We found that the fish species assemblages targeted by small-scale fisheries are the same as those targeted by the distant-water trawl fleet operating in Liberia’s EEZ. The quantity of fish landed by the small-scale operators have considerably declined over the last decade, while the catch by the distant-water trawl fleet has increased per unit effort over the same period. In addition, between 2010 and 2020, NaFAA’s financial benefits derived from all DWF vessels was lowest for the trawl fleet, but the fleet’s cost to society from the social and environmental standpoint appears to be the highest, pointing to the need for updated management measures. Focusing resources on capacity building for coastal community fisheries, rather than on licensing DWF, may serve to both safeguard the economic, social, and cultural rights of Liberian communities while also maximizing benefits for the government.

Humans are a key element in maintaining the safety of a vessel and crew while deployed at sea. All of the safety gear and resources involved are connected by one thing, the ability to identify, maintain, and utilize them when necessary. This makes people the most important safety asset on your vessel. Properly trained personnel, coupled with the appropriate safety equipment, resources, training, and knowledge of the vessel, is the key for increased success in avoiding or mitigating an at-sea emergency. This presentation will focus on the NOAA Fisheries Marine Safety training, deployed safety gear, safety/health best practices, as well as how a fisheries observer can be an asset to the overall safety and health of a vessel and crew.

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” –Benjamin Franklin

Using a panel dataset of commercial fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico, we attempt to separately identify the moral hazard and self-selection effects of property insurance coverage among commercial fishers. We use captains’ propensity to take fishing trips under adverse weather conditions as a proxy for their private information; these data are available to us, but not to insurers. We find that vessels with higher long-term exposure to risk are significantly less likely to be insured, suggesting potential advantageous selection. However, this relationship dissipates once we control for information likely known to the insurer and it is reversed once we correct for unobserved factors. Finally, we find robust evidence of moral hazard.

There is a paradox within the world of safety: while many organisations say that they want to learn from the experiences of others, and that they actively seek to identify and adopt ‘best practice’ from other parts of the industry, they are often unwilling to share their data with others for fear of adverse reputational or commercial reaction from others, particularly competitors and customers. As a result, incidents that could be averted through the timely sharing of knowledge across organizational boundaries are repeated elsewhere, and the number of potentially avoidable deaths, injuries and equipment damage remains stubbornly high.

In this presentation, CHIRP challenges the barriers to cross-organisational reporting and proposes that a ‘safe space’ into which all organisations can report to, and draw on, their own and others’ experiences to improve safety across the sector.

The commercial fishing industry is known for its grueling work conditions and unpredictable nature, which can take a toll on the mental health of fishermen. However, despite the evident need, the industry has historically been underserved in terms of compatible mental health care resources. The commercial fishing industry has one of the highest suicide rates in the country, with an average of 80 deaths per 100,000 fishermen, over ten times the national average. A recent study from the Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety showed clinically assessed PTSD rates in male fishermen (12%) to be three times higher than the national average for men (4%). Fishermen also face numerous barriers to accessing mental healthcare, such as the ability to schedule appointments given chaotic schedules, stigma, and a lack of understanding among mental health providers of fishermen’s unique stressors. Prioritizing the mental health of commercial fishermen is essential for this high-risk occupation, as is the provision of industry-appropriate services. The Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety, Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, and Man Therapy have teamed up to create a campaign that specifically targets commercial fishermen. Man Therapy is an innovative approach that uses humor and relatable content to raise awareness about mental health care and to destigmatize health-seeking behavior among fishermen. The Northeast Center has designed a website to provide fisheries-appropriate resources for fishermen and those living or working with fishermen. The presentation will cover website components, resources, and metrics, as well as lessons learned in the provision of online resources for fishermen’s mental health.

This poster will give a preview of the IFISH Innovation Exchange which will take place Friday morning from 10:45 – 12:30 in the Red Room.

