Mainstreaming Fish Spawning Aggregations into Fishery Management Calls for a Precautionary Approach

Many marine fishes mate in massive and spectacular gatherings at predictable times and places. These spawning aggregations are often attractive targets of fisheries. Many commercially important fish species exhibit aggregation spawning, and many have undergone serious declines from overfishing. It is timely to explore whether the exploitation of spawning aggregations makes species particularly susceptible to overfishing; if so, why and how we can better manage these species. I present evidence that aggregate fish spawners are especially vulnerable because of both increased catchability (lethal effects) and biological factors (nonlethal effects). For these species to continue contributing to food security and livelihoods while retaining their ecosystem function, a truly precautionary approach is essential to reduce the risk of declines, particularly in the case of small-scale commercial fisheries of low-productivity species and where management and monitoring are lacking. There is a pressing need to mainstream spawning aggregations into marine resource management.