Marine capture fisheries in African Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs) are important from economic, cultural, social, and food provision perspectives. These African fisheries have a long history of high exploitation in the context of data-limited situations. There is a growing, global movement (both in terms of management requirements and scientific efforts) to develop measures of ecosystem overfishing (EOF) that detect overfishing of an entire ecosystem using readily available data and based on widely repeatable patterns. These EOF indicators extend the thinking beyond single stock overfishing to an entire ecosystem and are largely based on well-established trophic theory. Moreover, they need to be germane for data limited situations, easily interpretable, and simple to calculate. Here we introduce and present the results of several of these indicators—the Ryther index, Fogarty index, and Friedland index—as well as indices based on cumulative biomass-Trophic Level curve parameters for eight African LMEs. Significantly, all these EOF indicators also have thresholds beyond which EOF is indicated, particularly when coupled with other evidence. These thresholds were applied to the African LME EOF indicators to determine the degree to which EOF may be occurring. Five out of eight African LMEs exhibited symptoms of EOF, one with significant EOF, with at least one LME still currently experiencing EOF, and three more that may be close to EOF thresholds. One LME exhibited evidence of recovering trends. Additionally, EOF indicators detected changes in the LMEs five-ten years prior to major impacts that would be identified by piecing together fishing impacts on a stock-by-stock basis. We conclude that if EOF is detected, at the very least these relative simple measures should be monitored and means to mitigate total fishing pressure in an ecosystem should be explored.

从经济，文化，社会和粮食供应的角度来看，非洲大型海洋生态系统（LME）中的海洋捕捞渔业很重要。这些非洲渔业在数据有限的情况下有着悠久的高开发历史。越来越多的全球运动（包括管理要求和科学努力）制定了生态系统过度捕捞（EOF）措施，以检测整个生态系统的过度捕捞。使用现成的数据并基于可重复的模式。这些EOF指标将思考范围从单一种群过度捕捞扩展到整个生态系统，并且很大程度上基于完善的营养理论。此外，它们需要与数据受限情况密切相关，易于解释且易于计算。在这里，我们介绍并介绍了其中一些指标的结果，包括Ryther指数，Fogarty指数和Friedland指数，以及基于八个非洲LME的累积生物量-营养级曲线参数的指数。值得注意的是，所有这些EOF指标都具有指示EOF的阈值，特别是与其他证据结合使用时。将这些阈值应用于非洲LME EOF指标，以确定EOF可能发生的程度。8个非洲LME中有5个表现出EOF症状，其中1个表现出明显的EOF，目前至少1个LME仍在经历EOF，另外3个可能接近EOF阈值。一位伦敦金属交易所（LME）显示出复苏趋势的证据。此外，EOF指标在重大影响发生之前的五年内检测到了LME的变化，可以通过逐个种群地将捕捞影响汇总在一起来确定重大影响。我们得出的结论是，如果检测到EOF，则至少应监视这些相对简单的措施，并应探索减轻生态系统中总捕捞压力的手段。EOF指标在重大影响发生之前的五年中检测到了LME的变化，可以通过逐个种群地将捕捞影响汇总在一起来确定。我们得出的结论是，如果检测到EOF，则至少应监视这些相对简单的措施，并应探索减轻生态系统中总捕捞压力的手段。EOF指标在重大影响发生之前的五年中检测到了LME的变化，可以通过逐个种群地将捕捞影响汇总在一起来确定。我们得出的结论是，如果检测到EOF，则至少应监视这些相对简单的措施，并应探索减轻生态系统中总捕捞压力的手段。