Atlantic Flatfish Fisheries

WALSH, S. J.; DÍAZ DE ASTARLOA, J. M.; POOS, J.P.

Flatfishes: Biology and Exploitation, Second Edition

John Wiley & Sons

Año: 2015; p. 346 - 394

The exploitation, economics and management of Atlantic flatfish fisheries is the focus of this chapter. Recent estimates of Atlantic landings amounted to 40% of the total world flatfish catch. Significant revenues and employment are generated by these fisheries. Exploitation in the North Atlantic has been industrialized since the mid-1880s and managed since the mid-1900s; expansion has occurred in the southern Atlantic since the1950s where fewer management regulations are in place. As a result fisheries in the north have precipitously declined since the late 1980s, being most severe in the northwest Atlantic. The southern Atlantic fisheries are mainly coastal and levels of stock size and exploitation are not well known. Recent trends in the fisheries in northern areas showed that although many stocks are managed with decreasing fishing mortality several are still outside safe biological limits. Meanwhile, the southern areas have several stocks believed to be sustaining high exploitation levels.