Tunas (ICCAT).
Many fishery scientists now favour a switch to control of fishing effort, rather than fixing quotas. Possible additional measures include: limiting the number of boats in a fishery (through licensing), regulating the time spent at sea; reducing the number of nets per boat; use of area or seasonal closures or restrictions for certain shellfish and fishery areas. Sea ranching may lead to stock enhancement of threatened species. Encouraging small-scale local fishing activities rather than large-scale fishing may help reduce pressure on stocks. In the EU, more than 45 per cent of the fishing industry is employed in small-scale fisheries, particularly in the Mediterranean area (European Parliament, 1992b). The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has recognised that small-scale, community-based fisheries account for almost half the world fish catch for human consumption, employ more than 95 per cent of people in fisheries, and use only 10 per cent of the energy of large-scale corporate fisheries (IUCN et al 1991).