Statistics: West-Indian fisheries dashboard
1 Motivation and objectives of the action
The development of FADS fishing was desired by the Lesser Antilles developers to redeploy
the activity from the overfished insular plates onto the large pelagic fish resources in deeper
waters. An improvement of the fishermen income, the preservation of the highest level of
employment as well as an increase in local production for a greater food autonomy were also
required.
The FADs development and its impacts on the coastal resources, since it is meant to reduce
the fishing effort there, on the targeted resources, on employment, income or overall
production were not measured. Data are also lacking for the rational installation of the ports
and landing points or for the marketing organization.
In addition, the type of data collected in each country is not always the same and the reference
frameworks can also vary. In the Caribbean islands, the fact that the landing points are
scattered makes the statistical data collection quite expensive. In many countries, only part of
the territory is covered by the observers and it is difficult to validate the data.
FADs number and location are not always known, because part of them is used at sea with no
report to the authorities.
This action will be used to examine the possibility/need to harmonize the collected data and
the reference frameworks in the various countries partners to the project. Methods of
evaluation of the protocols of investigation implemented for assessing the number of fishing
trips and catches and average effort per trip, will be tested on 3 islands: Guadeloupe,
Dominica and Martinique.
On these 3 islands, the objective of this action is to produce a certain number of indicators on
the situation of the fisheries sector while being based on the data already collected and by the
information collected within the framework of project MAGDELESA. Beyond the biological
and economic evaluation of fishing on FADs, it is proposed to draw up a “digest” of the
whole fleet. This table could then be reactualized regularly. This work aims supporting a
harmonization of the data-gathering and at facilitating the later exchanges as regards scientific
and technical cooperation.
On all the islands, a special effort to identify and consider the landings by species of small
thunnini (“bonitos”) which constitute a significant part of the unidentified catches in the high
sea fishing around the Lesser Antilles is required. In addition, in order to assess the patterns of
the effort between the various classes of resources (i.e coastal resources vs offshore
resources), there will be an effort to better cover the activity of the ships.
2 Material and methods
Work will be different on the various islands:
o On the 3 islands: Guadeloupe, Dominica and Martinique, it is suggested to work on
the entire fishing fleet and to insist on the validation of that data and survey protocols.
o On the other islands: St Kitts, St Vincent, Grenada and Haiti, only a single test fleet
shall be monitored. The test fleet will be chosen in the area facing the MAGDALESA
experimental FADs.
On all the islands, 4 levels of survey are suggested for implementation and testing during the
action:
1. A census of the boats will be supplemented by the data collection on the activity of
each ship (“calendar of activity”). The ships census data and activity will be collected
using the suitable survey cards processed via an ACCESS software designed for this
purpose for the English-speaking islands.
2. The average number of outings per boat will be estimated by an investigation at the
landing spots, like what is used currently in the various Lesser Antilles countries. In
the 3 islands (Guadeloupe, Dominica and Martinique), the results could be compared
with other estimates made from fuel consumption or by weekly telephone surveys
conducted according to a sampling plan developed on the basis of the ships census and
investigations on the activity.
3. The investigations by fishing trips, currently carried out at the landing spots, will
include the FADs fishing, the species caught using this technique (in particular the
“bonitos”) and the fishing areas as a whole. Information on incomes and costs could
also be collected during these investigations in order to assess the merits and yields of
the various fishing techniques. A comparison between the average catches per outing,
among the areas that are usually covered or not, by the data collection method could
be undertaken on the 3 islands. In the same way, a comparison between data collected
by telephone and investigations at the landing spots would enable to assess the quality
of data according to the method used for collecting.
4. A biological sampling of the pelagic species caught in the vicinity of the FADs will be
carried out during the surveys at the landing spots. Gonads samples will be taken
during these (see action 3-biology and fishing).
This work will be supplemented by an economic survey which will be conducted according to
a sampling design drawn up from the activity data (see socio-economic action 4-Structure…).
The results of this economic survey will be integrated into the fishing dashboard. For the data
processing of items 2 to 4, it will be advisable to check that it can be done on the existing
software in the various countries.
