Fish Population Dynamic and Stock Assessment

10.4.6. Regulation of a large oceanic fishery

At the other extreme in terms of complexity, time required, and cost is regulation of a large oceanic fishery. Regulation for conservation that is required by the new law of the sea must be based on continuing scientific assessment of the condition of each stock and the effects of fishing on it. Regulation must be consistent on the part of all political entities that share in the fishing (most large oceanic stocks migrate across political boundaries) and, in addition, regulation must meet all of the normal needs of flexibility according to the variations in social and environmental conditions, enforceability in all jurisdictions, and practicality within organizational and budgetary restraints.

The government must not only act in the interest of the fishermen, but it also must be perceived to do so. It must know the condition of the fish stocks and their environment, protect them from abuse, and allocate them fairly. The allocations involve use of the water for all its competing purposes as well as use of the fish stocks by all kinds of fishermen.

The resource information base for such regulation may vary from collection of fishermen’s opinions about trends in catches to continuing statistical systems such as routine “creel” sampling in the field or an annual report required as a condition of a license. The stocks are usually far too numerous to permit individual attention, and the role of the fishery scientist is usually judgmental rather than analytical. Detailed field studies of sample stocks may be undertaken and used as a guide to regulation of a group of similar stocks.