Witt Matthew J, Godley Brendan J
Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, United Kingdom.
PLoS One. 2007 Oct 31;2(10):e1111. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0001111.
Conservation of marine ecosystems will require a holistic understanding of fisheries with concurrent spatial patterns of biodiversity.
METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using data from the UK Government Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) deployed on UK-registered large fishing vessels we investigate patterns of fisheries activity on annual and seasonal scales. Analysis of VMS data shows that regions of the UK European continental shelf (i.e. Western Channel and Celtic Sea, Northern North Sea and the Goban Spur) receive consistently greater fisheries pressure than the rest of the UK continental shelf fishing zone.
CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: VMS provides a unique and independent method from which to derive patterns of spatially and temporally explicit fisheries activity. Such information may feed into ecosystem management plans seeking to achieve sustainable fisheries while minimising putative risk to non-target species (e.g. cetaceans, seabirds and elasmobranchs) and habitats of conservation concern. With multilateral collaboration VMS technologies may offer an important solution to quantifying and managing ecosystem disturbance, particularly on the high-seas.
保护海洋生态系统需要全面了解渔业以及与之相关的生物多样性空间格局。
方法/主要发现：利用部署在英国注册的大型渔船上的英国政府船只监测系统（VMS）的数据，我们研究了年度和季节尺度上的渔业活动模式。对VMS数据的分析表明，英国欧洲大陆架区域（即西部海峡和凯尔特海、北海北部和戈班海脊）受到的渔业压力一直高于英国大陆架其他捕捞区域。
结论/意义：VMS提供了一种独特且独立的方法，可从中得出时空明确的渔业活动模式。此类信息可纳入生态系统管理计划，旨在实现可持续渔业，同时将对非目标物种（如鲸类、海鸟和板鳃亚类）以及受保护栖息地的假定风险降至最低。通过多边合作，VMS技术可能为量化和管理生态系统干扰提供重要解决方案，尤其是在公海。
