"Sustainable use of aquatic ecosystems is high on regional, national and international agendas and central to the implementation of international agreements on biological diversity, responsible fisheries and fish stock management. Since 2001, when political commitments were made to implement the ecosystem approach, countries have begun to incorporate ecosystem considerations into their fisheries management and have met with varied success." "The Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries covers both theoretical andapplied aspects of sustainable management, with a particular emphasis on reviewing concepts and addressing implementation issues in the form of case studies from around the world. Personal experiences are considered from diverse backgrounds and discuss the constraints encountered, strategies identified and best practices to facilitate further implementation."--BOOK JACKET.

Norwegian spring-spawning herring and Northeast Arctic cod are two of the largest and commercially most important fish stocks in the North Atlantic. Both these stocks have their spawning fields along the Norwegian coast and they have been the major target species for Norwegian fisheries for a millennium. They are also among the few fish stocks in the world which have been systematically investigated and monitored for more than a century. The scientific results, arrived at early in the 20th century for these two stocks, formed the basis for much of the development in international fisheries science later on. This book describes how fisheries, fisheries science, and management for Norwegian spring-spawning herring and Northeast Arctic cod developed during the 20th century. Over time, both populations developed serious decline in stock size and yield due to overfishing. The herring stock was in a state of collapse for about 20 years. Management measures that were then introduced permitted both stocks to recover in the 1990s. The contributors to the book have all been working as fisheries scientists at the Institute of Marine Research in Bergen.

This collective book is a multidisciplinary approach on a key-topic for our common future: overfishing. The focus is addressed to the "Atlantic World", considering the main oceanic geography in which this problem born in the early 20th century. The volume offers a wide range of contributions from experts on the topic covering the most relevant areas of the Atlantic and explaining important case studies on overfishing recent history. Written in a historical perspective, the book looks for institutional regulatory solutions based on multilateral solutions and scientific advising. Founders thought on the topic and the understanding’s evolution of the overfishing problem are mainly considered. This book is an accessible synthesis on overfishing history especially recommended for social scientists, historians, biologists, decision-makers and committed citizens.