Issue
Humanity faces a challenge: how to ensure sustainable use of fisheries resources when the level of demand has increased beyond what our aquatic environments are able to supply. This pressure, moreover, appears set to continue increasing as a result of population growth and further expansion of trade.
Solution
To achieve sustainable use of fisheries resources requires the establishment of management systems that limit the harvesting of fish to match the optimal capacity of nature to recreate or reproduce the resource. This has led to the recognition of the central importance of introducing explicit and secure fisheries access rights (or recognising rights where these already informally exist). This means that rights should clearly defined which in turn means that it should be know who holds the rights, what the precise limits of the rights are, and how rights are enforced. Management systems should create incentives that eliminate overcapacity, limit investment in capacity to what is commensurate with long term optimal harvesting of fish stocks, and encourage the interest of the fishers in resource rebuilding and conservation.
Outlook
The fisheries sector is particularly susceptible to the impact of other land-based and sea-based activities on the marine environment, its quality and productivity. If fisheries are to make an optimal contribution to economic and social welfare, these interactions must be taken into account, by integrating fisheries management into broader-based coastal area management frameworks.
