Against overfishing: Protect large spawners and assess stocks correctly

(Image: Pixabay CC0) - Study: The replenishment potential of exploited fish stocks is systematically overestimated To avoid overfishing the status and reproductive capacity of fish stocks are regularly determined through stock assessments. The fecundity of female fish is here an important factor. Unfortunately, many calculations contain a systematic error as the reproductive capacity of large fish is underestimated. Even worse, it is the large fish which are targeted and removed by fisheries. A recent study by an international research team including the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin shows that the replenishment potential of many fish stocks is overestimated. This increases the risk of overfishing. Especially the largest fish should be protected to a greater degree than is presently the case.