Coastal areas are in the interface where an increasing number of human activities taking place, representing the interconnection between land and sea domains. In spite of anthropogenic disturbances, this area is very important for the development of key biological and ecological processes. For example, it is the nursery area for many marine species, with high productivity due to nutrient inputs from rivers, enhancing complex food webs. On the other hand, it is a preferential site for mariculture and wind farms facilities, and it is the most accessible area for different human recreational activities in the sea.
Coastal fisheries, in particular Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF) such as commercial, including artisanal, and Marine Recreational Fisheries (MRF), are one of the most relevant coastal activities in terms of biological resources exploitation and provisioning of food, but also they are economically relevant, e.g., in terms of numbers of employees. Since the pressure exerted on worldwide coastal ecosystems is very intense, especially in developing coastal states and island nations because of their high rates of overexploited fisheries, Maritime Spatial Planning can play a key role in ensuring sustainable exploitation of the sea, in a context where different human activities overlap. Understanding how the different coastal fisheries interact and are managed in accordance with sustainable principles is key to foster the resilience of this complex Socio-Ecological System (SES).
The objective of this Research Topic is to collect a series of studies analyzing the advances of different approaches, effects of initiatives, and possible measures that could contribute to moving the coastal fisheries a step forward in their sustainability and resilience, in terms of biological, economical, and social points of view.
The Research Topic is dedicated to the sustainability of the coastal fisheries sector as a whole, especially SSF, including artisanal and recreational. A non-exhaustive list of possible topics is:
● The role of the SSF sector in the coastal areas, their patterns of exploitation, their impact on biological resources, local economy, and society.
● Perspectives, methods and tools to allocate fishing opportunities between MRF and commercial SSF in complex socio-ecological systems.
● Synergies and trade-offs between SSF and MRF with other human activities
● Management measures and initiatives for sustainable and resilient coastal fisheries.
● Analysis and perspectives about the transformations that the coastal fisheries must face to address challenges at different spatial and temporal scales.
● Development of methodologies, techniques and tools and their application in MSP initiatives.
● Interactions between coastal fisheries, tourist activities, and the use of other marine resources, such as mariculture and wind farms, among others.
We encourage the submission of Original Research, Perspective, and Brief Research reports.
Coastal areas are in the interface where an increasing number of human activities taking place, representing the interconnection between land and sea domains. In spite of anthropogenic disturbances, this area is very important for the development of key biological and ecological processes. For example, it is the nursery area for many marine species, with high productivity due to nutrient inputs from rivers, enhancing complex food webs. On the other hand, it is a preferential site for mariculture and wind farms facilities, and it is the most accessible area for different human recreational activities in the sea.
Coastal fisheries, in particular Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF) such as commercial, including artisanal, and Marine Recreational Fisheries (MRF), are one of the most relevant coastal activities in terms of biological resources exploitation and provisioning of food, but also they are economically relevant, e.g., in terms of numbers of employees. Since the pressure exerted on worldwide coastal ecosystems is very intense, especially in developing coastal states and island nations because of their high rates of overexploited fisheries, Maritime Spatial Planning can play a key role in ensuring sustainable exploitation of the sea, in a context where different human activities overlap. Understanding how the different coastal fisheries interact and are managed in accordance with sustainable principles is key to foster the resilience of this complex Socio-Ecological System (SES).
The objective of this Research Topic is to collect a series of studies analyzing the advances of different approaches, effects of initiatives, and possible measures that could contribute to moving the coastal fisheries a step forward in their sustainability and resilience, in terms of biological, economical, and social points of view.
The Research Topic is dedicated to the sustainability of the coastal fisheries sector as a whole, especially SSF, including artisanal and recreational. A non-exhaustive list of possible topics is:
● The role of the SSF sector in the coastal areas, their patterns of exploitation, their impact on biological resources, local economy, and society.
● Perspectives, methods and tools to allocate fishing opportunities between MRF and commercial SSF in complex socio-ecological systems.
● Synergies and trade-offs between SSF and MRF with other human activities
● Management measures and initiatives for sustainable and resilient coastal fisheries.
● Analysis and perspectives about the transformations that the coastal fisheries must face to address challenges at different spatial and temporal scales.
● Development of methodologies, techniques and tools and their application in MSP initiatives.
● Interactions between coastal fisheries, tourist activities, and the use of other marine resources, such as mariculture and wind farms, among others.
We encourage the submission of Original Research, Perspective, and Brief Research reports.