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Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020

Fisheries management is actually working, global analysis shows

Author:     Michelle Ma
Source:     University of Washington
Publication Date:     13 January 2020
 Link: Fisheries management is actually working, global analysis shows
Stephan:   Maybe because I live on an island, and grew up on a property bordered by Mobjack Bay, and many of the high points of my life that became books and papers have happened in the sea. Or maybe it's because if you are looking at trends affecting the future the state of the earth's world of water is an essential one. More than 1.5 billion people make seafood at least 20 percent of their diet; the wellbeing of the fish ecosystem is a critical trend. Much of what you think you know about fisheries, based on the recent data, you may now find is incorrect. This is also another example of the Theorem of Wellbeing. You can clearly see the results of policies that foster wellbeing. As always, more productive, more efficient, nicer to live under, and much-much cheaper.

Nearly half of the fish caught worldwide are from stocks that are scientifically monitored and, on average, are increasing in abundance. Effective management appears to be the main reason these stocks are at sustainable levels or successfully rebuilding.

That is the main finding of an international project led by the University of Washington to compile and analyze data from fisheries around the world. The results were published Jan. 13 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“There is a narrative that fish stocks are declining around the world, that fisheries management is failing and we need new solutions — and it’s totally wrong,” said lead author Ray Hilborn, a professor in the UW School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences. “Fish stocks are not all declining around the world. They are increasing in many places, and we already know how to solve problems through effective fisheries management.”

The project builds on a decade-long international collaboration to assemble estimates of the status of fish stocks — or distinct populations of fish — around the world. This information helps scientists and managers know […]

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