The Maximum Sustainable Yield objective in Fisheries
Posted on 26 March 2007
© Erling Svensen
Norwegian spring spawning herring.
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WWF is publishing a study conducted by Dr. Sydney Holt, which evaluates the policy objective of "Maximum Sustainable Yield" (MSY) for Fisheries management.
In 2006, the European Commission had proposed to amend the Common Fisheries Policy according to the MSY principle, to make a core objective of the restoration and maintenance of fish stocks to levels and conditions in which they are capable of providing maximum sustainable yields.
As the MSY as a management objective, or even as a real biological feature of exploitable wild populations, has been strongly - and rightly - challenged by scientists and economists, WWF believes that there is a need for a redefinition of the MSY concept and of the notion of sustainability, which this study is proposing.
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