Harvest rates

Kondla, Norbert FOR:EX Norbert.Kondla at gems3.gov.bc.ca
Fri Dec 17 14:37:18 EST 1999


Agreed. I am cautious about all statistics.  I seem to recall a famous quote
about "lies, damn lies and statistics" :):) Maybe best to use the following
example with general numbers to illustrate the point that perhaps I did not
make very well.  A female salmon has been reported to produce between 3 and
4 thousand eggs in a season.  A female bear will produce at best one or two
offspring every few seasons.  Given these fundamental differences in
fecundity; it is reasonable to expect that the impacts of mortality on
population levels and ability of populations to recover from crashes will be
fundamentally different.  (and yes, there have been some classic management
errors in fisheries management - in this country we use the phrase "cod
scenario" to jokingly refer to harvest levels that are likely to be
dangerous)

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Gochfeld [mailto:gochfeld at EOHSI.RUTGERS.EDU]
Sent: Thursday, December 16, 1999 5:43 PM
To: leps-l at lists.yale.edu
Subject: Harvest rates


I would be cautious about accepting statistics on fish harvest rates, 
because they may not take into account sustainability.  I grew up with 
what I call the "weekly reader" concept of resources. That is fish were 
a renewable resources, and pulp and timber companies replanted forests 
and sustained their yields indefinitely.  My experience both here and 
abroad is that the reality is different----harvest all the fish as 
quickly as possible and sell your boats to some other country so they 
can do the same.  Fishery folk may be more enamored of models than of 
reality, and when fish populations decline or the size of the fish 
declines, they are loathe to abandon the models and instead blame 
sampling. 

Mike Gochfeld
	 


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