Stock assessment in inland fisheries: a foundation for sustainable use and conservation

K. Lorenzen, I. G. Cowx, R. E.M. Entsua-Mensah, N. P. Lester, J. D. Koehn, R. G. Randall, N. So, S. A. Bonar, D. B. Bunnell, P. Venturelli, S. D. Bower, S. J. Cooke

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

90 Scopus citations

Abstract

Fisheries stock assessments are essential for science-based fisheries management. Inland fisheries pose challenges, but also provide opportunities for biological assessments that differ from those encountered in large marine fisheries for which many of our assessment methods have been developed. These include the number and diversity of fisheries, high levels of ecological and environmental variation, and relative lack of institutional capacity for assessment. In addition, anthropogenic impacts on habitats, widespread presence of non-native species and the frequent use of enhancement and restoration measures such as stocking affect stock dynamics. This paper outlines various stock assessment and data collection approaches that can be adapted to a wide range of different inland fisheries and management challenges. Although this paper identifies challenges in assessment, it focuses on solutions that are practical, scalable and transferrable. A path forward is suggested in which biological assessment generates some of the critical information needed by fisheries managers to make effective decisions that benefit the resource and stakeholders.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)405-440
Number of pages36
JournalReviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries
Volume26
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 1 2016

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This paper evolved from the discussions at the Biological Assessment Panel of the UN FAO/Michigan State University World Inland Fisheries Conference. We acknowledge the vision of William Taylor, Devin Bartley and other members of the organizing committee in putting this meeting together. Lorenzen is partially supported by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Cooke is supported by the Canada Research Chairs program, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and Carleton University. Cooke and Bower are further supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council via the Too Big to Ignore Network. This article is Contribution 2049 of the U.S. Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2016, Springer International Publishing Switzerland.

Keywords

  • Assessment tools
  • Fisheries management
  • Inland fisheries
  • Sustainable fisheries

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Stock assessment in inland fisheries: a foundation for sustainable use and conservation'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this