All animals must acquire food to grow, but there is a vast diversity in how different species and even different individuals approach and achieve this task. Individuals within a species appear to fall along a bold-shy continuum, whereby some fish acquire food aggressively and with seemingly high risk, while others appear more submissive and opportunistic. Greater food consumption generally results

Fisheries are supposed to be for the benefit of society, producing food, providing livelihoods and enabling cultural continuity. Biological productivity goals for fish stocks operationalised through Harvest Control Rules (HCRs) are central to contemporary fisheries management. While fisheries policies often state socio-economic objectives, such as enhancing the livelihoods of coastal communities, those

Sharks and rays evolved 450 million years ago, during the Late Ordovician Period. However, during the modern Anthropocene, shark populations have declined at considerable rates, and recent global assessments indicate about one in three species is threatened with extinction. A notable reason for this elevated extinction risk is overfishing linked to increased demand for shark fins and other products

Malick, M. J., Losee, J. P., Marston, G., Agha, M., Berejikian, B. A., Beckman, B. R., & Cooper, M. (2023). Fecundity trends of Chinook salmon in the Pacific northwest. Fish and Fisheries, 24, 454–465. In the above article, the authors would like to add a second affiliation to co-author James P. Losee and to update the spelling of the word ‘Oncorhynchus’ in the Abstract and Introduction sections. The

While populations of other migratory salmonids suffer in the Anthropocene, pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbusca Salmonidae) are thriving, and their distribution is expanding both within their natural range and in the Atlantic and Arctic following introduction of the species to the White Sea in the 1950s. Pink salmon are now rapidly spreading in Europe and even across the ocean to North America. Large

Reliable stock assessments are essential for successful and sustainable fisheries management. Advanced stock assessment methods are expensive, as they require age- or length-structured catch and detailed fishery-independent data, which prevents their widespread use, especially in developing regions. Furthermore, modern fisheries management increasingly includes socio-economic considerations. Integrated

The status of federally managed fisheries in the United States is well monitored, but the condition of other marine fisheries, whether state-managed, territory-managed or unmanaged, is less understood and often unknown. We used expert surveys to characterize the management systems of non-federally managed fisheries in US coastal marine states and overseas territories. For 311 fisheries, we estimated

Life history theory suggests that maximum size and growth evolve to maximize fitness. In contrast, the Gill Oxygen Limitation Theory (GOLT) suggests that growth and maximum size in fishes and other aquatic, water-breathing organisms is constrained by the body mass-scaling of gill surface area. Here, we use new data and a novel phylogenetic Bayesian multilevel modelling framework to test this idea by

Scientific awareness of social learning, especially among vertebrates, has expanded rapidly in recent decades. That literature suggests that social learning may be a second adaptive mechanism that interacts with and refines genetic adaptation. For an individual fish, learning from others reduces the costs of acquiring experience-based behaviours and minimizes the hazards that arise from imperfect knowledge

The marine ecosystems around Japan are very productive and have typical wasp-waist structure dominated by small pelagic fishes such as sardine, exhibiting large low-frequency fluctuations in biomass. Whereas studies on the variability in abundance of individual species such as sardine and anchovy are popular, only a few studies focused on the long-term variability of fish assemblage around Japan. In

Total allowable catch restrictions (hereafter referred to as catch quotas) play an important role in maintaining healthy fish stocks. While studies have identified a positive relationship between catch quota implementation and improved stock status, these methods are subject to selection bias as catch quotas are typically applied to stocks that are depleted. We address this challenge using the synthetic

Marine heatwaves are increasingly affecting marine ecosystems, with cascading impacts on coastal economies, communities, and food systems. Studies of heatwaves provide crucial insights into potential ecosystem shifts under future climate change and put fisheries social-ecological systems through “stress tests” that expose both vulnerabilities and resilience. The 2014–16 Northeast Pacific heatwave was

Ernst Weber stated in 1819, based on dissections, that the swimbladder in the European wels (Silurus glanis, Siluridae) and related cyprinids serves as an eardrum and that the ossicles connecting it to the inner ear function as hearing ossicles similar to mammals. In the early 20th century, K. von Frisch showed experimentally that catfishes and cyprinids (otophysines) indeed hear excellently compared

Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, Salmonidae) are foundational to social-ecological systems of the Northeast Pacific Rim and exhibit a rich diversity of life histories including in their adult migration timing, age at critical life-history transitions and marine feeding distributions. In recent decades Chinook have experienced declines across much of their native range; however, changes in

