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The trophic fingerprint of marine fisheries

Author

Listed:
  • Trevor A. Branch

    (School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, Box 355020, University of Washington)

  • Reg Watson

    (Sea Around Us Project, Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia)

  • Elizabeth A. Fulton

    (CSIRO Wealth from Oceans, GPO Box 1538)

  • Simon Jennings

    (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
    School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia)

  • Carey R. McGilliard

    (School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, Box 355020, University of Washington)

  • Grace T. Pablico

    (Sea Around Us Project, Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia)

  • Daniel Ricard

    (Dalhousie University)

  • Sean R. Tracey

    (Marine Research Laboratories, Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 49, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia)

Abstract

Catch-based fisheries data can mislead It is often claimed that industrial fisheries are 'fishing down marine food webs' by depleting top predators (such as tuna) before targeting their prey species (plankton feeders such as oysters and sardines). But new global data reveal little evidence for this pattern of sequential depletion, working downwards through the trophic levels of the marine ecosystem. Rather, comparison of model predictions of the widely adopted marine indicator, mean trophic level (MTL) derived from reported catches, with actual ecosystem MTL suggests that fishing has intensified throughout all levels of marine food webs. The trend can be masked by the use of data based on catches, and if we are to accurately monitor future fisheries collapses — and recoveries — we may need to shift focus from catch-based indicators to tracking true abundance trends using scientific surveys and models.

Suggested Citation

  • Trevor A. Branch & Reg Watson & Elizabeth A. Fulton & Simon Jennings & Carey R. McGilliard & Grace T. Pablico & Daniel Ricard & Sean R. Tracey, 2010. "The trophic fingerprint of marine fisheries," Nature, Nature, vol. 468(7322), pages 431-435, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:468:y:2010:i:7322:d:10.1038_nature09528
    DOI: 10.1038/nature09528
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Wilen, Christopher D. & Wilen, James E., 2012. "Fishing down the food chain revisited: Modeling exploited trophic systems," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 80-88.
    2. Marshall, K.N. & Kaplan, I.C. & Levin, P.S., 2014. "New target fisheries lead to spatially variable food web effects in an ecosystem model of the California Current," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 289(C), pages 96-105.
    3. Lercari, Diego & Defeo, Omar & Ortega, Leonardo & Orlando, Luis & Gianelli, Ignacio & Celentano, Eleonora, 2018. "Long-term structural and functional changes driven by climate variability and fishery regimes in a sandy beach ecosystem," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 368(C), pages 41-51.
    4. Goldsworthy, Simon D. & Page, Brad & Rogers, Paul J. & Bulman, Cathy & Wiebkin, Annelise & McLeay, Lachlan J. & Einoder, Luke & Baylis, Alastair M.M. & Braley, Michelle & Caines, Robin & Daly, Keryn &, 2013. "Trophodynamics of the eastern Great Australian Bight ecosystem: Ecological change associated with the growth of Australia's largest fishery," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 255(C), pages 38-57.
    5. Sjöstedt, Martin & Jagers, Sverker C., 2014. "Democracy and the environment revisited: The case of African fisheries," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 143-148.
    6. Cui Liang & Daniel Pauly, 2017. "Fisheries impacts on China's coastal ecosystems: Unmasking a pervasive ‘fishing down’ effect," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(3), pages 1-15, March.
    7. Carl-Johan Dalgaard & Anne Sofie B. Knudsen & Pablo Selaya, 2020. "The bounty of the sea and long-run development," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 25(3), pages 259-295, September.
    8. Da Rocha, José María & Gutiérrez Huerta, María José & Villasante, Sebastián, 2013. "Economic Effects of Global Warming under Stock Growth Uncertainty: The European Sardine Fishery," DFAEII Working Papers 1988-088X, University of the Basque Country - Department of Foundations of Economic Analysis II.
    9. Natugonza, Vianny & Ogutu-Ohwayo, Richard & Musinguzi, Laban & Kashindye, Benedicto & Jónsson, Steingrímur & Valtysson, Hreidar Thor, 2016. "Exploring the structural and functional properties of the Lake Victoria food web, and the role of fisheries, using a mass balance model," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 342(C), pages 161-174.
    10. Manuel Mendoza-Carranza & Elisabet Ejarque & Leopold A J Nagelkerke, 2018. "Disentangling the complexity of tropical small-scale fisheries dynamics using supervised Self-Organizing Maps," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(5), pages 1-28, May.
    11. Fay, Gavin & Large, Scott I. & Link, Jason S. & Gamble, Robert J., 2013. "Testing systemic fishing responses with ecosystem indicators," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 265(C), pages 45-55.

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