Marine Invertebrate Fisheries Their Assessment and Management

Until recently, methods of assessing and managing most invertebrate fisheries have been based on empirical knowledge and procedures, supplemented in the scientific literature by assessment techniques transplanted largely unchanged from the study of finfish populations. However, considerable progress has been made over the last twenty years in our knowledge of the ecology and dynamics of exploited marine invertebrates. This volume brings the reader up to date on these developments, as well as providing a wealth of ancillary information on related areas of marine affairs. For the first time, Marine Invertebrate Fisheries brings together, in one volume, the breadth of experience gained in research and management for the wide range of commercially exploited marine invertebrates. Over thirty different studies illustrate theoretical knowledge and the practical experience to be gained in its application. It includes both case studies and chapters of general interest. All of this information is documented by reviews of current literature. This combination of study and review illustrates many applications of marine biology, as well as the associated social and economic implications of resource management and, at the same time, assesses the most promising approaches for the future. Case studies focus on crustacean fisheries for krill, lobster, crab and shrimps, and fisheries for molluscan resources such as clams, scallops, squid and octopus. Other chapters deal with echinoderms, precious corals, and rare shell harvests. Examples are drawn from tropical and temperate seas, and from arctic and antarctic ecosystems. Among the review chapters are wideranging, state-of-the-art examinations of the population dynamics of crustacean and molluscan resources-on scallops and penaeid shrimp fisheries, for example-as well as on special topics such as fisheries forecasting, the philosophy of fisheries regulation, and the principles of gear (lobster trap) design. Marine Invertebrate Fisheries will be of practical interest to a broad spectrum of readers, ranging from those in the fishing industry to the academic community, as well as members of the public concerned with marine ecology and conservation. It will be particularly valuable to experts from a range of disciplines actively engaged in marine resource management and research who will be able to draw on a diversity of examples of the practical application of marine biology to human affairs.Caddy, John F. is the author of 'Marine Invertebrate Fisheries Their Assessment and Management' with ISBN 9780471832379 and ISBN 0471832375.