east coast mare ocean lecture jan 19, 2012 - nj fisheries in a global context
DESCRIPTION
East Coast MARE hosted an Ocean Lecture & Educators' Night for teachers focused on bringing ocean literacy to students in New Jersey. Dr. Olaf Jensen of Rutgers University presented the scientific lecture on January 19, 2012. For more information visit http://coseenow.net/mare/opportunities-resources/ocean-lecture-educators-night/.TRANSCRIPT
NJ Fisheries in a Global Context
Olaf JensenRutgers University
Outline
• Global marine fisheries
• Status and trends
• Black Sea Bass
What I mean by a “fishery”
What I mean by a “fishery”• A social-ecological system organized around the harvest of wild
marine/aquatic fish or invertebrates for use by humans.
Top 10 world fisheries (weight of landings)
Management Fishermen Fish “stocks”
What I mean by a “fishery”• A social-ecological system organized around the harvest of wild
marine/aquatic fish or invertebrates for use by humans.
Top 10 world fisheries (weight of landings)
FAO 2006
Management Fishermen Fish “stocks”
World fishery landings peaked in the 1980s
FAO 2006
World fishery landings peaked in the 1980s
FAO 2006
…it seems unlikely that the potential sustained yield of fish to man is appreciably greater than 100 million tons.
- Ryther 1969, Science
Illegal, Unreported, Unregulated (IUU) catches and discards are large
Fishing effort and demand for seafood continue to grow
• 4 million fishing vessels• landings worth 84.9 billion USD• 2.6 billion people rely on fish for >20% of their animal
protein (1/3 of global population)
Fishing effort and demand for seafood continue to grow
• 4 million fishing vessels• landings worth 84.9 billion USD• 2.6 billion people rely on fish for >20% of their animal
protein (1/3 of global population)
FAO 2006
OL
D T
AR
GE
T
NE
W T
AR
GE
T
Impacts of fishing
Catch
OL
D T
AR
GE
T
NE
W T
AR
GE
T
Impacts of fishing
Catch
Biomass
OL
D T
AR
GE
T
NE
W T
AR
GE
T
Impacts of fishing
Catch
Biomass
CollapsedSpecies
Worm et al. (2006) Science 314:787-790
ALL FISH GONE BY 2048
Worm et al. (2006) Science 314:787-790
Outline
• Global marine fisheries
• Status and trends
• Black Sea Bass
What are the current status and trends of fisheries around the world?
A global stock assessment database
Stock status worldwide
Worm et al. 2009 Science
Stock status worldwide
Emergency Room
Worm et al. 2009 Science
Stock status worldwide
Emergency Room
Recovery Room
Worm et al. 2009 Science
Stock status worldwide
Emergency Room
Recovery Room
Worm et al. 2009 Science
Stock status worldwide
Emergency Room
Recovery Room
Worm et al. 2009 Science
Stock status worldwide
• 166 stocks• 63% below
MSY target• 65% fished at
rates below UMSY
Worm et al. 2009 Science
Stock status – selected regions
updated – 241 assessments
New Zealand Canada
EuropeUnited States
Ricard et al. 2012
Declining fishing rate and signs of rebuilding
• 7 of 10 regions at or below fishing rate that yields MSY
• Higher fishing rates in Europe• Biomass still low in most regions• Signs of rebuilding in:
– California– Northeast U.S.?– Iceland
A New Consensus
• Overfishing has depleted a significant number of stocks and ecosystems
• Solution: reduce fishing pressure to achieve better economic and ecological outcomes
• New focus on restoring biodiversity, rebuilding fisheries
• High seas and less developed countries remain great challenges
Impacts of fishing
Catch
Biomass
CollapsedSpecies
Impacts of fishing
Catch
Biomass
CollapsedSpecies
OL
D T
AR
GE
T
Impacts of fishing
Catch
Biomass
CollapsedSpecies
NE
W T
AR
GE
T
OL
D T
AR
GE
T
Outline
• Global marine fisheries
• Status and trends
• Black Sea Bass
New Jersey Fisheries
• Commercial landings in NJ worth about $150 million per year
• Cape May – Wildwood is the 8th most important fishing port in the U.S. (by value)
• Recreational anglers: 1.2 million in NJ
• Recreational fishing impact: $1.6 billion annually
New Jersey Fisheries
Black sea bassprotogynous hermaphrodites
Female Male
Sex ratio
Sex ratio
Sex ratio
1 2 3 4 5
Rutgers BSB study
Black sea bass tagging
Moser and Shepherd 2009
Black sea bass tagging
Moser and Shepherd 2009
How you can help
Acknowledgments
• NCEAS working group participants• Dan Ricard, Coilin Minto, Julia Baum, Malin
Pinsky (database development and analysis)• Boris Worm, Liz Neeley, Trevor Branch
(presentation slides)• Rainer Froese (FishBase)• Reg Watson (Sea Around Us Project)• Database contributors• NCEAS and David H. Smith Conservation
Research Fellowship
Questions?