Publication Abstract

Mixed-fishery or Ecosystem conundrum? Multi-species considerations inform thinking on long-term management of North Sea demersal stocks

Mixed-fishery or Ecosystem conundrum?  Multi-species considerations inform thinking on long-term management of North Sea demersal stocks

Mackinson*, S.,  Deas, B., Beveridge,D. and Casey, J.

Signatories of 2002 Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development declaration committed to maintain or restore fish stocks to levels that can produce the maximum sustainable yield (MSY); a goal that has been challenged on a number of grounds. Nonetheless the European Commission has stated an objective to manage fisheries (independently) to achieve MSY by 2015, and this has catalysed Regional Advisory Councils’ (RACs) thinking on MSY and their goal of developing Long Term Management Plans. This study uses an ecosystem model of the North Sea to investigate questions relating to MSY in the context of mixed demersal fisheries for cod, haddock and whiting.  Results suggest that it is not possible to simultaneously achieve yields corresponding to MSYs predicted from single species assessments for cod, haddock and whiting, and that the contradictory response of whiting is central to the trade-offs in yield and value for mixed demersal fisheries.  Incompatibility between mixed-fishery and ecosystem-scale considerations exemplifies the difficult conceptual and practical challenges faced when moving toward an ecosystem approach. 

Reference:

Mackinson*, S.,  Deas, B., Beveridge,D. and Casey, J. (2009) Mixed-fishery or Ecosystem conundrum?  Multi-species considerations inform thinking on long-term management of North Sea demersal stocks. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 66: 1107–1129

Mackinson*, S., Deas, B., Beveridge,D. and Casey, J.

Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 66: 1107–1129