The seafood processing industry generates 30 to 70% of the raw material as processed discard. Seafood materials left after processing are considered as seafood side streams and residuals, which comprise biologically and nutritionally significant components of high value, such as proteins, pigments, peptides, amino acids, collagen, gelatin, PUFA-rich fish oils, enzymes, chitin and minerals. These ingredients lead to the establishment of byproduct industries supplying high-valued raw materials for developing pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, functional foods and cosmetic health products. The side streams generated from shrimp peeling yield 35 to 45% of the weight of shrimp as head or exoskeleton. Shell side streams usually possess minerals (30 to 50%), proteins (30 to 40%), and chitin (20 to 30%), besides a minor quantity of fats and pigments. One of the prominent seafood side stream processing industries established in various parts of the world, especially in Asian countries, is the chitin industry. Chitin preparation in the chitin industry generally includes treating the shell side streams using hydrochloric acid (HCl) for demineralization and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution for deproteinization. The washed chitin was then treated with concentrated solutions of NaOH (40 to 50%) at elevated temperatures to produce chitosan. Foul-smelling gases and chemical residual wash waters are generated during various processing stages. This paper gives insight into the present status of the manufacture of chitosan from seafood shell side streams, particularly from the chitin industries located in India and Indonesia, duties and safety of workers employed in a chitin industry, precautions, protocols to be followed, etc. Suggestions to minimize the hazards, health & safety risks of the workforce employed in the chitin industry, one of the least studied industries in fisheries, are also discussed.

Jellyfish are free-floating gelatinous animals and dense aggregations are known as jellyfish blooms. There is a remarkable and rapid increase in jellyfish blooms worldwide. Blooms affect fishers in various ways. This study assesses the effects of jellyfish blooms on the mental and physical health of fishers in the coastal waters of Sri Lanka.

Results: 4 out of 5 fishers experienced jellyfish stinging. Effects on physical health included: redness, itchiness, rash, swelling, headache, vomiting, breathing difficulty, and muscle pain. Other effects included reduced yield, increased time for cleaning, and damaged nets. All fishers were stressed due to low catches during jellyfish blooming.

Control and safety measures include:

• Citizen Science Programmes to aware fishers on jellyfish blooming seasons, health impacts, and treatments
• Early warning systems
• Train fishers on safe handling of jellyfish
• Onboard safety measures

Norwegian fishers are exposed to several hazards in their working environment. In the period 2000-2019 there were 143 accidents involved man overboard, and 93 fishers have their lives consequently. The majority worked on coastal vessels, many of them alone. Measures that can prevent such accidents as well as increase the chance of survival in the case of man overboard can make a significant improvement for safety at sea.

Dimeq AS are currently developing a system that will automatically switch the engine of the vessel off, as well as send an alarm to the maritime radio that coordinates rescue services as well as nearby vessels. The solution is based on the patented EyeD technology, which has real-time positioning and automated real-time detection of man overboard. It consists of a wristband with a sensor that activates when it is submerged in water. Signals are then sent to a receiver on the vessel which turns off the engine and alerts the chosen receiver on shore about the accident and the position of the vessel.

The requirement specification for the system was first prepared by a team of researchers from SINTEF Ocean, based on interviews with active fishers and workshops with key stakeholders in thscare industry. It was developed further in collaboration with Dimeq AS.

This solution is expected to increase the chance of saving lives at sea. Rescue operations can be started immediately in case of a man overboard accident. If the fisher is not injured, stopping the engine may allow the fisher to re-enter the vessel.

This project has been funded through the Norwegian Seafood Research fund (project 901712).

A small-scale aquaculture is an emerging entrepreneurial activity for rural women who have vast opportunity for socio-economic development and livelihood generation. In India, Maharashtra state had a scheme “Maharashtra State Rural Livelihood Mission” called as “UMED” which was started to encourage rural women shelf help groups (SHG) to develop entrepreneurial skill for livelihood generation. The present study was conducted to analyze the extent of change in socio-economic status achieved by rural women through participation aquaculture activities through self-help groups. The respondents were selected using multi-stage stratified random sampling procedure. The livelihood interventions like fish culture in village ponds, community water tanks and other water bodies added contribution towards the nutritional well-being and increased livelihood of women SHG members. Data were collected from 80 SHG members in the Palghar district of Maharashtra. It was found that SHG members were from low socio-economic status. All SHGs had perennial pond of average 2.25 ha which is taken on lease by Gram Panchayat (village level organization). Composite fish culture was practiced with Indian Major Caps and Exotic Carps. Women were involved in all fisheries activities. Fish production has been from the village ponds has been increase to 500 – 700 kg per ha water area. Women members were harvested fishes from ponds with the help of drag net or cast nets. Empowerment through aquaculture leads gain to women SHG members in terms of employment, income, fish as a food and livelihood. The study showed that, increase in the empowerment in terms of confidence building, self-esteem, decision making and economic status and helps to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on poverty reduction and food and nutrition security.