Thursday
March 6, 2008
4:30-5:30 pm
102 Fishery Sciences
(auditorium)
Social follows talk
Fishery Ecologist, Institute for Research and Development, France; Director, Upwelling Ecosystem Program
Small pelagic fish contribute up to 50% of the total landing of marine species. They are most abundant in upwelling areas and contribute to food security. Exploited stocks of these species are prone to large interannual and interdecadal variation of abundance as well as to collapse. We discuss why small pelagic fish and fisheries are so “special” with regard to their biology, ecology, and behavior. Two adjectives can sum up the characteristics of pelagic species: variability and instability. Analyses of the relationships between small pelagic fish and their physical environment at different time-scales illustrate the complexity of the interplay between exploitation and environmental impacts. How small pelagic fish species are positioned and related within the trophic web suggests that these species play a central role in the functioning and dynamics of upwelling ecosystems. Finally, we discuss the sustainable exploitation of small pelagic fisheries through appropriate management, focusing on the resilience to exploitation, overcapacity a comparison of different management options and regulatory mechanisms. We propose a two-level (short- and long-term) management strategy and discuss its statistical, socio-economical, and political merits.
The talk will present examples from different upwelling ecosystems around the world. It will be subdivided in four sections:
Pierre Fréon has worked for the Research Institute for Development (IRD) for the past 33 years. His research has led to important findings in the area of small pelagic fishes. Pierre currently is leading the Upwelling Ecosystems international program involving 80 scientists mainly from France, South Africa, Peru and Morocco.
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