Rebuilding Global Fisheries

By Boris Worm, Ray Hilborn, J. Baum, Trevor A. Branch, J. Collie, C. Costello, Michael Fogarty, Elizabeth A. Fulton, J. A. Hutchings, S. Jennings and 11 more. Science, 2009

2,196 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Fighting for Fisheries In the debate concerning the future of the world's fisheries, some have forecasted complete collapse but others have challenged this view. The protagonists in this debate have now joined forces to present a thorough quantitative review of current trends in world fisheries. Worm et al. (p. 578) evaluate the evidence for a global rebuilding of marine capture fisheries and their supporting ecosystems. Contrasting regions that have been managed for rebuilding with those that have not, reveals trajectories of decline and recovery from individual stocks to species, communities, and large marine ecosystems. The management solutions that have been most successful for rebuilding fisheries and ecosystems, include both large- and small-scale fisheries around the world. Catch restrictions, gear modification, and closed areas are helping to rebuild overexploited marine ecosystems. 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.

Subfields: Ecology, Global and Planetary Change

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/58e802c841d87666fb7eb69f7d48474eb0a470bd

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Citations in the corpus

Correlates of recovery for Canadian Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) (2011, methodology): “…yield is estimated to be obtained as a TRP (estimates of BMSY were obtained from stock assessments or surplus production models, as reported by Worm et al. 2009 and Hutchings et al. 2010), the current biomass estimates for Canadian marine fishes are lower than those of other key…”
Emerging Issues and Methodological Advances in Fisheries Reproductive Biology (2011, background): “Although the incorporation of detailed reproductive data into all stock assessments is not a practical goal, the need to understand factors driving population productivity (Worm et al. 2009) and the role reproductive biology plays in this productivity (Kjesbu 2009; Lowerre-Barbieri 2009) is being in”
Understanding variation in behavioural responses to human-induced rapid environmental change: a conceptual overview (2013, background): “…2006; Ferraz et al. 2007; Chaine & Clobert 2012), exotic species (Blackburn et al. 2004; McKenzie et al. 2007; Sih et al. 2010), pollution (Verhoeven et al. 2006; Butchart et al. 2010), human harvesting (Jackson et al. 2001; Worm et al. 2009) and climate change (Parmesan 2006; Deutsch et al. 2008).”
Effects of biological, economic and management factors on tuna and billfish stock status (2017, background): “…has clearly failed to keep some bluefin tuna 137 stocks near target reference points despite their high commercial value (Fromentin and Powers 138 2005; Worm et al. 2009), and the ability of tRFMOs to prevent stock depletion and overfishing 139 has been questioned (Cullis-Suzuki and Pauly 2010).”
Scenarios for Global Biodiversity in the 21st Century (2010, background): “In contrast, reductions in fishing effort and destructive fishing practices such as trawling would allow rebuilding of a number of major stocks (31, 32).”
Little Evidence of Benthic Community Resilience to Bottom Trawling on Seamounts After 15 Years (2019, background): “Historical depletion of fisheries, and the ability of fish populations to recover from overexploitation, have received considerable attention in the fisheries literature (Worm et al., 2009; Froese and Proelss, 2010; FAO, 2016).”
Global catches, exploitation rates, and rebuilding options for sharks (2013, background): “[34] have discussed management options that exist for rebuilding fish populations, and analyzed the empirical evidence for successful recovery; WardPaige et al.”
Can marine fisheries and aquaculture meet fish demand from a growing human population in a changing climate (2012, background): “…management efforts have led to improved controls of fishing mortality, along with stock stabilization and recovery in some places (Branch et al., 2011; Worm et al., 2009), some small pelagic fisheries continue to be sub-optimally managed and sensitive to demand changes (Asche and Tveterås, 2004).”
Seasonal forecasting for decision support in marine fisheries and aquaculture (2014, background): “…harvest of wild stocks must also continue, which requires improved management approaches and economically efficient fishing and farming strategies (Worm et al., 2009; Branch et al., 2011; Callaway et al., 2012), particularly in areas with rapidly changing environments (Melnychuk et al., 2014).”
Global variation in marine fish body size and its role in biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (2010, methodology): “Furthermore, a 22% decline (since 1959) in mean maximum fish length has been reported based on a global compilation of marine ecosystem surveys (Worm et al. 2009).”
Tracking seabirds to identify potential Marine Protected Areas in the tropical western Indian Ocean (2012, background): “Offshore MPAs could potentially benefit species targeted by industrial fisheries (tuna and billfish) and help to sustain these fisheries ((Worm et al., 2009; Koldewey et al., 2010), although the conservation of highly migratory fish like tuna is more challenging (Steffansson and Rosenberg, 2006) and”