Catch reconstructions reveal that global marine fisheries catches are higher than reported and declining

• DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10244
• Publication Date: 2016-01-19T18:39:41Z
• Authors: Daniel Pauly; Dirk Zeller
• Keywords: Bycatch; Discards; Marine Fisheries; International waters

Abstract Fisheries data assembled by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) suggest that global marine fisheries catches increased to 86 million tonnes in 1996, then slightly declined. Here, using a decade-long multinational ‘catch reconstruction’ project covering Exclusive Economic Zones of world’s maritime countries High Seas from 1950 2010, accounting for all fisheries, we identify catch trajectories differing considerably national submitted FAO. We actually peaked at 130 tonnes, has been declining much more strongly since. This decline reconstructed reflects declines industrial smaller extent discards, despite fishing having expanded industrialized waters developing countries. The documented here need improved monitoring including often neglected small-scale illegal other problematic as well discarded bycatch.