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Global review of orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus), their fisheries, biology and management

Year of publication 2018

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 130 p.

Author Tingley, G. ; Dunn, M. (eds)

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Book (stand-alone)

ISBN 978-92-5-131023-6

Series title FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Papers

Series number No. 622 - T622

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) This publication is intended to provide a range of stakeholders and interested parties with an understanding of orange roughy fisheries around the world. The report covers historical aspects of the regional development of orange roughy fisheries, biology, stock assessment, ecosystem interactions, and key management issues. Recent developments in science and approaches to management are specifically highlighted with respect to future management of sustainable deepwater orange roughy fisheries. The sustainability of orange roughy fisheries, or other fisheries for long-lived deepwater species, has been widely discussed. These reviews invariably draw on the common global experience of previous poor understanding about orange roughy productivity, rapid development of targeted industrial fisheries, the associated likelihood of overfishing and extended timescales for stock recovery, and an ensuing series of “boom and bust” orange roughy fisheries that frequently resulted in depleted stocks. The more recent experience, with greater knowledge, improved technology, better approaches to modelling population dynamics in orange roughy, and a more considered and robust approach to setting up the management framework (harvest strategy, management strategy evaluation, appropriately estimated limit and target reference points or ranges, and effective harvest control rules), provides a different paradigm. Essentially, many of the assumptions about the unmanageability of these fisheries are not supported by the more recent evidence. Provided appropriate steps are taken to set and deliver a low and appropriate level of fishing mortality, orange roughy fisheries can be both well managed and sustainable. The improved understanding of the productivity and population response of orange roughy now provides a basis for better estimating yields and fishery value that are both more realistic and compatible with sustainable fisheries. It is also of note that the regional fisheries management organizations that have the largest stocks and fisheries for orange roughy – the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement and the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation – have been ramping up their efforts to manage the fishing for the target species and at the same time address the benthic and vulnerable marine ecosystem impacts of bottom fishing through developing science-based, spatial management. While there is still considerable discussion and opposed viewpoints on the sustainability of deepwater fisheries generally, aspects of the message have clearly changed: sustainable orange roughy fisheries are achievable. This review describes how, by making the right choices and employing the best science available, there are now some demonstrably sustainable orange roughy fisheries. Even with this rather more positive perspective of the sustainability of these deepwater orange roughy fisheries, there remain some considerable challenges to address. These include improving understanding of deepwater benthic communities in general, their genetics and population distributions, their dispersal, and their ability to recover from fisheries (and other) impacts. With regard to the direct management of the fisheries, there are important opportunities and needs to improve ageing and acoustic biomass estimation, and to better understand the genetics and population structure of the stocks of orange roughy that are fished and managed.

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