Ocean in the Balance: Tradeoffs between Fisheries and Conservation Objectives

Fisheries science and management have been dominated by a focus on single-species since the inception of these disciplines.   Neglect of broader issues such as the impacts of fishing on habitat, technological interactions among fisheries, and trophic interactions among species, has contributed to declines in both fisheries production and ecosystem health.  There have been cascading ecological effects and significant social and economic consequences.    While there have been recent improvements in fisheries, notably in some developed countries, “success” is still largely measured by the condition of assessed and managed individual fish populations, ignoring the majority of fish species as well as the broader ecosystem.

In recent years there has been increased scientific understanding of the ecosystem impacts of fishing and the tradeoffs between fisheries and conservation objectives.  New insights provide forceful arguments for a more precautionary approach to fisheries management in which fishing is restricted to those places and amounts where it can be conducted safely and with minimal risk of jeopardizing the integrity of marine ecosystems.  Fisheries science and management is evolving.  However, the pendulum needs to swing much further towards greater use of conservation measures such as minimum biomass thresholds and marine protected areas to ensure an ocean in balance.