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ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil Advance Access originally published online on September 5, 2007
ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil 2007 64(8):1603-1606; doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsm124
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© 2007 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Published by Oxford Journals. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Factors affecting rule compliance with mesh size regulations in the Baltic cod trawl fishery

Petri Suuronen1,, Vesa Tschernij2, Pekka Jounela3, Daniel Valentinsson4 and P-O. Larsson4

1 Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute, PO Box 2, FI-00791 Helsinki, Finland
2 Iconex Ltd, PO Box 40, FI-21601 Parainen, Finland
3 Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute, Tutkijantie 2 E, FI-90570 Oulu, Finland
4 Institute of Marine Research, PO Box 4, SE-45321 Lysekil, Sweden

Correspondence to P. Suuronen: tel: +358 2057511; fax: +358 205751201; e-mail: petri.suuronen{at}rktl.fi

Suuronen, P., Tschernij, V., Jounela, P., Valentinsson, D., and Larsson, P-O. 2007. Factors affecting rule compiance with mesh size regulations in the Baltic cod trawl fishery. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 64: 1603–1606.

In this study, we evaluate the efficiency and applicability of a series of gear-based management measures, enforced since 1990, whose purpose was to improve size selectivity in the trawl fishery for Baltic cod (Gadus morhua). In general, our study revealed that these measures had no marked effect on the capture and discard of young cod. Legal and illegal manipulation of selective codends was widespread. The adoption of a codend design that offered a modest increase in selectivity, but had a good match with the legislated minimum landing size (MLS), led to greater compliance, demonstrating that a mismatch between MLS and selectivity should be avoided. It was also obvious that, generally, the fishing industry did not tolerate large short-term losses. Our evaluation is that overly ambitious rules will be circumvented, and frequent and incoherent changes in the regulations represent bad management practice. A gradual introduction of restrictions and participation by fishers in the decision-making process will increase compliance.

Keywords: adaptation strategies, Baltic cod, rule compliance, size-selectivity, trawl fishery

Received 29 October 2006; accepted 28 June 2007; advance access publication 5 September 2007.


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