Damage assessment on the discarded macro-benthic fauna in the Italian striped venus clam (Chamelea gallina) fisheries
Abstract
The striped venus clam fishery in Italy is carried out by means of hydraulic dredges and it is one of the most important socio- economic activities in the Italian fisheries sector. Dredging has traditionally been considered among fishing activities with the greatest impact at the ecosystem level. Here, therefore, we investigated the disturbance level exerted by dredging on the studied area. Also, damage and mortality rates exerted by dredging on the discarded macro-benthic fauna living associated with Chamelea gallina during the summer season were investigated using a four-level damage scale, given three different haul time duration (3, 6 and 9 minutes). Despite the fact that macro-benthic fauna represented on average only 4.4% of the total catch, the most represented taxa in terms of both abundance and number were Malacostraca, Bivalvia, and Echinoidea. The analysis of the macro-benthic communities’ structure between hauls revealed that the species composition was very similar, and ABC plots together with the Warwick Statistics (W) revealed a moderately disturbed macro-benthic community. No significant difference was found in damage and mortality rates between hauls duration when stratified at taxon or species level. Overall, 61.0% of individuals of the catch were undamaged, whereas 16.1%, 3.7%, and 19.2% displayed slight, intermediate, and severe damage, respectively. We found that soft-shelled or soft-bodied species were the most affected by the harvesting process, whereas thick-shelled or thick-bodied species suffered the slightest damage. In particular, the species suffering major (severe) damage were the sea urchin Echinocardium cordatum (84.6%), the bivalves Mactra stultorum and Polititapes aureus (32.5% and 20.0%, respectively), the crab Liocarcinus vernalis (4.0%), and the sea star Astropecten irregularis (4.8%). The overall mortality rate of all discarded individuals was 22.9%, with E. cordatum showing the highest mortality rate of 96.0%. These findings highlight the importance of guaranteeing the integrity of the entire ecosystem through the adoption of suitable management plans and actions.
Article Details
- Come citare
-
BARGIONE, G., GUICCIARDI, S., VIRGILI, M., BARONE, G., & LUCCHETTI, A. (2024). Damage assessment on the discarded macro-benthic fauna in the Italian striped venus clam (Chamelea gallina) fisheries. Mediterranean Marine Science, 25(2), 404–417. https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.36618
- Sezione
- Research Article
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g. post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (preferably in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
Downloads
I dati di download non sono ancora disponibili.
Riferimenti bibliografici
Anjos, M., Pereira, F., Vasconcelos, P., Joaquim, S., Matias, D. et al., 2018. Bycatch and discard survival rate in a smallscale bivalve dredge fishery along the Algarve coast (southern Portugal). Scientia Marina, 82 (S1), 75-90.
Baeta, M., Rubio, C., Breton, F., 2021a. Impact of mechanized clam dredging on the discarded megabenthic fauna on the Catalan coast (NW Mediterranean). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 1-9.
Baeta, M., Solís, M., Ramón, M., Ballesteros, M., 2021b. Effects of fishing closure and mechanized clam dredging on a Callista chione bed in the western Mediterranean Sea. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 102063.
Bargione, G., Barone, G., Virgili, M., Lucchetti, A., 2023. Evaluation and quantification of shell damage and survival of the striped venus clam (Chamelea gallina) harvested by hydraulic dredges. Marine Environmental Research, 187, 105954.
Bargione, G., Donato, F., Barone, G., Virgili, M., Penna, P. et al., 2021a. Chamelea gallina reproductive biology and Minimum Conservation Reference Size: implications for fishery management in the Adriatic Sea. BMC Zoology, 6 (1), 32.
Bargione, G., Petetta, A., Vasapollo, C., Virgili, M., Lucchetti, A., 2021b. Reburial potential and survivability of the striped venus clam (Chamelea gallina) in hydraulic dredge fisheries. Scientific Reports, 11 (1), 1-9.
Bargione, G., Vasapollo, C., Donato, F., Virgili, M., Petetta, A. et al., 2020. Age and Growth of Striped Venus Clam Chamelea gallina (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Mid-Western Adriatic Sea: A Comparison of Three Laboratory Techniques. Frontiers in Marine Science, 7, 807.
