Fishing drives rapid evolution

Abstract

Today, fishing is the dominant source of mortality in most commerciallyexploited fish stocks. Evolutionary theory predicts that increasedmortality typically selects for fish that mature younger and smaller.Recent research by fisheries scientists in Europe and North America� orchestrated by the International Institute for Applied SystemsAnalysis in Laxenburg, Austria � reveals that the predicted fisheriesinducedevolutionary changes are indeed occurring.