Advocates, practitioners and policy-makers continue to use and advocate for marine protected areas (MPAs) to meet global ocean protection targets. Yet many of the worlds MPAs, and especially no-take MPAs, are plagued by poaching and ineffective governance. Using a global dataset on coral reefs as an example, we quantify the potential ecological gains of governing MPAs to increase compliance, which

Corrigendum to ‘Saving large fish through harvest slots outperforms the classical minimum-length limit when the aim is to achieve multiple harvest and catch-related fisheries objectives’ Ahrens, R., Allen, M. S., Walters, C., & Arlinghaus, R. (2020). Saving large fish through harvest slots outperforms the classical minimum-length limit when the aim is to achieve multiple harvest and catch-related fisheries

Attention to human dimensions of capture fisheries involves understanding how harms and benefits are experienced and distributed among different groups or people. Yet, not all harms are well understood or adequately addressed. There is a general (mis)conception that gender-based violence (GBV) is not of relevance for fisheries management or a topic within the remit of practitioners. Through a global

We present a novel adaptation of the classic discrete delay-difference model, a continuous delay-differential model (cDDM), which can adequately represent population dynamics of stocks that turn over rapidly and continuously over time (e.g., small pelagic fish, small tunas, and shrimps). We used the Northern-Central Peruvian anchoveta stock (Engraulis ringens, Engraulidae) as a case study for implementing

Individual performance defines population dynamics. Condition index – a ratio of weight and some function of length – has been louded as an indicator of individual performance and recommended as a tool in fisheries management and conservation. However, insufficient understanding of the correlation between individual-level processes and population-level responses hinders its adoption. To this end, we

We review published research on the ingress of larvae and early juveniles of marine fishes into estuaries subjected to different tidal regimes and provide perspectives on the abilities and responses of these early-life stages to the physico-chemical, hydrodynamic and biological drivers that facilitate such ingress. We focus on documenting ingress and the mechanisms employed by early-stage fishes from

Frequent fishing activities are causing overfishing, destroying the habitat of marine life, and threatening global marine biodiversity. Understanding the dynamics of fishing activities and their drivers is crucial for designing and implementing effective ocean management. The fishing activities in the open sea are reported to be characterized by high spatial variability in local waters; however, it

Early life stages of fish (eggs and larvae) are particularly vulnerable with mortality rates of up to 99% recorded for a large number of species. High mortality rates result from the limited swimming ability of larvae preventing them from escaping sub-optimal environmental conditions, predators or low prey density areas. In this context, estuaries are key nursery areas for larval and juvenile fish

Wicked problems are typically social justice and social change problems, complex and messy. They mobilize opposed views about the essential nature of the issues, their relative importance and adequate responses. We assert that illegal fishing in small-scale fisheries (SSF) can be considered a wicked problem and our aim is to test this assertion. We relied on a conceptual framework that defines wicked

Fecundity is an important demographic parameter that contributes to the productivity of anadromous fish stock dynamics. Yet, studies on fecundity patterns in Pacific salmon (Onchorhynchus spp.) often only include a few years of data, limiting our ability to understand spatio-temporal trends. Here, we used data on 43 hatchery Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha, Salmonidae) populations in Washington State

Climate change is projected to affect the productivity of global fisheries. Management based on maximum sustainable yield (MSY) has been effective at eliminating overfishing in many regions. However, continuing to use yield-maximizing targets under climate-driven changes in productivity can result in higher anthropogenic pressure on populations subject to climate-related stress than maintaining status

The Gill Oxygen Limitation Theory (GOLT) posits that a mismatch in oxygen supply and demand stemming from geometric constraints on gill surface area limits metabolic rate and energy available for biological processes. This theory has been suggested to explain numerous phenomena observed with warming yet is based upon a relationship among maximum size, growth, and gill surface area established over

The implementation of ecosystem management requires ecosystem modelling within the context of a natural resource management process. Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) is the most widely used modelling platform for investigating the dynamics of marine ecosystems, but has played a limited role in fisheries management and in multi-sector resource decision-making. We review 10 case studies that demonstrate the

Intertidal habitats (i.e. marine habitats that are (partially) exposed during low tide) have traditionally been studied from a shorebird-centred perspective. We show that these habitats are accessible and important to marine predators such as elasmobranchs (i.e. sharks and rays). Our synthesis shows that at least 43 shark and 45 ray species, of which 54.5% are currently threatened, use intertidal habitats

Density dependence is likely to act as a regulatory mechanism in fish stocks that are recovering from overfishing. In general, density dependence in fish stocks is assumed to only occur in reproduction and early life stages and is therefore usually modelled as a stock-recruitment relationship. Recent research shows that density dependence can also reduce individual growth in body size later in life

