Sustainable reference points for multispecies coral reef fisheries

Jessica Zamborain-Mason (), Joshua E. Cinner, M. Aaron MacNeil, Nicholas A. J. Graham, Andrew S. Hoey, Maria Beger, Andrew J. Brooks, David J. Booth, Graham J. Edgar, David A. Feary, Sebastian C. A. Ferse, Alan M. Friedlander, Charlotte L. A. Gough, Alison L. Green, David Mouillot, Nicholas V. C. Polunin, Rick D. Stuart-Smith, Laurent Wantiez, Ivor D. Williams, Shaun K. Wilson and Sean R. Connolly
Additional contact information
Jessica Zamborain-Mason: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Joshua E. Cinner: James Cook University
M. Aaron MacNeil: Dalhousie University
Nicholas A. J. Graham: Lancaster University
Andrew S. Hoey: James Cook University
Maria Beger: University of Leeds
Andrew J. Brooks: University of California
David J. Booth: University of Technology Sydney 2007 Australia
Graham J. Edgar: University of Tasmania
David A. Feary: MRAG Ltd
Sebastian C. A. Ferse: Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT)
Alan M. Friedlander: Pristine Seas Program
Charlotte L. A. Gough: The Old Library
Alison L. Green: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
David Mouillot: James Cook University
Nicholas V. C. Polunin: Newcastle University NE17RU
Rick D. Stuart-Smith: University of Tasmania
Laurent Wantiez: University of New Caledonia
Ivor D. Williams: NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
Shaun K. Wilson: University of Western Australia
Sean R. Connolly: James Cook University

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: Abstract Sustainably managing fisheries requires regular and reliable evaluation of stock status. However, most multispecies reef fisheries around the globe tend to lack research and monitoring capacity, preventing the estimation of sustainable reference points against which stocks can be assessed. Here, combining fish biomass data for >2000 coral reefs, we estimate site-specific sustainable reference points for coral reef fisheries and use these and available catch estimates to assess the status of global coral reef fish stocks. We reveal that >50% of sites and jurisdictions with available information have stocks of conservation concern, having failed at least one fisheries sustainability benchmark. We quantify the trade-offs between biodiversity, fish length, and ecosystem functions relative to key benchmarks and highlight the ecological benefits of increasing sustainability. Our approach yields multispecies sustainable reference points for coral reef fisheries using environmental conditions, a promising means for enhancing the sustainability of the world’s coral reef fisheries.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41040-z

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