The Importance of Data-Informed Fishery Management

The National Park Service's Matt Kulp discusses fishery management in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. (Credit: Gary Peeples / USFWS via Flickr Public Domain)

Fisheries across the world contribute billions to the global and local economy, representing a vital source of food, recreation, income and employment, and water resource. However, various stressors like unsustainable fishing practices, climate change, pollution, and other variables threaten these critical resources. As a result, data-informed fishery management has become increasingly important in order to ensure these vital resources are being preserved for the future.

How Fisheries are Monitored

Fishery monitoring efforts range from water quality monitoring, fish tagging and tracking, fish surveys and sampling, to angler-based studies.

Some regions have implemented long-term real-time monitoring stations that can report conditions in real-time and make immediate and future interventions possible. Temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and other water quality parameters can have profound impacts on fish health.

Depending on the species, warmer or cooler waters are an essential component for habitat suitability, and climate change can result in spikes or dips that impact fish health and behavior. Dissolved oxygen refers to oxygen that is available in the water for various lake processes and for fish to breathe.

Turbidity can impact fish behavior as well as impacting benthic species like mussels that reside on the bottom of water bodies and are filter feeders. High turbidity events that eventually settle on the bottom can bury these bottom-dwelling species.

Fish tagging and tracking efforts can help inform species-specific management. Acoustic tags provide critical movement and behavioral data that can inform stocking locations. Both acoustic and non-acoustic tags can reveal population growth, migration patterns, turnover, and other important factors that impact species management.

Surveys and sampling typically include trapping and then taking samples from a targeted species to look closer at the genetics of the specimen. Such sampling endeavors can reveal where a fish was reared, its age, and other important factors that can provide insight into the population. Surveys can even include snorkeling and counting aquatic species in a water body.

Fish biologist Bruce Zoellick and wildlife biologist Corbin Murphy conducting a fish survey in the Salmon River. (Credit: Maria Thi Mai and Michael Campbell / Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington via Flickr CC BY 2.0)

Angler studies like Creel surveys help managers account for the demands of the fishery, which are considered when stocking fish and setting regulations based on fish population data.

Non-native species that have invaded already at-risk ecosystems can also shape species demographics. These invasions can occur due to improper boat cleaning or species moving to a new water body due to high water levels temporarily connecting lakes.

With all of these variables well-observed, managers can make informed decisions that balance the health of the ecosystem, fishery, and fishing community that rely on the resource.

Monitoring for Sustainable Fishery Use

Monitoring of water resources with a focus on informing fishery management has been successful in parts of the world. California’s Marine Life Management Act Master Plan highlights monitoring as essential to protecting fishery resources for future use.

Climate change has changed the way natural resources are managed, and fisheries have been particularly impacted. A 2023 study published in the Journal of Great Lakes Research highlights water level rises as particular concerns in Lake Albert. In this region specifically, water level increases have displaced fisher communities, impacting their livelihoods.

Anthropogenic stressors like runoff from urban centers, point-source pollution, overfishing, unsustainable land use, and other variables have changed fisheries—ultimately leading to species declines.

According to the 2023 study, long-term, ecosystem-based research that considers all impacts will positively inform fishery management, encouraging healthy and sustainable resource use.

Conclusion

With a variety of techniques available, fishery management can utilize any combination of water quality monitoring, fish tracking, and angler surveys to develop well-rounded management plans that prioritize sustainability and conservation.