The use of anaesthetic agents has been increasing to address the welfare needs of different fish species in scientific and aquaculture practices. MS-222 is the most used synthetic anaesthetic but some limitations and side effects have been reported. Natural substances have been used as potential substitutes with clove oil playing an important role due to its eugenol content. Yet, other monoterpenes

Fisheries managers are in need of quantitative tools to inform decisions regarding selection of robust management practices, prioritising research gaps and stocks to focus on, particularly where there are limited resources or data. To support these decisions, the use of Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE), that is, closed loop simulation-testing of management procedures, is widely regarded as best

The reproductive success of marine ectotherms is especially vulnerable in warming oceans due to alterations in adult physiology, as well as embryonic and larval survival prospects. These vital responses may, however, differ considerably across the species' geographical distribution. Here we investigated the life history, focusing on reproductive ecology, of three spatially distant populations (stocks)

This paper investigates the ethical values, moral principles, methods and reform proposals in aquaculture ethics scholarship to develop a comprehensive and balanced list of aquaculture ethical principles. A Systematic Quantitative Literature Review methodology is employed to parse 150 journal articles on aquaculture ethics. Methodologies, specific ethical values, broad principles, recommended reforms

Inland waters support the livelihoods of up to 820 million people and provide fisheries that make an essential contribution towards food security, particularly in the developing world where 90% of inland fisheries catch is consumed. Despite their importance, inland fisheries are overlooked in favour of other water use sectors deemed more economically important. Inland fisheries are also driven by external

Successful fisheries management systems tend to be underpinned by harvest strategies, specifying formally agreed data collection systems, assessment approaches and management measures used to regulate fishing pressure. While harvest strategies can be effective even in data- and capacity-limited (DCL) situations, their development remains challenging in such contexts. We present a process and decision-support

Climate change is altering the productivity of marine fisheries and challenging the effectiveness of historical fisheries management. Harvest control rules, which describe the process for determining catch limits in fisheries, represent one pathway for promoting climate resilience. In the USA, flexibility in how regional management councils specify harvest control rules has spawned diverse approaches

Fisheries management needs to ensure that resources are exploited sustainably, and the risk of depletion is at an acceptable level. However, often uncertainty about resource dynamics exists, and data availability may differ substantially between fish stocks. This situation can be addressed through tiered systems, where tiers represent different data limitations, and tier-specific stock assessment methods

Recreational anglers have been key players in aquatic conservation, but this role is increasingly obscured. Other environmental sectors are now more visible stakeholders engaged with biodiversity. Recreational fishing has relevant environmental and moral implications, but these can be resolved via improved governance and management. More difficult is replacing the stewardship capacity provided by anglers

The management of natural resources is currently more challenging than ever before. Climate change and human population growth pose a threat to marine ecosystems as we know them. In order to preserve ecosystems, biodiversity and ecosystem services, management of biological resources must adopt a holistic strategy. Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) enables this by managing natural resources

Behavioural thermoregulation enables ectotherms to access habitats providing conditions within their temperature optima, especially in periods of extreme thermal conditions, through adjustments to their behaviours that provide a “whole-body” response to temperature changes. Although freshwater fish have been detected as moving in response to temperature changes to access habitats that provide their

Fisheries are damaging and seemingly incompatible with the conservation of marine ecosystems. Yet fish are an important source of food and support the lives of many people in coastal communities. This paper considers an idea that a moderate intensity of fishing, appropriately scaled across species, could help in maintaining biodiversity, rather than reducing it. The scaling comes from an intuition

Mass mortality events are ubiquitous in nature and can be caused by, for example, diseases, extreme weather and human perturbations such as contamination. Despite being prevalent and rising globally, how mass mortality in early life causes population-level effects such as reduced total population biomass, is not fully explored. In particular for fish, mass mortality affecting early life may be dampened

Ecological niche models (ENMs) and species distribution models (SDMs) have been widely applied to various studies relevant to biogeography, conservation biology, and ecology. These modelling techniques seek to develop spatial maps for projecting, among others past, current, and future species distributions. Born in the field of terrestrial ecology, only in recent years have these models been applied

Fishery management frequently involves precautionary buffering for scientific uncertainty. For example, a precautionary buffer that scales with scientific uncertainty is used to calculate the acceptable biological catch downward from the overfishing limit in the US federal fishery management system. However, there is little empirical guidance to suggest how large buffers for scientific uncertainty

