Oceans and estuaries: Managing the commons

Abstract

Most of Earth (71%) is covered by oceans, whose fisheries provide an important protein source for people, both locally and globally. Fisheries also contribute economically to the well-being of coastal communities and other sectors of society. The demand for marine fish continues to increase because of human population growth, migration to coastal zones, increased income and health concerns that strengthen a luxury-seafood market, and growth of fishmeal-based aquaculture, and livestock production. About 20% of the most food-deficient countries export fish to provide foreign exchange and to service their national debt-a further motivation to increase fish harvests (Pauly et al. 2005). Fishing capacity has increased substantially to meet this demand, primarily through development of large industrial-scale fleets that can harvest fish that were once too remote, deep, or dispersed for efficient commercial harvest. As a result, the annual global fish catch has more than tripled in the last 50 years. Since about 1985, however, global landings appear to have declined, despite continued increase in fishing capacity, suggesting that past harvest levels are not sustainable. © 2009 Springer-Verlag New York.