November 23, 2024
Shana Miller
Harvest strategies contribute significantly to the economic viability of fisheries by promoting long-term sustainability and stability, which in turn helps bolster fishing opportunities and market confidence. Harvest strategies provide the fishing industry with the stability needed for business planning and investment by ensuring that management decisions are predictable and based on data-driven benchmarks. This predictability helps mitigate risks associated with overfishing or sudden regulatory changes and enhances access to new markets through sustainable seafood certifications.
Fisheries that follow scientifically sound harvest strategies are more likely to meet the requirements for eco-labeling programs such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), opening doors to higher-value markets and consumer demand for sustainably sourced products. Also, maintaining target abundance levels ensures healthy fish populations, benefiting the ecosystem and fishery. Healthy stocks translate to more consistent yields, reducing variability in catches and improving the long-term profitability of the industry.
The GFCM has adopted 2025’s first international #harveststrategy, choosing a precautionary, science-based rule for blackspot seabream in the Alboran Sea. With the stock at only ~5% of unfished levels, this is a key step toward recovery and sustainability:
Upcoming trilateral (EU-NO-UK) talks are crucial for North Sea herring. Managers can adopt a new #MSE-tested long-term management strategy that considers herring’s ecosystem role and supports stable, sustainable catches for 2026 and beyond. Read more:
Experts across RFMOs met at the Global Blue Shark MSE Workshop to advance sustainable management of this highly valuable species. Read more on key discussions, shared challenges, and progress toward robust, MSE-tested management procedures for blue sharks:
November 10, 2025