The incidental capture by marine fisheries as bycatch poses a global threat to pelagic sharks and rays. In large, industrialized fisheries that often operate in areas beyond national jurisdiction, at least 22 threatened species of pelagic elasmobranchs are caught as bycatch, representing the majority of megafauna bycatch in tuna fisheries. Here, we investigate (1) the efficacy of the current policies

Understanding and managing fishery selectivity to target species and desirable size are instrumental to fisheries management. China, as the world's largest producer of marine capture fisheries, has been widely perceived to possess unselective domestic fisheries. To date, this perception remains largely anecdotal and conjectural, hindering the development of evidence-based and effective management solutions

Fisheries governance systems designed to regulate fishing are often described as being highly diverse across countries. However, there is little systematic work that directly examines and describes the (dis)similarities across such systems, and how socio-political and economic contexts drive such variation at a global scale. In this paper, we use 68 indicators from a novel dataset to examine the fisheries

Diversification within fisheries operations can serve as an important form of self-insurance against natural, regulatory and market risks to fishers' livelihoods. Diversification can take many forms, and yet the literature has primarily emphasised diversification across species to the exclusion of spatial and temporal dimensions of diversification. We analyse trends in diversification across species

Many marine species are shifting their distributions in response to changing ocean conditions, posing significant challenges and risks for fisheries management. Species distribution models (SDMs) are used to project future species distributions in the face of a changing climate. Information to fit SDMs generally comes from two main sources: fishery-independent (scientific surveys) and fishery-dependent

The concept of a ‘vertical ambush corridor’ is herein introduced to marine ecosystem science. In the open ocean, adequate physical cover from which to launch an unanticipated ambush attack is generally lacking. An available alternative is for a predator to channel its attack vertically upward from below, rendering an unlighted approaching predator extremely difficult for a downward viewing potential

Non-stationary driver-response relationships are increasingly being recognized by scientists, underlining that a paradigm shift out of conventional stationary relationships is crucial. Japanese sardine (Sardinops melanostictus, Clupeidae) is a typical small pelagic fish in the northwestern Pacific with considerable fluctuations in productivity, bringing about great economic and ecological concerns

Fishes include some of the most threatened vertebrate species globally. As such, efforts to effectively conserve and manage fish populations and their habitats are vast. Here, we present conceptual tools from behavioural ecology to establish a framework for studies of fish conservation and management, connecting questions relevant to managers and practitioners with behavioural theories and methodologies

To prevent the overfishing of marine fish populations, governments often limit fishing access through the allocation of fishing opportunities. While some studies have linked particular systems of fishing opportunities to sustainable outcomes (particularly individual transferable quota), it remains unclear whether it is the use of exclusive access (individual allocation), the use of a market (tradability)

Microplastic debris is a globally ubiquitous pollutant with diverse consequences for fishes, ranging from severe negative impacts to neutral, or even, positive effects. In the present study, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental and observational studies to test for the impacts of microplastic exposure on freshwater, estuarine and marine fishes across diverse taxonomies

Identifying the source of seafood is critical for combatting seafood fraud, but current tools are predominantly developed and applied on a species-specific basis. This study investigates how multiple marine taxa could be geolocated at global scales by exploiting stable oxygen isotope compositions in carbonate biominerals (δ18Obiomin), where we expect to see universally expressed and predictable spatial

CONFLICT OF INTEREST There are no conflicts of interest.

Beverton & Holt's (1957) functional definition of maturity in fish (L50), as being the size class in which 50% of individuals begin producing gametes in some proportion to body weight, is widely used in assessment models to estimate spawning stock biomass, and manage the minimum size of capture. Standardized histological techniques for estimating L50 apply physiological definitions that identify cellular

Recreational fisheries were traditionally theorized to self-regulate in a sustainable feedback loop in which recreational anglers moderate their fishing effort in response to population declines. However, several mechanisms are hypothesized to break down this self-regulatory process, including recruitment variability and depensatory population dynamics. Although many of these mechanisms of instability

Post-exercise mortality (PEM) may occur when fish exercise to exhaustion and are pushed so far beyond their physiological limits that they can no longer sustain life. Although fish exercise to overcome a variety of natural challenges, the phenomenon of PEM is most often observed as the result of interactions between fish and humans. The seminal work of Black (Can J Fish Aquat Sci, 15:573, 1958) and

Fisheries management is essential to guarantee sustainable capture of target species and avoid undesirable declines of incidentally captured species. A key challenge is halting and reversing declines of shark and ray species, and specifically assessing the degree to which management is sufficient to avoid declines in relatively data-poor fisheries. While ecological risk analyses focus on intrinsic