The SAFARI Initiative Societal Applications in Fisheries & Aquaculture using Remotely-Sensed Imagery
Introduction July 2007, request from GEO to assimilate satellite Earth Observation (EO) into fisheries research and ecosystem-based fisheries management. Developed the SAFARI Programme, quickly accepted by GEO as a way forward. International coordination and Canadian activities funded for three ears by Canadian Space Agency, November 2007 and extended for another three years in 2010.
SAFARI Launched November 2007 after receiving Canadian Space Agency (CSA) funding Part of GEO task AG-06-02: consultation at international level to identify opportunities for enhanced utilization of Earth Observation (EO) data in fisheries & aquaculture Aims: accelerate assimilation of EO data into fisheries research & ecosystem-based fisheries management on global scale facilitate application of rapidly evolving satellite technology to fisheries management questions help build capacity at science & operational levels
SAFARI Objectives An international forum for coordination and exchange of views on use of remotely-sensed data in fisheries oceanography A stimulus for new research and operations in this subject area. A vehicle for transfer of knowledge from the research sector to the operational sector. Publication of an IOCCG monograph on the subject
SAFARI Activities Opening event: International workshop, Halifax, Canada; March 2008 SAFARI brochure (English & French) Special Session ASLO Nice (France); February 2009 Canadian remote-sensing information session for fishermen (Bedford Institute, Dartmouth; March 2009) SAFARI Community White Paper: OceanObs 09; September 2009 IOCCG monograph - fisheries applications of ocean-colour data; December 2009 International Symposium on Fisheries & Aquaculture: Applications of Earth Observations; Kochi, India; February 2010 International Training Course: Kochi, India, February 2010
SAFARI (Societal Applications in Fisheries and Aquaculture of Remotely-Sensed Imagery)
Context: Stewardship of the Ocean Global consensus (UN Declaration): Management should have ecosystem basis, system integrity should be maintained. Preserve ecosystem attributes such as health, vigour, resilience But these are difficult to quantify. Instead, develop suite of Ecological Indicators: objective metrics for the pelagic ecosystem that can be applied serially, in operational mode, to detect changes.
Fisheries Applications of EO include: Harvest Fisheries - economies of fuel and time Fisheries Management - intelligence on ecosystem fluctuations and effect on future states of exploited stocks Aquaculture Industry - carrying capacity, harmful algal blooms Protection of Species at Risk - exclusion zones and reduction of by-catch Marine Protected Areas & Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems - delineation of these Ecosystem Health and Ecosystem Services - monitoring health, evaluating services High Seas Governance - international governance strategy, ecosystem delineation, straddling stocks
Haddock Fishery Timing of spring bloom & survival of larval fish (Platt et al. 2003). Unusually early spring blooms in 1981 and 1999 resulted in exceptional haddock year-classes
Temperature 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Northern Shrimp Fishery Duration of bottom-water temp vs. egg incubation time (major stocks in NW Atlantic) 150 170 190 210 230 250 270 290 310 330 Duration of egg incubation Koeller, Fuentes-Yaco, Platt, Sathyendranath et al. (2009)
Latitude 40 50 60 70 80 Northern Shrimp Fishery Hatching time Bloom time Tightly coupled at all latitudes for major Stocks in the North Atlantic 50 100 150 200 250 300 DoY Koeller, Fuentes-Yaco, Platt, Sathyendranath et al. (2009)
Quantifying Ecosystem Services: Primary Production Remote sensing can be used for operational estimation of primary production (Platt et al. 2008) Marine primary production is estimated to be about 50 GT of carbon per year Primary production is related to fish catch. Engineering solutions to carbon sequestration and carbon trade include proposals to manipulate marine ecosystems. Primary Production mg C m -2 d -1 NW Atlantic 1-15 June 2004 After Ware and Thomson, 2005
Species at Risk: Loggerhead Turtle Track of a tagged Loggerhead Turtle overlain on SeaWiFS chlorophyll along the Transitional Zone Chlorophyll Front in the North Pacific Ocean. Polovina et al. (2004). The TurtleWatch product. SST as background, geostrophic currents estimated from satellite altimetry shown as black arrows, zone with the highest probability of bycatch of loggerhead sea turtles in brown. Longline fisheries should be restricted from these areas to reduce bycatch rates.
Matching of EO imagery with major natural phenomenon, consequence of algal bloom Lobster walkout: Namibia Satellite image (pseudo-true colour) showing the extent of hypoxia responsible for the phenomenon
What are some countries doing? INDIA Routinely delivers remotely-sensed data (chlorophyll and temperature) to fishing communities all around the coast, in local languages JAPAN Routinely delivers temperature and chlorophyll data to fishing fleets (near-shore and offshore), each vessel equipped with standard computer and standard software. EU Routinely uses remotely-sensed data in its programme Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES), a European contribution to GEOSS.
Potential Fishing Zones - Use of Indian OCM Sensor On OCEANSAT 1 Satellite Arrows indicate areas where fishing was conducted
IOCCG Capacity Building Fellowships: 10 awarded to date Training Courses (17): Canada (2), India (2), Thailand (2), Chile (2), Mombasa, (JRC), South Africa, Italy, Uruguay, JAMSTEC Cruise, Australia, Indonesia, Argentina, New Caledonia Trainees: More than 400 students from 65 different countries
FUTURE SAFARI and ChloroGIN linked under one umbrella: FARO Identities of both SAFARI and ChloroGIN preserved under GEO International co-ordination funded for three years by Canadian Space Agency (2010)
Thank you.