Biodiversity and Fisheries: a study case in the south coast of Portugal (Algarve)

Teresa Borges () and Ronald O’Dor ()
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Teresa Borges: Centre of Marine Sciences of Algarve (CCMAR), Postal: Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Ronald O’Dor: Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada, Postal: Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada, http://www.dal.ca

No 2010-6, Spatial and Organizational Dynamics Discussion Papers from CIEO-Research Centre for Spatial and Organizational Dynamics, University of Algarve

Abstract: Biodiversity is now one of the main concerns worldwide. With the increase of people on Earth and activities dangerous to the environment, like habitat destruction and overexploitation, species extinction rates rapidly increased, raising serious concerns for future biological diversity. Fishing is one of the oldest human food sources, catching a great number of species with a variety of techniques and fishing gears. Undoubtedly, the bottom trawl is the fishing gear that raises most concerns due to its negative impact on the habitat, overexploitation of commercial species and collateral effects on non-commercial species. The southern coast of Portugal (Algarve) is one of the most important fishing areas of the country. Recent studies show that of all species captured by the most important fishing gears fishing in the area – bottom trawl, purse seine and trammel nets – around 70% are always discarded, and the main reasons are low or lack of commercial importance, low gear selectivity and fishing legislation. Direct observations revealed a heavily trawled bottom, with strong parallel marks caused by the doors of the trawl nets, indicating a high disturbance on the habitat, and consequently on the biological communities.

Keywords: Fisheries; Biodiversity; By-catch and Discards; Ghost-fishing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q22 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 11 pages
Date: 2010-10-29
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