Aerials surveys will be conducted in Martinique and Guadeloupe on two define geographic
areas to determine the density of FADs. This will serve to determine the number of non
registered FADs in order to evaluate the density of FADs. Follow up of catches in these areas
will give an estimation of the impact of FAD density on captures.
During the biological samplings which will be done at the landing spots, the FADs fish will
be identified, the fork length will be recorded, and the length lower rostrum - fork, will be
taken for the billfish. The individual weight will be also noted. On blackfin tuna, the gonads
will be taken to be weighed and at least the gender and the maturity stage will be noted (see
action 3-Biology and fishing).
3 Implementation
Each island will work autonomously in the zone that is selected, but respecting the protocols
common to all and in particular: the survey cards and the reference system defined. The
software for capturing the data will, as far as possible, be the same for all.
Une comparaison des données collectées et des référentiels utilisés dans chaque île sera
effectuée dès le début du projet, afin de définir les adaptations nécessaires.
L’inventaire de la flottille à suivre durant le projet sera réalisé dès le début, par chaque pays
de façon à compléter les référentiels.
The inventory of the fleet to be followed during the project will be done at the outset by each
country, in order to complete the reference systems.
The activity surveys will be done exhaustively on the fleet studied. These data of Guadeloupe,
Dominica and Martinique will be processed with the assistance of a statistician, during the
first meeting of the project. They will enable us to define the sampling plan that will be
implemented on each island. Then, surveys will be undertaken routinely until the end of the
project’s data collection period. These surveys could be carried out by telephoning the
skippers or directly at the landing points for the effort and catch data (in the same way as for
the economic data – see the economic action). A distinction will be made between data
collected by surveying the skippers and observations undertaken by the pollster. At the same
time as these surveys, biological sampling will be undertaken daily (or even more frequently,
if the means available allow this) at the landing point. Each island will record and process its
own data. Pooling this data for certain work will be done during meetings of all the partners.
Technical assistance will be provided by Ifremer to define the work protocols (sampling plan,
etc.), and the data capture and processing.
4 Work schedule
o Months 1 and 2: inventory of the boats, inserting the reference systems.
o Months 2 to 5: activity surveys destined to establish the activity calendars of all the
boats in the zone studied and of at least one sample of the fleet of each island.
o Month 6: Preparing the first meeting of the project.
o Month 7: during the first meeting, elaborating the typologies using the activity
calendar data and defining the sampling plans.
o Months 8 to 21: collecting catch and effort data and biological sampling by regular
presence at landing points, at those times. Removal of gonads and sample of fins will
be taken for genetic study (see action 3-Biologiy & Fishing).
o Month 22 and 23, final processing of data for meeting 3. Proposal of a fishing
dashboard taking into account the quality of the data according to their nature. Supply
of statistical data on the species caught around the FADs to international bodies
(CRFM for blackfin tuna,…).
o Month 12 and 16: Flight survey to assess the number of FADs and their frequentation
in Guadeloupe and Martinique.
The meetings with the partners of the project will be held:
o Month 7: (see the objective above).
o Month 18: presentation of the progress of the work and discussion of initial results.
o Month 23: synthesis of the work and recommendations to be made at the outcome of the
project.
5 Intervenants
Ifremer (Brest): Support of a statistician to elaborate the typologies and the sampling plans.
Ifremer (Martinique): coordinating the collection and processing of data in all the islands
and collecting the data in Martinique. Participating in the synthesis work.
Countries of the Caribbean: Collecting the data and processing it. Participating in the
synthesis work.
Country
Antigua &
Barbuda
St Kitts &
Nevis
Guadeloupe
Dominica
Martinique
Ste Lucia
Barbados
St Vincent
&
the
Grenadines
Grenada
Haïti
Zone of
study
Inventory
of Fleet
selected
Calendar
of activity
Monitoring
effort and
catches
Biol.
Sample
Opposite
to
the
FADs
All the
Island
All the
Island
All the
Island
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Opposite
to
the
FADs
Opposite
to
the
FADs
Opposite
to
the
FADs
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X