Developing a sustainable indicator system based on the pressure–state–response framework for local fisheries: A case study of Gungliau, Taiwan

To sustain fishery development and ensure the supply of fish, the role that a sustainable development indicator system plays in the evaluation of fishery management performance is becoming increasingly important. A sustainable indicator system based on the Pressure–State–Response (PSR) framework was developed for local fisheries in Gungliau, Taiwan, between 1995 and 2003. Factor analysis and canonical correlation analysis were also applied to aggregate indicators and analyse the linkage of indicators. The most serious problem facing fishery system in Gungliau is conflicting local and higher levels of enforcement that result in the problems of effort, harvest and fleet age composition related to the pressure component. Fishery resources and the state of ecosystem were also affected by marine environmental change, especially by El Ñino. Consequently, fishermen adjusted their effort and investment to the variation of Fishery resources, leading Gungliau fisheries to unsustainability.