Profile

Career

Research

Overview

Description of PhD

Title: The insurance value of marine reserves for the fishing industry

Supervisor(s): Prof. Callum Roberts (Environment Department) and Dr. Jon Pitchford (Biology Department)

TAC: Prof. Callum Roberts and Dr. Jon Pitchford

Funding:; joint ESRC/NERC studentship

Description of Thesis

The need to reform current fisheries management practices in order to secure sustainable stocks is now well recognised. More contentious is the form that this reform should take. My research aims to contribute to this discussion by examining current management practices and the use that marine reserves might play in this reform, both ecologically and economically. Specifically, this work aims to augment the current review process of the Common Fisheries Policy through the examination of total allowable catch practices in European fisheries. In addition, the case of the Atlantic bluefin tuna and the potential use of marine reserves to help rebuild the population and enhance the fishery will be considered. The methods for this research involve the use of statistical analysis and computer simulation modelling.

The bio-economic model developed in this research will be used to examine specific research areas including:

1. The consequences of political adjustment on total allowable catches and the fish stocks managed by them.
2. The role of marine reserves in increasing stability of yields within fisheries and buffering populations against environmental perturbations.
3. The impacts of marine reserves on fish populations with different life history characteristics.
4. The economic value of marine reserves to different sectors of the fishing industry.
5. The insurance value of marine reserves for fisheries specifically, their role in reducing risk and uncertainty.

Publications

Full publications list

• Roberts, C.M., R. Brown, A. Davies, T. Molodtsova, B. O'Leary and M. O'Rourke (2008). Proposals for Protection of Areas on the High Seas in the OSPAR Region. University of York, 153pp
• O'Leary, B.C. (2008).  The Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management: High Seas Fisheries Management and the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation.  NAFO SCS Doc. 08/22  http://archive.nafo.int/open/sc/2008/scs08-22.pdf