[OANNES Foro] Forage Fish: From Ecosystems to Markets

[raul sanchez]

Annual Review of Environment and Resources
Vol. 33: 153-166 (Volume publication date November 2008) 
(doi:10.1146/annurev.environ.33.020807.143204)

Forage Fish: From Ecosystems to Markets

Jacqueline Alder,1 ­Brooke Campbell,1 ­Vasiliki Karpouzi,1 ­Kristin Kaschner,2 and ­Daniel Pauly1­

1Sea Around Us Project, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada; email: j.alder en fisheries.ubc.ca, b.campbell en fisheries.ubc.ca, v.karpouzi en fisheries.ubc.ca, d.pauly en fisheries.ubc.ca
2Evolutionary Biology and Ecology Laboratory, Institute of Biology (Zoology), Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg 79104, Germany; email: kristin.kaschner en biologie.uni-freiburg.de


Fisheries targeting small-to-medium pelagic, so-called forage fish, impact on human food security and marine ecosystems. Because their operations are shrouded by the myth that forage fish are unsuitable for human consumption, the role of these fisheries in intensive food production is not well understood or appreciated. Thus, although they account for over 30% of global landings of marine fish annually, our knowledge of how these levels of removal impact on marine ecosystems is limited. Nevertheless, there is considerable scope for policy makers to change the current management of these fisheries and to enhance their contribution to food security and economic development. Industry and consumers also have an important role in finding the balance between these fisheries contributing to human food security and poverty alleviation on the one hand, and sustaining intensive animal food production systems, especially aquaculture, on the other.


Saludos cordiales,

Raúl E. Sánchez Scaglioni