Editorial: Data-limited research in stock assessment to increase the understanding of fisheries resources and inform and improve management efforts

Abstract

Editorial on the Research TopicData-limited research in stock assessment to increase the understanding of fisheries resources and inform and improve management efforts Management thinker Peter Drucker is often quoted as saying "You can't manage what you can't measure." Drucker means that you cannot know whether or not you are successful unless success is defined and monitored. Such a quote is fully applicable to fishery science because only when we can estimate the status of stocks can we provide meaningful and successful management advice: that which gets measured gets managed. However, an increasing share of fishers' income is derived from fish from stocks whose status remains unassessed. In such situations, a simple rough model might be more useful than no model at all.The main reasons for the lack of assessment and associated formal harvest control rules are often associated to:lack of (quality) data to reliably inform a fully integrated stock assessment.limited capacity and funding.associated fishery characteristics, including inconsistent targeting practices, numerous unregulated operators, or profound cultural issues.the challenge of selecting from numerous possibilities and the most appropriate assessment and management options given the fishery's context.