Rebuilding Global Fisheries

Abstract

After a long history of overexploitation, increasing efforts to restore marine ecosystems and rebuild fisheries are under way. Here, we analyze current trends from a fisheries and conservation perspective. In 5 of 10 well-studied ecosystems, the average exploitation rate has recently declined and is now at or below the rate predicted to achieve maximum sustainable yield for seven systems. Yet 63% of assessed fish stocks worldwide still require rebuilding, and even lower exploitation rates are needed to reverse the collapse of vulnerable species. Combined fisheries and conservation objectives can be achieved by merging diverse management actions, including catch restrictions, gear modification, and closed areas, depending on local context. Impacts of international fleets and the lack of alternatives to fishing complicate prospects for rebuilding fisheries in many poorer regions, highlighting the need for a global perspective on rebuilding marine resources.

Recovery of marine animal populations and ecosystems

“…Yet, throughout history, humans have responded to declining resource abundance and ecosystem degradation by implementing management and conservation measures. Some of these have been successful and resulted in recovery, whereas others have failed [3,8,9].Therefore, an important question to science and management is: how common is recovery among depleted populations and degraded ecosystems in the ocean? Today, many marine mammal, bird, reptile and fish populations are at low abundance, and several species are endangered or extinct on regional or global scales [5,[10][11][12].…”

“…Moreover, the review largely dealt with recovery from shorter-term impacts, such as eutrophication and oil spills, rather than long-term impacts, such as exploitation or habitat loss. Other studies showed that recovery often depends on intrinsic factors, such as life-history characteristics and genetic diversity [20], extrinsic factors, such as the type and magnitude of disturbance [21][22][23], and the conservation and management measures applied to reduce human impacts [3,8,9]. Thus, a broader and more nuanced treatment of marine recovery patterns and drivers is warranted.…”

“…Yet, throughout history, humans have responded to declining resource abundance and ecosystem degradation by implementing management and conservation measures. Some of these have been successful and resulted in recovery, whereas others have failed [3,8,9].…”

“…Today, many marine mammal, bird, reptile and fish populations are at low abundance, and several species are endangered or extinct on regional or global scales [5,[10][11][12]. However, despite long periods of intense human impacts, most marine species persist and some populations do show signs of recovery [3,8,9]. Similarly, many coastal habitats, including wetlands, seagrass beds, mangrove and kelp forests, and oyster and coral reefs, have been severely reduced or degraded [2][3][4]6], yet partial recovery has been achieved in some regions in response to protection and pollution controls [3,13].…”

The overfishing debate: an eco-evolutionary perspective

“…Others have asserted that overfishing remains a serious problem in the USA and elsewhere around the world [1]. The debate about overfishing has surrounded a variety of social and ecological factors, including different definitions of overfishing (http://theseamonster.net/2011/ 05/forum-on-fish-food-and-people/).…”