Başçinar, N.S., Gözler, A.M., Jafarova, E.E., Erbay, M., Akpinar, İ.Ö. et al., 2020. Spatial and temporal variations in the species composition and abundance of benthic macroinvertebrates along the coast of the Eastern Black Sea. Marine Biology Research, 16 (6-7), 480-493.
Bergmann, M., Beare, D.J., Moore, P.G., 2001. Damage sustained by epibenthic invertebrates discarded in the Nephrops fishery of the Clyde Sea area, Scotland. Journal of Sea Research, 45 (2), 105-118.
Bergmann, M., Moore, P.G., 2001a. Mortality of Asterias rubens and Ophiura ophiura discarded in the Nephrops fishery of the Clyde Sea area, Scotland. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 58 (3), 531-542.
Bergmann, M., Moore, P.G., 2001b. Survival of decapod crustaceans discarded in the Nephrops fishery of the Clyde Sea area, Scotland. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 58 (1), 163-171.
Broadhurst, M.K., Suuronen, P., Hulme, A., 2006. Estimating collateral mortality from towed fishing gear. Fish and Fisheries, 7 (3), 180-218.
Butcher, T., Matthews, J., Glaister, J., Hamer, G., 1981. Study suggests scallop dredges causing few problems in Jervis Bay. Australian fisheries, 40 (9), 9-12.
Carducci, F., Biscotti, M.A., Trucchi, E., Giuliani, M.E., Gorbi, S. et al., 2020. Omics approaches for conservation biology research on the bivalve Chamelea gallina. Scientific Reports, 10 (1), 1-15.
Carlucci, R., Cipriano, G., Cascione, D., Ingrosso, M., Barbone, E. et al., 2024. Influence of hydraulic clam dredging and seasonal environmental changes on macro-benthic communities in the Southern Adriatic (Central Mediterranean Sea). BMC Ecology and Evolution, 24 (1), 1-19.
Chícharo, L., Chícharo, A., Gaspar, M., Alves, F., Regala, J., 2002. Ecological characterization of dredged and nondredged bivalve fishing areas off south Portugal. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 82 (1), 41-50.
Clarke, K.R., Gorley, R.N., Somerfield, P.J., Warwick, R.M., 2014. Change in marine communities: An approach to statistical analysis and interpretation.
Clarke, K.R., Warwick, R.M., 2001. Change in marine communities. An approach to statistical analysis and interpretation, 2, 1-168.
Collie, J.S., Hall, S.J., Kaiser, M.J., Poiner, I.R., 2000. A quantitative analysis of fishing impacts on shelf‐sea benthos. Journal of animal ecology, 69 (5), 785-798.
Constantino, R., Gaspar, M.B., Tata-Regala, J., Carvalho, S., Curdia, J. et al., 2009. Clam dredging effects and subsequent recovery of benthic communities at different depth ranges. Marine Environmental Research, 67 (2), 89-99.
Cornillon, P-A., Guyader, A., Husson, F., Jegou, N., Josse, J. et al., 2012. R for Statistics. CRC press.
Dalgıç, G., Ceylan, Y., 2012. Seasonal discards and by-catch of striped venus clam (Chamelea gallina) (Mollusca, Bivalves) fishery in the Black Sea. Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 12 (4), 811-816.
European Council, 2004. Commission Regulation (EC) No 1581/2004 of 27 August 2004 amending Regulation (EC) No 1639/2001 establishing the minimum and extended Community programmes for the collection of data in the fisheries sector and laying down detailed rules for the application. Official Journal of the European Union, L 289/6, 48.
European Council, 2006. Council Regulation (EC) No 1967/2006 of 21 December 2006 concerning management measures for the sustainable exploitation of fishery resources in the Mediterranean Sea, amending Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1626/94. Official Journal of the European Union, L 409/11, 75.
European Council, 2013. Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on the Common Fisheries Policy, amending Council Regulations (EC) No 1954/2003 and (EC) No 1224/2009 and repealing Council Regulations (EC) No 2371/2002 etc. Official Journal of the European Union, L 354/22, 40.
FAO, 2003. The ecosystem approach to fisheries.
