FIS
A new study by Rutgers University shows that fish species that have been overfished for decades can be brought back to health more easily than originally thought, once limits are placed on fishing.
Marine scientists reported that a fish stock’s ability to recover from overfishing is enhanced even if it has been moderately overexploited for decades, possibly allowing for a quick recovery if sensible catch limits are enforced.
Philipp Neubauer, a postdoctoral scholar, and Olaf Jensen, an assistant professor of marine and coastal sciences, claim the key is in the adaptation of fish to overfishing. They hypothesize that many overfished species have adapted to being so and mature at a younger age, letting them recover relatively quickly if limits are put on fishing to give the stock time to rebuild.
The results were published recently in the magazine Science.