Multispecies Modeling: Where Have We Been and Where Do We Need to Go?

Symposium Introduction: Multispecies models have a long history in fisheries.  Some of the first ecological studies were indeed multispecies fish models, and this foundation has benefited ecological theory and applied fisheries dynamics.  There have been various eras when such multispecies models have been emphasized in the history of our discipline.  Certainly the late 1980s, late 1990s, and again the late 2000s have benefitted from both long-term data sets and advances in computing technology.  Yet by and large multispecies models are still not widely used to provide fisheries management advance, despite there being a long history of development and pockets of application.  I use case studies that have executed multispecies models to demonstrate both successes and challenges as we collate the disciplinary lessons learned.  Specifically  I address reasons why these models are still not widely used, provide some suggestions around the usual concerns impeding the wider use of these models, and reiterate the benefits and rationale for doing them.  Many of the lessons learned are indeed technical and mathematical as they relate directly to modeling practices, but even more are issues that are not always technical yet are no less important.