Environment, Ocean Science and the Natural World

Fisheries, aquaculture, blue economy and marine resources glossary

The living and mineral resources of the ocean: stock assessment and population dynamics, Maximum Sustainable Yield and fishing mortality, bycatch and discards, open-water and recirculating aquaculture, and integrated multi-trophic systems. The blue economy frame adds desalination, marine biotechnology, and seabed minerals (polymetallic nodules, ferromanganese crusts, massive sulphides), with the FAO, ICES, RFMOs, and the International Seabed Authority.

189 defined terms.

A

ABNJ (Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction): High seas and international seabed, focus of BBNJ.
Adaptive Harvest Strategy: Management approach adjusting catch by stock status.
Aggregating Device: Object such as a FAD attracting fish for capture.
Allocation Key: Rule sharing total allowable catch among members of an RFMO.
Allometric Growth: Differential growth of body parts, used in stock assessment.
Annual Catch Limit (ACL): Annual quantity of fish allowed to be removed from a stock.
Aquaculture: Farming of aquatic organisms.
Aquafeed: Feed used in aquaculture, often containing fishmeal and fish oil.
ASCs (Aquaculture Stewardship Council Certification): Certification of responsible aquaculture practices.

B

Bag Limit: Recreational catch limit per person per day.
Beach Seine: Net hauled onto a beach to catch coastal fish.
Beam Trawl: Fishing net held open by a rigid beam.
Benthic Trawling: Bottom contact fishing with environmental concerns.
Best Available Science: Scientific basis for fisheries management decisions.
Biological Reference Point (BRP): Quantitative benchmark such as BMSY or FMSY.
Blue Bond: Debt instrument financing ocean conservation and sustainable use.
Blue Economy: Sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth.
Blue Food: Food from aquatic systems, including fisheries and aquaculture.
Bottom Longline: Static fishing line set on the seabed.
By-Catch Reduction Device (BRD): Gear modification reducing non-target catch.

C

CAGR (Aquaculture Production): Compound annual growth rate of aquaculture output.
Capacity Utilization: Ratio of actual to potential fleet capacity.
Capelin Fishery: Pelagic fishery for capelin in the North Atlantic and Pacific.
Captive Breeding (Marine): Cultivation of marine species for restocking or aquaculture.
Catch and Release: Practice of returning caught fish to the water.
Catch Documentation Scheme (CDS): Traceability mechanism to combat IUU fishing.
Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE): Catch divided by fishing effort, used as a relative abundance index.
CCAMLR: Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources.
CFP (Common Fisheries Policy): EU policy framework for fisheries management.
Closed Containment Aquaculture: System isolating cultured species from the surrounding environment.
Closure (Fishery): Time-area closure to protect spawning or recovery.
Cohort Analysis: Method tracking a year-class through time.
Commercial Catch: Fish landed by commercial fleets.
Cooperative Research: Collaboration between scientists and fishers to gather data.
Cost Recovery (Fisheries): Mechanism recovering management costs from industry.

D

Demersal Fish: Fish living on or near the seabed.
Depleted Stock: Stock with biomass well below sustainable levels.
Devil Ray Conservation: Protective measures for mobulid rays under CMS.
Discards: Portion of catch returned to the sea, often dead.
DSCC (Deep Sea Conservation Coalition): NGO coalition on deep-sea fisheries and mining.

E

E-Logbook: Electronic recording of catch and effort.
Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management (EBFM): Management considering ecosystem interactions.
EEZ: Exclusive Economic Zone, up to 200 nm under UNCLOS Part V.
Effort Limit: Cap on fishing effort such as days at sea.
Electric Pulse Trawl: Trawl using electrical stimulation; banned in EU waters.
EM (Electronic Monitoring): Cameras and sensors aboard vessels to monitor fishing.
EOV (Essential Ocean Variable): Key variables identified by GOOS for sustained monitoring.
Excess Capacity: Fleet capacity exceeding sustainable catch.
Exclusive Allocation: National share of an international quota.

F

FAD (Fish Aggregating Device): Floating object used to concentrate pelagic fish.
FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries: Voluntary instrument adopted in 1995.
FAO Major Fishing Area: Statistical area for global catch reporting.
FAO Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA): Binding treaty to combat IUU fishing through port controls.
FCR (Feed Conversion Ratio): Aquafeed input per unit of harvested biomass.
Fish Stock: Manageable unit of a fish population.
Fishery Improvement Project (FIP): Multi-stakeholder effort to improve a fishery toward MSC certification.
Fishing Effort: Quantity of fishing activity in vessel days or hours.
Fishmeal: Powdered ingredient produced from forage fish.
Fishmeal Replacement: Use of alternative protein sources in aquafeed.
FMSY: Fishing mortality producing MSY.
Forage Reserve: Conservation set-aside of forage fish to support predators.
Free School Tuna Set: Purse seine set on naturally occurring schools, not FADs.

