Fishing for Compliments

Marine biologists have urged the creation of ocean reserves for decades – for both environmental and economic reasons. Overfishing occurs in areas without restrictions, with catches including increasing numbers of young fish that have not yet produced offspring and other unsustainable practices. Reserves, though, mark part of the ocean as off-limits for all or part of the year to fishermen. Such restrictions give fish populations a place to mature and then spawn offspring. Because older fish lay more eggs, those who survive in the sanctuary for longer periods of time produce more offspring that eventually leave the reserve and end up as extra bounty for fishermen. This “spill-over effect” from reserves has led to huge gains in fishing industries in St Lucia, Florida, and Sicily. Though many fishing communities suffer from depleting catches, a global “network of reserves” has the potential to unite conservationists, politicians and fishermen and save world fishing industries. Global environmental issues such as this one rarely have such promising and relatively simple solutions. – YaleGlobal