New research by scientists has found that overfishing is threatening coral reef fisheries in East Africa.
The research has found that overfishing is affecting the sustainability of these reefs, leaving many small-scale fishermen completely out of pocket.
The new study casts doubt over the current approach to fisheries management, which targets fast-growing schooling species with the assumption that other species will look after themselves as a byproduct. The findings suggest that this may not be the case, and it is more effective to consider the entire fish community as a whole.
According to one of the study’s authors, University of Rhode Island Associate Professor Austin Humphries:
“A key finding of our study is that current catches landed by local fishers are missing a significant portion of the fish that historically would be caught. The disappearance of these key fish – like snappers, unicorn fish, sweetlips, goatfish, and soldierfish – means coastal communities lose food. These diverse species provide essential proteins and micronutrients that aren’t easily replaced, threatening both food security and the livelihoods of fishing families.”
Discussing the research in Kenya, Jesse Kosgei, a research scientist with WCS Kenya’s Marine Program, stated:
“Many of the vulnerable species lost to fishing were social, schooling fish that often have high natural mortality and contribute significantly to total yields, while the resilient species were solitary. We found that yields were higher where schooling species were present in local fish catch, which was in managed areas that restrict some types of fishing gear. Reducing use of gillnets and spearguns that capture mostly schooling fish could help rebuild fish populations and sustain future catches.”
While Dr. Tim McClanahan, the study’s lead author and Director of Science for the WCS Global Marine Program, added:
“There has been bits of evidence and hope among fisheries biologists that fishing resilient species that are highly productive can compensate for losses of fishing vulnerable species. But our findings show that nearly 50% of potential fisheries production is lost when previously-caught species disappear. This finding argues for maintaining all or most species, and not to estimate sustainability from a few resilient target species.”
You can find the original research here.
