Targeting Juvenile Fish and Spawning Aggregations

Pacific Marine Conservation Council (PMCC) advocates for ecosystem-based management that fosters sustainable fishing communities. The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy was clear in stating, “ U.S. ocean and coastal resources should be managed to reflect the relationships among all ecosystem components, including humans and non-human species and the environments in which they live.” We agree.

As PMCC considers important and controversial issues, we think in terms of benefiting the marine environment and the people and livelihoods connected to the sea. In this spirit, we offer the following position statement regarding targeting juvenile fish and spawning aggregations.

PMCC believes that no fishery should be allowed to target juvenile, or sub-adult fish as well as spawning aggregations or those adult fish guarding nests or young.

 

• PMCC supports research identifying times and areas where juveniles, spawning aggregations, and/or nest sites occur.
• Once identified, management measures to protect these areas should be developed and implemented.