East Coast MARE Ocean Lecture Jan 19, 2012 - NJ Fisheries in a Global Context

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

Source: Time magazine, November 2006

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?