FAO Technical Guidelines for Responsible Fisheries. Froglia, C., 2000. The contribution of scientific research to the management of bivalve mollusc fishing with hydraulic dredgers. Biologia Marina Mediterranea, 7 (4), 71-82.
Garcia, S.M., Z 2003. The ecosystem approach to fisheries: issues, terminology, principles, institutional foundations, implementation and outlook (Vol 443). Food & Agriculture Organization. Gaspar, M.B.,
Chícharo, L.M., 2007. Modifying dredges to reduce by-catch and impacts on the benthos. In: By-catch Reduction in the World’s Fisheries, 95-140. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands.
Gaspar, M.B., Dias, M.D., Campos, A., Monteiro, C.C., Santos, M.N. et al., 2001. The influence of dredge design on the catch of Callista chione (Linnaeus, 1758). p. 153-167. In: Coastal Shellfish—A Sustainable Resource: Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Shellfish Restoration, held in Cork, Ireland, 28 September–2 October 1999. Springer Netherlands.
Gaspar, M.B., Leitão, F., Santos, M.N., Chícharo, L., Dias, M.D. et al., 2003a. A comparison of direct macrofaunal mortality using three types of clam dredges. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 60 (4), 733-742.
Gaspar, M.B., Leitão, F., Santos, M.N., Sobral, M., Chícharo, L. et al., 2002. Influence of mesh size and tooth spacing on the proportion of damaged organisms in the catches of the Portuguese clam dredge fishery. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 59 (6), 1228-1236.
Gaspar, M.B., Santos, M.N., Leitão, F., Chícharo, L., Chícharo, A. et al., 2003b. Recovery of substrates and macro-benthos after fishing trials with a new Portuguese clam dredge. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 83 (4), 713-717.
Hall-Spencer, J.M., Moore, P.G., 2000. Scallop dredging has profound, long-term impacts on maerl habitats. ICES Journal of marine science, 57 (5), 1407-1415.
Hall, SJ., 1999. The effects of fishing on marine ecosystems and communities. (No. 20143). Blackwell Science.
Hauton, C., Atkinson, R.J.A., Moore, P.G., 2003. The impact of hydraulic blade dredging on a benthic megafaunal community in the Clyde Sea area, Scotland. Journal of Sea Research, 50 (1), 45-56.
Italian Ministry, 2022. Annual report on Italy’s efforts in 2021 to achieve a sustainable balance between capacity and fishing opportunities (in compliance with art. 22 of Regulation (EC) no. 1380/2013). Rome, 35 pp.
Jenkins, S.R., Mullen, C., Brand, A.R., 2004. Predator and scavenger aggregation to discarded by-catch from dredge fisheries: importance of damage level. Journal of Sea Research, 51 (1), 69-76.
Kaiser, M.J., 1998. Significance of bottom‐fishing disturbance. Conservation Biology, 12 (6), 1230-1235.
Kaiser, M.J., Ramsay, K., Richardson, C.A., Spence, F.E., Brand, A.R., 2000. Chronic fishing disturbance has changed shelf sea benthic community structure. Journal of Animal Ecology, 69 (3), 494-503.
Kelleher, K., 2005. Discards in the world’s marine fisheries: an update (Vol 470). Food & Agriculture Organization. Lomax, R.G., Hahs-Vaughn, D.L., 2013. Statistical Concepts-A Second Course. Routledge.
Lucchetti, A., Bargione, G., Barone, G., Virgili, M., 2021. Chapter 3: Italian striped venus clam fisheries management: a case study of an EAF-like system for the Mediterranean mollusc sector. p. 17–34 In: Vasconcellos, M. and Ünal, V., eds. 2021. Transition towards an ecosystem approach to fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea: lessons learned through selected case studies. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 681. Rome.
Lucchetti, A., Piccinetti, C., Meconi, U., Frittelloni, C., Marchesan, M. et al., 2014. Transferable fishing concessions (TFC): a pilot study on the applicability in the Mediterranean Sea. Marine Policy, 44, 438-447.
Lucchetti, A., Sala, A., 2012. Impact and performance of Mediterranean fishing gear by side-scan sonar technology. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 69 (11), 1806-1816.
