Maintenance and recovery of reef fishery productivity

Summary

Non-conventional methods to maintain and restore reef fishery productivity include protecting fishery habitats, hatchery releases, artificial reefs, introduction of exotic species, habitat restoration and marine fishery reserves. I conclude that it is far better to prevent overfishing and stock collapse in the first place than to have to rebuild fishery productivity later. The most important strategies to prevent loss of fishery productivity are switching to less destructive fishing methods, preventing destruction of fishery habitats and protecting some areas by establishment of marine fishery reserves. If fisheries must be rebuilt, habitat restoration and marine reserves appear to be the more promising alternatives over the long term. Except for unique circumstances, deployment of artificial reefs and release of hatchery-raised organisms have less potential for retrieving lost fishery productivity. Because of unpredictable consequences and the general inability to correct mistakes, the introduction of exotic organisms is the least favoured alternative for rebuilding fishery productivity.