Global News - June 2008

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Fish stocks shown to recover rapidly after bans

Wed 25 June 2008 14:00 UK — Australasia,Marine Wildlife

New research has suggested that completely banning fishing in rivers can allow threatened fish to make very quick recoveries.

An Australian team published its findings in the journal Current Biology. The researchers monitored coral trout in areas close to the Great Barrier Reef for several years.

They found that in places where recreational fishing was prohibited, the fish recovered spectacularly in under two years.

"We were surprised that we documented increases in coral trout density of 31 per cent to 68 per cent in such a short time," commented researcher Garry Russ.

"Although preliminary, our results provide an encouraging message that bold political steps to protect biodiversity can produce rapid, positive results for exploited species at ecosystem scales.

"This represents a positive and unprecedented response to reserve protection."

Recently, Reuters reported that the EU was introducing stricter penalties for vessels caught illegally landing fish in European waters.

EU fisheries commissioner Joe Borg reportedly told a news conference: "We have established maximum levels of sanctions to be applied to fishermen who engage in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

"The scope of the regulation is to cover both EU vessels and those of third countries, irrespective of where they carry out their fishing."

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