Area‐based management of blue water fisheries: Current knowledge and research needs

• DOI: 10.1111/faf.12629
• Publication Date: 2021-11-24T05:36:05Z
• Authors: Ray Hilborn; Vera N. Agostini; Milani Chaloupka; Serge M. Garcia; Leah R. Gerber; Eric Gilman; Quentin Hanich; Amber Himes‐Cornell; Alistair J. Hobday; David Itano; Michel J. Kaiser; Hilario Murua; Daniel Ovando; Graham M. Pilling; Jake C. Rice; Rishi Sharma; Kurt M. Schaefer; Craig J. Severance; Nathan G. Taylor; Mark Fitchett
• Keywords: Bycatch; Adaptive Management; Management by objectives

Abstract The pelagic fisheries beyond the continental shelves are currently managed with a range of tools largely based on regulating effort or target catch. These comprise both static and dynamic area‐based approaches to include gear limitations, closed areas bycatch limits. There increasing calls for additional interventions, particularly expansion marine protected areas, many now advocating closing 30% oceans fishing. In this paper, we review objectives, methods successes management blue water across objectives related food production environmental, social economic impacts. We also consider used evaluate performance regulations provide summary relative quality evidence from alternative evaluation approaches. found that few have been rigorously evaluated, it is often difficult obtain requisite observational data define counterfactual infer any causal effect such evaluation. Management agencies relatively successful at maintaining important commercial species near their abundance, but success meeting ecological goals less clear. high mobility generally reduces effectiveness management, shifting distributions due climate change suggest adaptive rather than will be preferred. prioritize research actions would make more effective.