G

Gear Marking: Marking gear to identify ownership and reduce ghost fishing.
Genetic Stock Identification: Use of genetic markers to identify fish populations.
GFCM: General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean.
Ghost Gear: Lost or abandoned fishing gear.
Global Fishing Watch: Platform providing transparency of fishing activity using AIS data.
Green Crab Invasion: Invasive Carcinus maenas impacting shellfisheries.
Gross Tonnage Capacity: Vessel size metric used in fleet capacity rules.
Growth Overfishing: Removing fish before they reach optimal size.

H

Harvest Control Rule (HCR): Pre-agreed rule linking management action to stock status.
Harvest Strategy: Comprehensive plan integrating reference points and HCRs.
High Seas Fishing: Fishing beyond EEZs.
High Seas Pocket: Enclave of high seas surrounded by EEZs.
HMS (Highly Migratory Species): Species such as tunas covered under UNCLOS Annex I.

I

IATTC: Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission.
ICCAT: International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas.
ICES Advisory Committee (ACOM): Body issuing ICES catch advice.
IMTA (Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture): Aquaculture combining species at different trophic levels.
Inshore Fishery: Small-scale fishery operating near shore.
Interim Quota: Temporary catch limit pending full assessment.
IOTC: Indian Ocean Tuna Commission.
ISA: International Seabed Authority based in Kingston, Jamaica.
ITQ (Individual Transferable Quota): Privately held tradable share of total allowable catch.
IUU Fishing: Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.

J

Joint Recommendation (CFP): Regional measure proposed by EU member states.
Juvenile Bycatch: Capture of immature fish reducing future yield.

K

Kelp Farming: Cultivation of macroalgae for food, feed, or bioproducts.
KFC (Krill Fishery Concentration): Concentration of krill fishing pressure in the Southern Ocean.
Krill Fishery: Antarctic krill harvest regulated by CCAMLR.

L

Land-Based RAS: Recirculating aquaculture system located onshore.
Landings: Quantity of catch brought to port.
Length-Frequency Analysis: Estimation of growth and mortality from length data.
Live Reef Fish Trade: Trade in coral reef fish for live consumption.
Logbook: Vessel record of fishing activity and catch.
Longline: Fishing line with many baited hooks.

M

Marine Aquaculture (Mariculture): Aquaculture in saltwater environments.
Marine Natural Product: Bioactive compound derived from marine organisms.
Marine Spatial Planning: Coordinated planning of marine area use.
Maximum Economic Yield (MEY): Catch level maximizing resource rent.
MCS (Monitoring, Control and Surveillance): Enforcement framework for fisheries.
Mesh Size Regulation: Minimum mesh size rules to allow juvenile escape.
Minimum Landing Size (MLS): Smallest size at which a species may be retained.
Mortality (Fishing F): Death rate from fishing.
Mortality (Natural M): Death rate from causes other than fishing.
MPA Network: System of MPAs designed to provide ecological connectivity.
MSC: Maritime Safety Committee.
MSY (Maximum Sustainable Yield): Largest long-term average catch from a stock.

N

NAFO: Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization.
National Plan of Action (NPOA): Plan to address issues such as seabird bycatch or IUU.
NEAFC: North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission.
No-Take MPA: Reserve excluding all extractive activities.
Nodule (Polymetallic): Manganese-rich nodule on abyssal plains, target of deep-sea mining proposals.

O

Observer Program: Independent at-sea observation of fishing operations.
Offshore Aquaculture: Aquaculture in exposed offshore waters.
Open Access Fishery: Fishery without restricted entry.
Optimum Yield: US legal concept balancing economic, social, and ecological goals.
Overfishing: Fishing at levels above sustainable mortality.

P

Pelagic Fish: Fish living in the water column away from the seabed.
Pole and Line Fishery: Selective tuna fishery using poles and baited hooks.
Polymetallic Crust: Cobalt-rich seabed crusts on seamounts.
Polymetallic Sulphide: Hydrothermal massive sulphide deposit.
Port State Measures: Port-based controls on foreign fishing vessels.
Precautionary Approach: Management approach erring on the side of caution when data are limited.
Production Quota: Limit on aquaculture output.
Purse Seine: Encircling net closed at the bottom by a draw line.

