Precautionary Harvest Policies and the Uncertainty Paradox

摘要

Precautionary harvest policies and the uncertainty paradox were studied. Most fishery management systems were based on general frameworks to guide harvest policies for specific fisheries. Elements of the precautionary approach were often implemented in fishery management by defining reference points for fishing mortality (F) and stock size (B, for biomass). Control rules offered a systematic way to consider uncertainty in stock status. The results showed that the number of reported management units changed substantially from 1999 to 2006 as a result of revised reference points or redefined management units. It was concluded that systematic application of the precautionary approach in the form of control rules did not provide prescriptive conservation measures for many data-poor fisheries and fishery resources.