NJ in a Global Context

Olaf Jensen Rutgers University Outline

• Global marine fisheries

• Status and trends

• Black Sea Bass What I mean by a “” What I mean by a “fishery” • A social-ecological system organized around the harvest of wild marine/aquatic fish or invertebrates for use by humans.

Management Fishermen Fish “stocks” Top 10 world fisheries (weight of landings) What I mean by a “fishery” • A social-ecological system organized around the harvest of wild marine/aquatic fish or invertebrates for use by humans.

Management Fishermen Fish “stocks” Top 10 world fisheries (weight of landings)

FAO 2006 World fishery landings peaked in the 1980s

FAO 2006 World fishery landings peaked in the 1980s

FAO 2006

…it seems unlikely that the potential sustained yield of fish to man is appreciably greater than 100 million tons. - Ryther 1969, Science

Illegal, Unreported, Unregulated (IUU) catches and discards are large effort and demand for continue to grow • 4 million fishing vessels • landings worth 84.9 billion USD • 2.6 billion people rely on fish for >20% of their animal protein (1/3 of global population) Fishing effort and demand for seafood continue to grow • 4 million fishing vessels • landings worth 84.9 billion USD • 2.6 billion people rely on fish for >20% of their animal protein (1/3 of global population)

FAO 2006 Impacts of fishing Impacts of fishing

NEW TARGET

OLD TARGET Catch Catch Impacts of fishing Impacts of fishing

NEW TARGET

OLD TARGET Biomass Biomass Catch Catch Impacts of fishing Impacts of fishing

NEW TARGET

OLD TARGET Species Species Collapsed Biomass Catch Catch Worm et al. (2006) Science 314:787-790 ALL FISH GONE BY 2048

Worm et al. (2006) Science 314:787-790 Source: Time magazine, November 2006

Outline

• Global marine fisheries

• Status and trends

• Black Sea Bass What are the current status and trends of fisheries around the world? A global stock assessment database Stock status worldwide

Worm et al. 2009 Science Stock status worldwide Emergency Room

Worm et al. 2009 Science Stock status worldwide Emergency Room

Recovery Room

Worm et al. 2009 Science Stock status worldwide Emergency Room

Recovery Room

Worm et al. 2009 Science Stock status worldwide Emergency Room

Recovery Room

Worm et al. 2009 Science Stock status worldwide

• 166 stocks • 63% below MSY target • 65% fished at rates below

UMSY

Worm et al. 2009 Science

Stock status – selected regions

updated – 241 United States Europe assessments

New Zealand Canada

Ricard et al. 2012

Declining fishing rate and signs of rebuilding • 7 of 10 regions at or below fishing rate that yields MSY

• Higher fishing rates in Europe • Biomass still low in most regions • Signs of rebuilding in: – California – Northeast U.S.? – Iceland A New Consensus

• has depleted a significant number of stocks and ecosystems • Solution: reduce fishing pressure to achieve better economic and ecological outcomes • New focus on restoring biodiversity, rebuilding fisheries • High seas and less developed countries remain great challenges Impacts of fishing

Catch

Biomass

Collapsed Species Impacts of fishing

Catch

Biomass

Collapsed OLD TARGET TARGET OLD Species Impacts of fishing

Catch

Biomass

NEW TARGET TARGET NEW Collapsed OLD TARGET TARGET OLD Species Outline

• Global marine fisheries

• Status and trends

• Black Sea Bass New Jersey Fisheries

• Commercial landings in NJ worth about $150 million per year • Cape May – Wildwood is the 8th most important fishing port in the U.S. (by value) • Recreational anglers: 1.2 million in NJ • impact: $1.6 billion annually New Jersey Fisheries Black sea bass protogynous hermaphrodites

Female Male Sex ratio Sex ratio Sex ratio

1 2 3 4 5 Rutgers BSB study Black sea bass tagging

Moser and Shepherd 2009 Black sea bass tagging

Moser and Shepherd 2009 How you can help Acknowledgments

• NCEAS working group participants • Dan Ricard, Coilin Minto, Julia Baum, Malin Pinsky (database development and analysis) • , Liz Neeley, Trevor Branch (presentation slides) • Rainer Froese (FishBase) • Reg Watson (Sea Around Us Project) • Database contributors • NCEAS and David H. Smith Conservation Research Fellowship Questions?