Global status of groundfish stocks

Abstract

We review the status of groundfish stocks using published scientific assessments for 349 individual stocks constituting 90% of global groundfish catch. Overall, average stock abundance is increasing and is currently above the level that would produce maximum sustainable yield (MSY). Fishing pressure for cod‐like fishes (Gadiformes) and flatfishes (Pleuronectiformes) was, for several decades, on average well above levels associated with MSY, but is now at or below the level expected to produce MSY. In contrast, fishing pressure for rockfishes (Scorpaeniformes) decreased from near MSY‐related levels in the mid‐1990s, and since the mid‐2000s has remained on average at only one third of MSY‐related levels. Regions with the most depressed groundfish stocks are the Northwest Atlantic and the Pacific coast of South America, while stocks from the Northeast and Eastern Central Pacific, Northeast Atlantic, Southeast Atlantic and Southwest Pacific tend to have greatest average abundance relative to MSY‐based reference points. In the most recent year available for each stock, the catch was only 61% of MSY. Equilibrium yield curves indicate that 76% of global potential groundfish yield could be achieved using current estimates of fishing pressure. 15% of this is lost by excess fishing pressure, 67% results from lower than optimal fishing pressure on healthy stocks and 18% is lost from stocks currently overfished but rebuilding. Thus, there is modest opportunity to increase catch of global groundfish fisheries by reducing overfishing on some stocks, but more by increasing harvest on others. However, there may be other reasons not to fully exploit these stocks.

#OceanOptimism: Balancing the Narrative About the Future of the Ocean

“…Although the challenges faced by fisheries and their impacts on ecosystems are widespread, the tendency toward oversimplification and a "doom and gloom" narrative has eclipsed other assessments (Worm et al, 2009;Branch et al, 2011) that showed large geographic and taxonomic variation in the state of fish stocks and highlighted some positive trends in at least some areas. Recent research (Zimmermann and Werner, 2019;Hilborn et al, 2020;Hilborn et al, 2021) has found encouraging trends toward improved sustainability of fisheries over the past two decades in some stocks and regions, notably the Northeast Atlantic Ocean. These positive trends do not imply that all issues are solved, but indicate that improvement is possible.…”

“…However, in the early 2000s, persistent overfishing prompted policy changes (EU, 2002) to improve the management of fish stocks and facilitate their rebuilding. After initial stagnation (Froese and Proelß, 2010), signs of a trend reversal started to emerge (Cardinale et al, 2013;Fernandes and Cook, 2013), with clear improvements in their sustainability in recent years (Zimmermann and Werner, 2019;Hilborn et al, 2021).…”

Reforming International Fisheries Law Can Increase Blue Carbon Sequestration

“…The concept of MSY was developed to make single species stock assessments and estimation of stock status (Hilborn et al, 2021). Several studies (Larkin, 1977;Mace, 2001) have shown the difficulties of estimating MSY in a multi-species context, and set harvest strategies based on MSY that account for fish stock and predator-prey interactions, and climate driven processes.…”

Marine food web perspective to fisheries‐induced evolution

“…A majority of commercially fished stocks are considered overfished (FAO, 2020 ), and effective catch per unit of effort is decreasing despite that the size of the fishing fleet has doubled since the 1950s (Rousseau et al, 2019 ). The future could still be optimistic as the status of global fish stocks is not homogenous but rather considerably varying among fisheries and locations, demonstrating the influence of successful management strategies (Hilborn et al, 2021 ). The general trend implies that while poorly managed stocks continue to decline, the biomass of well‐managed stocks is in stabilising or rebuilding state (Worm & Branch, 2012 ).…”