Macdonald, D.S., Little, M., Eno, N.C., Hiscock, K., 1996. Disturbance of benthic species by fishing activities: a sensitivity index. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 6 (4), 257-268.
Maguire, J.A., Donoghue, M.O., Jenkins, S.R., Brand, A.R., Burnell, G.M., 2002. Temporal and spatial variability in dredging induced stress in the great scallop Pecten maximus (L.). Journal of Shellfish Research, 21 (1), 81-86.
Malaquias, M.A.E., Bentes, L., Erzini, K., Borges, T.C., 2006. Molluscan diversity caught by trawling fisheries: a case study in southern Portugal. Fisheries Management and Ecology, 13 (1), 39-45.
Mancuso, A., Stagioni, M., Prada, F., Scarponi, D., Piccinetti, C. et al., 2019. Environmental influence on calcification of the bivalve Chamelea gallina along a latitudinal gradient in the Adriatic Sea. Scientific Reports, 9 (1), 1-11.
Marin, M.G., Moschino, V., Pampanin, D.M., Nesto, N., Ballarin, L. et al.,2003. Effects of hydraulic dredging on target species Chamelea gallina from the northern Adriatic Sea: physiological responses and shell damage. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 83 (6), 1281-1285.
Maxwell, A.E., Warner, T.A., Fang, F., 2018. Implementation of machine-learning classification in remote sensing: An applied review. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 39 (9), 2784-2817.
Mensink, B.P., Fischer, C.V., Cadée, G.C., Fonds, M., Ten Hallers-Tjabbes, C.C. et al., 2000. Shell damage and mortality in the common whelk Buccinum undatum caused by beam trawl fishery. Journal of Sea Research, 43 (1), 53-64.
Morello, E.B., Froglia, C., Atkinson, R.J.A., Moore, P.G., 2005a. Hydraulic dredge discards of the clam (Chamelea gallina) fishery in the western Adriatic Sea, Italy. Fisheries Research, 76 (3), 430-444.
Morello, E.B., Froglia, C., Atkinson, R.J.A., Moore, P.G., 2005b. Impacts of hydraulic dredging on a macrobenthic community of the Adriatic Sea, Italy. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 62 (9), 2076-2087.
Morello, E.B., Froglia, C., Atkinson, R.J.A., Moore, P.G., 2006. The effects of hydraulic dredging on the reburial of several molluscan species. Biologia Marina Mediterranea, 13 (1), 610-613.
Moschino, V., Deppieri, M., Marin, M.G., 2003. Evaluation of shell damage to the clam Chamelea gallina captured by hydraulic dredging in the Northern Adriatic Sea. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 60 (2), 393-401.
Oksanen, J., Blanchet, F.G., Kindt, R., Legendre, P., Minchin, P.R. et al., 2018. Package ‘vegan.’ Community ecology package, version, 2 (3).
Pauly, D., Christensen, V., Guénette, S., Pitcher, T.J., Sumaila, U.R. et al., 2002. Towards sustainability in world fisheries. Nature, 418 (6898), 689-695.
Pérès, J.M., Picard, J., 1964. New manual for benthic bionomics in the Mediterranean Sea. Travaux de la Station Marittime Endoume, 31 (47), 137.
Petetta, A., Herrmann, B., Virgili, M., Bargione, G., Vasapollo, C. et al., 2021. Dredge selectivity in a Mediterranean striped venus clam (Chamelea gallina) fishery. Fisheries Research, 238, 105895.
Piersma, T., Koolhaas, A., Dekinga, A., Beukema, J.J., Dekker, R. et al., 2001. Long‐term indirect effects of mechanical cockle‐dredging on intertidal bivalve stocks in the Wadden Sea. Journal of Applied Ecology, 38 (5), 976-990.
Pikitch, E.K., Santora, C., Babcock, E.A., Bakun, A., Bonfil, R. et al., 2004. Ecosystem-based fishery management. Science, 305 (5682), 346-347.
Pranovi, F., Raicevich, S., Franceschini, G., Torricelli, P., Giovanardi, O., 2001. Discard analysis and damage to non-target species in the” rapido” trawl fishery. Marine Biology, 139 (5), 863-875.
