Management Regions, Statistical Areas and Fishing Grounds: Criteria for Dividing up the Sea

The delimitation of areas of the sea is common practice in fisheries management, particularly when addressing problems associated with size selection and by-catch issues. Fishermen, scientists and managers divide up the sea to delimit stock units, species ranges, nursery and fishing grounds, faunal boundaries and political jurisdictions. Biological, political, social and economic criteria are all used in establishing closed and restricted areas, delineating regional management zones and community specific grounds, and in setting area/stock specific management measures (e.g. quotas, minimum landing sizes, gear zones, etc.). The delimitation and configuration of these areas can lead to dissonance in fisheries management, particularly when the criteria used for management decisions affecting the spatial distribution of fishing are not those which fishermen consider to be critical. This paper discusses some of the criteria by which fishermen divide up the sea, compares these criteria to some of those used in fisheries management, and discusses potential implications.