Q

Quota: Allowable catch share for a fleet, vessel, or country.
Quota Lease: Temporary transfer of quota rights.

R

RAS (Recirculating Aquaculture System): Closed system reusing treated water.
Recruitment: Addition of juvenile fish to a stock.
Recruitment Overfishing: Reducing spawning biomass to the point that future recruitment is impaired.
Reef Fishery: Fishery targeting coral reef species.
Reference Year: Baseline period used in management calculations.
Restocking: Release of cultured juveniles to enhance wild stocks.
RFMO (Regional Fisheries Management Organization): International body managing fish stocks across EEZs.

S

SAUP (Sea Around Us Project): Database reconstructing global fisheries catches.
SDG 14: Sustainable Development Goal 14, conserve and sustainably use the oceans.
Sea Cucumber Fishery: Targeted harvest of holothurians, often for export.
Seasonal Closure: Time-bound closure of a fishery.
Seaweed Aquaculture: Cultivation of marine algae.
Seine Net: Encircling fishing net.
Selective Gear: Gear designed to reduce non-target catch.
Sentinel Survey: Long-term scientific survey monitoring stock indicators.
Set Net: Stationary gillnet anchored to the bottom.
Shellfish Sanitation: Programs ensuring shellfish food safety such as the US NSSP.
Single Species Assessment: Stock assessment focusing on one species at a time.
SIOFA: South Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement.
Skipjack Tuna: Major commercial tuna species, Katsuwonus pelamis.
Slot Limit: Regulation allowing retention only within a size range.
Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF): Artisanal and subsistence fisheries.
South Pacific RFMO (SPRFMO): Manages non-tuna pelagic and demersal fisheries.
Spatial Management: Use of zoning to manage fisheries.
Spawning Stock Biomass (SSB): Biomass of mature individuals in a stock.
Stock Assessment: Quantitative evaluation of fish population status.
Stock Synthesis: Integrated assessment software developed by NOAA.
Sustainable Yield: Catch that maintains stock biomass over time.

T

TAC (Total Allowable Catch): Quantity of fish allowed to be caught in a stock area.
TAE (Total Allowable Effort): Effort-based equivalent of TAC.
Tagging Study: Tagging fish to study movement and mortality.
Tertiary Sector (Blue Economy): Service activities supporting maritime industries.
Time-Area Closure: Closed area during a specified period.
Top-Down Control: Predator influence on lower trophic levels.
Total Mortality (Z): Sum of natural and fishing mortality.
Tournament Fishing: Regulated recreational fishing competitions.
Traceability: Ability to trace seafood through the supply chain.
Trawl Survey: Scientific bottom or pelagic trawl survey for abundance estimation.
Trophic Level: Position of an organism in a food web.
Tuna Fishery: Large pelagic fishery, mostly managed under tuna RFMOs.

U

UN Fish Stocks Agreement (UNFSA): 1995 treaty on conservation of straddling and migratory fish stocks.
UNCLOS: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982.
Underwater Habitat Restoration: Active rehabilitation of degraded subtidal habitats.
Unit Stock: Population unit managed as a single biological entity.
Unreported Catch: Catch not declared to authorities.

V

Vessel Capacity Reduction: Programs reducing fleet capacity through buyouts or decommissioning.
Vessel Monitoring System (VMS): Satellite tracking of fishing vessels.
VME (Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem): Sensitive deep-sea habitat protected under UNGA resolutions.
Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF Guidelines): FAO guidance adopted in 2014.

W

WCPFC: Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission.
Whaling Moratorium: IWC ban on commercial whaling adopted in 1982.
Wild Catch: Capture fisheries from natural stocks.
Working Group (ICES): Scientific group preparing stock assessments and advice.

X

Xanthid Bycatch: Bycatch of mud crabs in trap fisheries.
XL Quota Holding: Large quota share by a single operator, regulatory concern.

Y

Year Class: Cohort of fish born in the same year.
Yield: Catch in weight or numbers from a fishery.
YPR (Yield per Recruit): Yield obtained from each individual entering the fishery.

Z

Zonal Attachment: Share of a stock occurring in a country's zone, used in allocation.
Zoning (Aquaculture): Spatial allocation of aquaculture areas.

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