R Core Team, 2023. R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing, R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria.
Ragnarsson, S.Á., Thorarinsdóttir, G.G., Gunnarsson, K., 2015. Short and long-term effects of hydraulic dredging on benthic communities and ocean quahog (Arctica islandica) populations. Marine Environmental Research, 109, 113-123.
Romanelli, M., Cordisco, C.A., Giovanardi, O., 2009. The long-term decline of the Chamelea gallina L. (Bivalvia: Veneridae) clam fishery in the Adriatic Sea: is a synthesis possible. Acta Adriatica, 50 (2), 171-205.
Sala, A., Brčić, J., Herrmann, B., Lucchetti, A., Virgili, M., 2017. Assessment of size selectivity in hydraulic clam dredge fisheries. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 74 (3).
Sauder, D.C., DeMars, C.E., 2019. An updated recommendation for multiple comparisons. Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science, 2 (1), 26-44.
Soon, T.K., Ransangan, J., 2019. Dredging-induced shell damages to hard clam (Meretrix meretrix): a Malaysian case study. Aquatic Living Resources, 32, 1.
Thrush, S.F., Dayton, P.K., 2002. Disturbance to marine benthic habitats by trawling and dredging: implications for marine biodiversity. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 33 (1), 449-473.
Tsagarakis, K., Palialexis, A., Vassilopoulou, V., 2014. Mediterranean fishery discards: review of the existing knowledge. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 71 (5), 1219-1234.
Tuck, I.D., Bailey, N., Harding, M., Sangster, G., Howell, T. et al. 2000. The impact of water jet dredging for razor clams, Ensis spp., in a shallow sandy subtidal environment. Journal of Sea Research, 43 (1), 65-81.
Urra, J., García, T., Gallardo-Roldán, H., León, E., Lozano, M. et al., 2017. Discard analysis and damage assessment in the wedge clam mechanized dredging fisheries of the northern Alboran Sea (W Mediterranean Sea). Fisheries Research, 187, 58-67.
Urra, J., García, T., León, E., Gallardo-Roldán, H., Lozano, M. et al., 2019. Effects of mechanized dredging targeting Chamelea gallina, striped venus clams, on the associated discards in the northern Alboran Sea (Western Mediterranean Sea). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 99 (3), 575-585.
Urra, J., Marina, P., García, T., Baro, J., 2021a. Damage assessment and survival estimates in the wedge clam (Donax trunculus) caught by mechanical dredging in the northern Alboran Sea. Marine Biology Research, 17 (3), 295-310.
Urra, J., Marina, P., Rojas García, A., León Duarte, E., Gallardo- Roldán, H. et al., 2021b. Biodiversity Assessment and Geographical Affinities of Discards in Clam Fisheries in the Atlantic–Mediterranean Transition (Northern Alboran Sea). Thalassas: An International Journal of Marine Sciences, 37 (2), 721-737.
Urra, J., Marina, P., Salas, C., Gofas, S., Rueda, J.L., 2013. Seasonal dynamics of molluscan assemblages associated with littoral soft bottoms of the NW Alboran Sea (Western Mediterranean Sea). Marine Biology Research, 9 (7), 645-660.
Vasapollo, C., Virgili, M., Bargione, G., Petetta, A., De Marco, R. et al., 2020. Impact on Macro-Benthic Communities of Hydraulic Dredging for Razor Clam Ensis minor in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Frontiers in Marine Science, 7, 14.
Vasconcelos, P., Morgado-André, A., Morgado-André, C., Gaspar, M.B., 2011. Shell strength and fishing damage to the smooth clam (Callista chione): simulating impacts caused by bivalve dredging. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68 (1), 32-42.
Vatova, A., 1949. The benthic fauna of the upper and middle Adriatic Sea. Institute of Marine Biology for the Adriatic.
Veale, L.O., Hill, A.S., Hawkins, S.J., Brand, A.R., 2001. Distribution and damage to the by-catch assemblages of the northern Irish Sea scallop dredge fisheries. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 81 (1), 85-96.
Warwick, R., 1986. A new method for detecting pollution effects on marine macrobenthic communities. Marine Biology, 92 (4), 557-562.
