On what concept has traditional fisheries management been based? What approach do scientists think would improve current management techniques?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

For decades, fisheries management has been based on scientific assessments and has sought to ensure sustainable harvests. Historically, fisheries managers have studied fish population biology and used that knowledge to regulate the timing of harvests, the techniques used to catch fish, and the scale of the harvest. The goal was to allow for maximal harvests of particular populations while keeping fish available for the future, a concept called maximum sustainable yield. If data indicated that current yields looked unsustainable, managers might limit the number or total mass of that fish species that could be harvested or might restrict the type of gear fishers can use. Numerous marine scientists and some managers now suggest a shift away from management of individual fish species and toward viewing marine resources as elements of larger ecological systems. This means considering the effects of fishing practices on habitat quality, on interspecific interactions, and on other ecological factors that may have indirect or long?term effects on populations.