Deep-Sea Fisheries: Perspectives and Lessons

Abstract

Although some deep-sea fisheries have existed since the 1500s, in the present day they have grown mostly in response to the collapse of the once great continental shelf fisheries. The ecological principles that pertain to life generally in the deep-sea are reasonably well known, but detailed life history information about individual species is only now accumulating. In many cases, heavy exploitation of deep-sea fishes has preceded such knowledge. A result is that populations, and their attributes, may be much changed from their original state by the time the science gets done. For rational use and conservation of exploited deep-sea fishes, a holistic perspective based on general ecological knowledge of the deep-sea is required. Rather than resorting to the classical approaches of fishery management, a willingness to apply ecosystem, precautionary, and “data-less” management for deep-sea fisheries could help assure their future. The information required exists in the accumulated knowledge of fishermen.