2014/09/15 by Daniel Pauly, Rainer Froese · 1 citation
Environmental Science · #Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies #Marine and fisheries research
paper · doi:10.1002/9780470015902.a0003252.pub3
openalex publication_date 2014/09/15 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/19
Abstract Fisheries management is the set of science‐based procedures used by government institutions to regulate fishers' access to fisheries resources; this involves temporal and spatial restrictions on the deployment of fishing gear, restrictions on features of these gear and constraints on the species and size composition of the catch, and its overall magnitude. The traditional goal of fisheries management was to achieve maximum sustainable yields. Maximum economic yields are obtained with slightly lower catches from larger fish stocks. Modern fisheries management aims for minimising the impact of fishing on the ecosystem and considers trophic interactions when determining catch levels. A new challenge is the assessment and management of data‐limited fish stocks, which constitute about three‐fourth of the exploited stocks. Key Concepts: Fish stocks must be maintained above levels that allow them to produce the maximum sustainable yield. Mortality caused by fishing may not exceed the rate of mortality from natural causes such as predation, diseases or old age. The size at first capture must be chosen such that fish can realise their potential for growth and reproduction. Species with important ecosystem functions, such as forage fish, must be fished less. Government subsidies to fisheries, by reducing the cost of fishing, allows fishing to continue even when fish stocks are depleted; reducing subsides to fisheries thus contributes to fishery sustainability. Aquaculture can contribute to the global fish supply, but not when carnivorous fish are farmed, as they consume more fish than they produce.