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Evaluation of socio-economic characteristics of beach seine fishing cooperatives in Golestan Province
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Abbas Hosseini1   , N. Abyar2 , S.A. Taghavimotlagh3 , G.R. Daryanabard1 , M. Larijani4 , M. Yahyaei5 , R. Shirazi5 |
1- Caspian Sea Ecology Research Center, Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Sari, Iran
2- Golestan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Gorgan, Iran
3- Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute (IFSRI), Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran
4- Inland Waters Aquaculture Research Center, Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Gorgan, Iran
5- Golestan Province Fisheries Directorate, Deputy Directorate of Fisheries and Fishing Ports, Gorgan, Iran |
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Abstract: (12 Views) |
Introduction
Based on socio-economic studies, fishing is considered a complex activity worldwide, arising from the interrelation of different groups of fishermen, limited and valuable resources, and an increasing demand for supply in the consumer market (Pinello et al., 2017). The main objectives of socio-economic studies are to analyze the livelihoods of people directly involved in the fisheries, employment opportunities, profitability levels of the activity, and demographic patterns. Beach seine fishing, in the form of fishing cooperatives, is the only permitted fishing gear for bony fish in Iranian waters of the Caspian Sea during the six-month fishing season from mid-October to mid-April. Various studies have evaluated the social problems (Forouhesh Tehrani, 2013), economic conditions (Dad et al., 2013; Yazdani et al., 2017) of bony fish from beach seine fishing cooperatives. The beach seine fishery plays a crucial role in the livelihoods and income of local fishermen, and it also serves as a significant source of protein for coastal communities. However, there is a lack of comprehensive information on the socio-economic performance of the fishery. This study aimed to evaluate various socio-economic indicators of existing beach seine cooperatives in the Golestan province during the 2020-2021 fishing season, including employment, costs, remuneration, profitability, livelihood, and demographics.
Methodology
The socio-economic variables were collected through a sampling survey and by completing a questionnaire from the beach seine fishing cooperatives located on the West (Miankaleh) and East (Gomishan) coasts of Golestan province. The survey period spanned one calendar year, coinciding with the fishing season from October 6, 2020, to April 14, 2021. A stratified random sampling strategy based on ecological characteristics was designed (Pinello et al., 2017). Given that the total number of active beach seine fishing cooperatives was less than 50 (13 on the west coast and 3 on the east coast), 50% of the cooperatives were selected for sampling, i.e., 7 cooperatives from the West coast and all 3 cooperatives from the East coast. The questionnaires consisted of 76 separate variables, and the data were analyzed in 4 indicator groups: social, economic, socio-economic indicators, and demographic characteristics (Pinello et al., 2017). Indicators were derived from the questionnaire variables to evaluate the socio-economic status of beach seine cooperatives.
Results
The 16 beach seine fishing cooperatives provided a total of 416 employment opportunities, and the contribution of the West coast was 73.6% (306 jobs) and the East coast 26.4% (110 jobs). The average (±SD) working hours per engaged crew based on national full-time equivalent were calculated as 1.23 ± 0.3 for the entire coastline and 1.37 ± 0.4 and 0.84 ± 0.1 for the west and east coasts, respectively. The variable costs along the coast were estimated at 14.4 billion Tomans in Iranian currency, of which personnel costs accounted for 67.3% (9.7 billion Tomans) and repair and maintenance costs, 17.7 % (2.54 billion Tomans). The average monthly remuneration per crew member engaged along the entire coastline was estimated at 2,526,786±1,155,876 Tomans, and on the West and East coasts at 2,709,892±1,291,226 and 2,099,540±786,939, respectively. The economic profit for all the fishing cooperatives and cooperatives on the west and east coasts was negative. The average break-even revenues per cooperative for the entire and the West coast were calculated as 50.8 ± 2.3 and 2.8 ± 1.4 billion Tomans, respectively, but a negative number for the East coast. The catch to achieve the average break-even revenues would be 1,376,186 ± 81,934 kilograms per cooperative for the entire coast and 82,573 ± 56,589 kilograms for the Eest coast. The average age of the crew member was 48.5±7.3 years, and the average number of households per crew was 4±0.42. The share of beach seine fishing activities in the household income was 42 %.
Discussion and conclusion
The beach seine fishing cooperatives on the West coast create employment opportunities 2.8 times greater than the East coast. The national full-time equivalent working hours indicated that the crew engaged along the entire coast and the west coast work 23% and 37% higher than the national reference level, respectively, and 16% lower on the East coast. Personnel costs, i.e., remuneration, account for the largest share (67.3 %), and repair and maintenance costs ranked second (17.7 %) among the five variable cost indicators, which are consistent with the previous findings for the cooperatives along the Caspian Sea (Salehi et al., 2016). The negative economic profit of the cooperatives reveals that this fishing activity is not profitable. To reach the break-even revenues, the catch amount of each beach seine cooperative must increase 56 times greater than the current catch, that is, it must increase from the current 24.6 ±11.3 tons to 1,376.1±81.9 tons per cooperative. The members of the fishing cooperatives are mainly middle-aged people with an average age of 48.5±7.3 years, which is very similar to the average age of fishermen for Kilka fisheries in the Caspian Sea (47.7 years) (Taghavimotlagh et al., 2020). Reducing the number of active members of the beach seine cooperatives and renovating the fishing equipment is proposed to increase the economic performance of the cooperatives.
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.
Acknowledgment
We want to express our gratitude to the Iranian Fisheries Research Sciences Institute for their cooperation and financial support. This study is part of project No. 3-77-1230-043-000628. |
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| Keywords: Beach seine cooperative, Bony fish, Golestan province, remuneration, livelihood |
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Full-Text [PDF 906 kb]
(4 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
اقتصاد شيلاتي
Received: 2025/04/22 | Accepted: 2025/08/1
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