Socio-economic impacts and responses of the fishing industry and fishery managers to changes in small pelagic fish distribution and abundance
Abstract Small Pelagic Fish (SPF) exhibit large fluctuations in abundance and distribution in response to environmental variability. To maintain the resilience of fishing communities and develop effective and equitable climate adaptation strategies, improved understanding of how the fishing industry responds to spatio-temporal shifts within and across SPF populations is of critical importance. In this paper, we examine the responses of the fishing industry and resource managers to shifts in SPF availability worldwide and identify the resulting socioeconomic impacts. Leveraging SPF case studies from around the globe, we synthesize and compare the social-ecological linkages and feedbacks mediating how SPF fisheries respond to changes in marine ecosystem structure and function associated with (1) spatial shifts in species distribution and habitat availability, (2) ‘boom and bust’ population dynamics, or (3) changes in fish size and quality. Our case studies illustrate multiple paths towards the resilience of small pelagic fisheries and the fishing industry dependent upon them while emphasizing the need for increased coordination and cooperation across sectors and scales as climate change progresses. Drawing from the lessons offered by historical responses, as environmental variability increases, efforts to increase the flexibility and dynamism of SPF harvest portfolios and management strategies, licensing regimes, and international catch and allocation agreements may be required to ensure resource sustainability and human well-being.
Authors
- Stephen M. Stohs (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6118-4515)
- Robert P. Wildermuth (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4539-9321)
- Michael R. Spence (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8754-4518)
- Jennifer Beckensteiner (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3811-6506)
- Ray Mroch
- Amy M. Schueller
- Timothy H. Frawley (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4477-6567)
- Leire Ibaibarriaga (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5619-1174)
- M. R. Baker (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2501-181X)
- Pierre‐Yves Hernvann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0369-7857)
- Laura Wise (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7819-7371)
- Désirée Tommasi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4027-6047)
- Carryn de Moor
- Diana Feijó (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7441-2751)
- Concepción Enciso-Enciso (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8014-6370)
- Cecilie Hansen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0291-2428)
- Sonia Sánchez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0772-5891)
- Domenico Ciorciaro
- Hiroyuki Kurota (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8352-455X)
- Dorleta García (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5090-4054)
- Timothée Brochier (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6648-0516)
- Ricardo Oliveros‐Ramos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8069-2101)
- Isaac C. Kaplan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8748-329X)
- Felipe J. Quezada-Escalona
- Sidi Ahmed Hemed
Institutions
- NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (US)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (BJ)
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US)
- Ifremer (FR)
- University of Cape Town (ZA)
- University of Concepción (CL)
- Parthenope University of Naples (IT)
- University of California, Santa Cruz (US)
- Université de Montpellier (FR)
- University of Washington (US)
- Portuguese Sea and Atmosphere Institute (PT)
- Norwegian Institute of Marine Research (NO)
- Sorbonne Université (FR)
- Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (FR)
- Euskadiko Parke Teknologikoa (ES)
- AZTI (ES)
- Portuguese Sea and Atmosphere Institute (PT)
- Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (ES)
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (SN)
- NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Alaska Fisheries Science Center (US)
- NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Southwest Fisheries Science Center (US)
- Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency (JP)
- NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Fisheries Science Center (US)
- Marine Biodiversity Exploitation and Conservation (FR)
- Gouvernement de la Nouvelle-Calédonie (NC)
- Institut Mauritanien de Recherches Océanographiques et des Pêches (MR)
- Marine Technology Unit (ES)
- Unité de Modélisation Mathématique et Informatique des Systèmes Complexes (FR)
- Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer (FR)
- Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Environnement Marin (FR)
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (FR)
- NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Northwest Fisheries Science Center (US)
- AMURE - Centre de droit et d'économie de la mer (FR)
- L'Institut Agro (FR)
- Universidade de Vigo (ES)
- Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (MX)
- Technical University of Denmark (DK)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries
- Published
- 2025-04-29
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-025-09949-4
- Citations
- 4
- Primary Topic
- Marine and fisheries research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 4.42
Funders
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration