Understanding biology to improve advice for fisheries management

Abstract

Much of my career has been focussed on exploring the causes and consequences of variation in the productivity of fish. The aim has been to provide better advice for fisheries management. We have realized that variation in the components of productivity, such as growth, maturation, and fecundity is substantial. Incorporating this variation into stock assessment leads to a significant change in the perception of reference points and stock status. If exploitation levels are not adjusted for varying productivity, they will not be sustainable. Although we have learned much about the causes and consequences of variation in productivity there is still much to learn. It will be a huge leap forward when we can explain the processes driving this variation and use this information in our population models. My contributions to the field have benefitted greatly from a series of collaborations that have fuelled my creativity, productivity and enjoyment. My direct involvement in stock assessment has resulted in my research being used directly in the provision of scientific advice and also opened up areas of research that I would not have otherwise pursued. Get involved. Be open to new opportunities and seize them. You never know where they will lead you!