November 23, 2024
Shana Miller
One of the key strengths of harvest strategies is their use of a continuous feedback loop that integrates scientific research and data into decision-making. This starts with collecting specific monitoring data to assess the status of the fishery in relation to established reference points and management objectives. This data is then fed into an assessment method that evaluates the current state of the fishery, providing essential insights into stock health, fishing pressure, and other factors.
The results of these assessments are used to inform the harvest control rule (HCR), which is the part of the strategy that dictates how management measures should be adjusted based on the current stock status. The HCR determines whether fishing limits need to be increased, reduced, or maintained to meet the strategy’s long-term objectives. After management measures are adjusted, the process begins again, with new data collected to monitor the outcomes and ensure the strategy remains on track. This continuous cycle of monitoring, assessment, and adjustment helps ensure that harvest strategies remain adaptive and effective over time.
Our new blog post covers the ups and downs of this year's just-wrapped ICCAT annual meeting - from a new management procedure for W Atlantic skipjack to a higher-than-advised TAC for Atlantic bluefin tuna in the west. Read more here:
https://tinyurl.com/4rv4yusu
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:
November 10, 2025
