Historical expansion and diversification of Uruguayan fisheries in the Río de la Plata and the Atlantic Ocean: The concept of “métier" and the identification of high-intensity fishing areas

Since the beginning of the fishing industry in Uruguay, a variety of fishing activities began, evolved, and expanded into the deeper waters of the Uruguayan marine territory. The purpose of this study was to identify and map the Uruguayan higher intensity fishing areas over a 58-year time span. The concept of métier was used, which allows the grouping of fishing modalities according to target species, fishing units, gear and operation areas as descriptors for each activity. Information sources included published articles, reports, records in official publications, direct observations and research surveys conducted between 1960 and 2018 in the Río de la Plata and the Argentine-Uruguayan Common Fishing Zone. An overlapping model using a geographic information system was deployed in order to identify area use and intensity weighted by the number of fishing units. A total of 60 métiers were listed in two fleet segments, 25 artisanal métiers and 35 industrial métiers, throughout the analysed period. Currently, most métiers are inactive, and of those that are operational, most are the oldest métiers that are considered to be traditional fisheries. The overlap model showed higher activity spatially concentrated on the continental slope, in the eastern coastal zone and along the area near Montevideo, separated by fleet segment. Industrial activity showed an expansion of the area according to the number of métiers between 1995 and 2010. This analysis allowed us to quantify the geographical extent of fisheries in the long term, providing critical information for fisheries management and marine spatial planning.