Fish stocks are resilient and may recover from overfishing, but only if the harvesting stops at the first sign of depletion, according to a new study published in the journal Science.
If the overfishing goes on for too long though, the stock may never recover. An example is the cod stocks off Canada’s Atlantic coast that were so overfished for so long they are not likely to ever come back, says Prof. Jeff Hutchings, biology professor at Dalhousie University in Canada’s eastern province of Nova Scotia.
The ecosystem has changed dramatically it could be the area is no longer suitable for the cod, he suggests. Climate change too has increased the temperature of the ocean.
The fish are surprisingly resilient and that is the good news says Hutchings. “This study provides probably the most comprehensive scientifically-based inducement…for governments to take strong and meaningful action to cut fishing catches at the first signs of overexploitation. It’s important because the sooner you take action and the more meaningful the action, the better the chances of recovery and the sooner you obtain recovery or the rebuilding of overfished stocks then you’re increasing food supply, you’re increasing food security on the national level, you’re increasing employment for individuals, you’re increasing the amount of protein available to the world.”
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