Effort assessment: foreign-flagged vessels in coastal state exclusive economic zones

Richardson, AJ

Abstract

This report summarises the results of geospatial mapping of fishing effort as published by IOTC for the
period 2016-2018. This was an analysis of activities within the Western Indian Ocean, conducted on
behalf of the International Pole and Line Foundation to analyse the areas and periods of fishing
operations of foreign-flagged fleets within coastal-state jurisdiction.
Catch and effort data was extracted from the available surface gears dataset in the Indian Ocean at
https://www.iotc.org/data/datasets and converted into georeferenced 1°x1° data grid cells. Data cells
were grouped relative to cell position within EEZs for 6 coastal-states and 1 disputed maritime
territory. Annual fleet effort and catch is reported in table form for each coastal-state, along with
months per annum where catch and effort were reported.
• Kenya: Fishing effort and catch was reported within the EEZ in 2016 and 2017, with an overall
increase in the number of months where effort was reported along the EEZ boundary between
2016 (7 months) to 2018 (8 months).
• Maldives: Fishing effort and catch was reported within the EEZ in 2016, 2017 and 2018, with an
increase in the number of flag-states reporting effort in the EEZ from 2016 (1 flag-state) to 2018
(3 flag-states). There was also an overall increase in the number of months where effort was
reported along the EEZ boundary between 2016 (10 months) to 2018 (12 months).
• Oman: Fishing effort was reported within the EEZ in 2017, with an overall increase in the number
of months where effort was reported along the EEZ boundary between 2017 (2 months) to 2018
(8 months). No fishing effort or catch was reported within the Oman EEZ or along the EEZ
boundary in 2016.
• Somalia: Fishing effort and catch was reported within the EEZ in 2017 and 2018, with effort and
catch also reported along the EEZ boundary in every month from 2016 to 2018.
• Tanzania: Effort and catch was reported within the EEZ in 2016, with effort (but zero catch) being
reported again inside the EEZ in 2018. Effort and catch were reported along the EEZ boundary in
11 months of 2016 and gain in 2018, with a decrease to 7 months in 2017.
• Yemen: Catch and fishing effort was reported within the EEZ in 2017, with an overall increase in
the number of months where fishing effort and catch was reported along the EEZ boundary
between 2016 (4 months) and 2018 (11 months).
• Somalia-Kenya disputed maritime territory: Fishing effort and catch was reported on the
boundary of this region for between 9-11 months per annum in the period 2016-2018.

Citation

Richardson, A. (2020, October). Effort assessment: foreign-flagged vessels in coastal state exclusive economic zones. Presented at 17th IOTC Compliance Committee, Online/Virtual

• Presentation Conference Type: Other
• Conference Name: 17th IOTC Compliance Committee
• Conference Location: Online/Virtual
• Start Date: Oct 1, 2020
• End Date: Oct 2, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Oct 2, 2020
• Publication Date: Oct 2, 2020
• Deposit Date: Jan 10, 2023
• Publisher URL: https://iotc.org/documents/effort-assessment-foreign-flagged-vessels-coastal-state-exclusive-economic-zones
• Additional Information: Corporate Creators : OceanMind Ltd; Event Type : Other