| Popis: |
The United Nations estimates that as many as 75% of the world's fishery stocks are fully exploited, severely depleted, or overexploited and are therefore not eligible for further exploitation to meet growing demands for fishery products. Due to the pressure on fishery populations, several management techniques have been developed. Traditional fishery management seeks to limit the catch of wild fishery stocks. Aquaculture activities, increasing in number, aim to raise aquatic food organisms in captivity. Stock enhancement techniques have been developed to bolster population sizes in the wild, either by providing habitat for habitat-limited populations or by providing hatchery-raised juveniles for recruitment-limited populations. The latter form of stock enhancement has been controversial for a variety of reasons, including viability and health of hatchery-raised organisms. In addition, success of stock enhancement efforts is often difficult to quantify. Evaluation of this management technique requires laborious efforts to follow hatchery-raised organisms over time and develop knowledge about wild con-specifics. Despite the controversy and difficulty in assessing the success of stock enhancement programs, stock enhancement may be a required step in the management of species or stocks that are extremely depleted. Keywords: stock enhancement; fisheries; fishery management; aquaculture; mariculture; natural resources |
