Conservation Letters (May 2024)
Destructive fishing: An expert‐driven definition and exploration of this quasi‐concept
- Arlie Hannah McCarthy,
- Daniel Steadman,
- Hannah Richardson,
- Jack Murphy,
- Sophie Benbow,
- Joshua I. Brian,
- Holly Brooks,
- Giulia Costa‐Domingo,
- Carolina Hazin,
- Chris McOwen,
- Jessica Walker,
- David F. Willer,
- Mohamad Abdi,
- Peter J. Auster,
- Roy Bealey,
- Robert Bensted‐Smith,
- Kathryn Broadburn,
- Gonçalo Carvalho,
- Tom Collinson,
- Bolanle Erinosho,
- Michael Fabinyi,
- Senia Febrica,
- Wilson Ngwa Forbi,
- Serge M Garcia,
- David Goad,
- Lynda Goldsworthy,
- Hugh Govan,
- Charles Heaphy,
- Jan Geert Hiddink,
- Gilles Hosch,
- Daniel Kachelriess,
- Jeff Kinch,
- Alana Malinde S. N. Lancaster,
- Frédéric Le Manach,
- Thomas Matthews,
- Alfonso Medellín Ortiz,
- Alexia Morgan,
- Helena Motta,
- Hilario Murua,
- Naveen Namboothri,
- Evelyne Ndiritu,
- Kelvin Passfield,
- Nicolas J. Pilcher,
- James O. Portus,
- Juan M. Rguez‐Baron,
- Morven Robertson,
- Abhilasha Sharma,
- Cristián G. Suazo,
- Leandro Luis Tamini,
- Juan Vilata‐Simón,
- Nibedita Mukherjee
Affiliations
- Arlie Hannah McCarthy
- Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
- Daniel Steadman
- Fauna & Flora, The David Attenborough Building Cambridge UK
- Hannah Richardson
- Fauna & Flora, The David Attenborough Building Cambridge UK
- Jack Murphy
- Fauna & Flora, The David Attenborough Building Cambridge UK
- Sophie Benbow
- Fauna & Flora, The David Attenborough Building Cambridge UK
- Joshua I. Brian
- Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
- Holly Brooks
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre Cambridge UK
- Giulia Costa‐Domingo
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre Cambridge UK
- Carolina Hazin
- The Nature Conservancy London UK
- Chris McOwen
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre Cambridge UK
- Jessica Walker
- Australian Marine Conservation Society South Brisbane Queensland Australia
- David F. Willer
- Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
- Mohamad Abdi
- Destructive Fishing Watch Indonesia Jakarta Pusat Indonesia
- Peter J. Auster
- Sea Research Foundation ‐ Mystic Aquarium and University of Connecticut Groton Connecticut USA
- Roy Bealey
- Pelagic Fisheries Consulting Ltd. Grantham Lincolnshire UK
- Robert Bensted‐Smith
- Talking Transformation Ltd Impington Cambridge UK
- Kathryn Broadburn
- Maris Seafoods Ltd/Sirena AS Warrington UK
- Gonçalo Carvalho
- Sciaena, Incubadora de Empresas da Universidade do Algarve Faro Portugal
- Tom Collinson
- Blue Ventures Bristol UK
- Bolanle Erinosho
- School of Law University of Derby Derby UK
- Michael Fabinyi
- Climate, Society and Environment Research Centre University of Technology Sydney Ultimo New South Wales Australia
- Senia Febrica
- One Ocean Hub University of Strathclyde Glasgow UK
- Wilson Ngwa Forbi
- Global Aid for Africa Yaounde Cameroon
- Serge M Garcia
- IUCN Fisheries Expert Group Rome Italy
- David Goad
- Vita Maris Ltd. Papamoa New Zealand
- Lynda Goldsworthy
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies. UTAS Tasmania Australia
- Hugh Govan
- School of Law and Social Sciences (SoLaSS) University of the South Pacific Suva Fiji Islands
- Charles Heaphy
- Sealord Group Ltd. Nelson New Zealand
- Jan Geert Hiddink
- School of Ocean Sciences Bangor University Menai Bridge UK
- Gilles Hosch
- Diatom Consulting Ltd. Luxembourg Luxembourg
- Daniel Kachelriess
- Independent Expert Vienna Austria
- Jeff Kinch
- Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations Apia Samoa
- Alana Malinde S. N. Lancaster
- Faculty of Law, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus Bridgetown, West Indies Barbados
- Frédéric Le Manach
- BLOOM Paris France
- Thomas Matthews
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Marathon Florida USA
- Alfonso Medellín Ortiz
- Independent Expert Merida Yucatan Mexico
- Alexia Morgan
- Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Honolulu Hawaii USA
- Helena Motta
- Astreopora, Lda, Rua B Guachene Katembe Maputo Mozambique
- Hilario Murua
- International Seafood Sustainability Foundation Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USA
- Naveen Namboothri
- Dakshin Foundation Bengaluru Karnataka India
- Evelyne Ndiritu
- Coastal Oceans Research and Development in the Indian Ocean (CORDIO East Africa) Mombasa Kenya
- Kelvin Passfield
- Te Ipukarea Society Tupapa Rarotonga Cook Islands
- Nicolas J. Pilcher
- Marine Research Foundation Kota Kinabalu Sabah Malaysia
- James O. Portus
- Chair Scallop Industry Consultation Group Liverton, Newton Abbot UK
- Juan M. Rguez‐Baron
- JUSTSEA Foundation Bogota Colombia
- Morven Robertson
- Esmée Fairbairn Foundation London UK
- Abhilasha Sharma
- Dakshin Foundation Bengaluru Karnataka India
- Cristián G. Suazo
- Albatross Task Force BirdLife International Puerto Montt Chile
- Leandro Luis Tamini
- Programa Marino Aves Argentinas Matheu Buenos Aires Argentina
- Juan Vilata‐Simón
- Independent Expert Valencia Spain
- Nibedita Mukherjee
- Department of Social and Political Sciences Brunel University London Uxbridge UK
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.13015
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 17,
no. 3
pp. n/a – n/a
Abstract
Abstract Numerous policy and international frameworks consider that “destructive fishing” hampers efforts to reach sustainability goals. Though ubiquitous, “destructive fishing” is undefined and therefore currently immeasurable. Here we propose a definition developed through expert consultation: “Destructive fishing is any fishing practice that causes irrecoverable habitat degradation, or which causes significant adverse environmental impacts, results in long‐term declines in target or nontarget species beyond biologically safe limits and has negative livelihood impacts.” We show strong stakeholder support for a definition, consensus on many biological and ecological dimensions, and no clustering of respondents from different sectors. Our consensus definition is a significant step toward defining sustainable fisheries goals and will help interpret and implement global political commitments which utilize the term “destructive fishing.” Our definition and results will help reinforce the Food and Agricultural Organization's Code of Conduct and meaningfully support member countries to prohibit destructive fishing practices.
Keywords
