Thousands of commercial and recreational fisheries exist worldwide, representing an important component of many countries' economies and supporting billions of people around the world who rely on healthy oceans for food and income. Yet the health and status of most fish stocks remain unknown due to the high cost and complex nature of stock assessments. Stock assessment information is vital as it informs important decisions on how fisheries are managed, impacting species’ ability to recover, fishermen’s ability to make a living and the availability of fish which billions of people around the world rely on as a source of protein.
The Framework for Integrated Stock and Habitat Evaluation (FISHE) equips fishery managers with a low-cost and highly effective resource to assess and sustainably manage their data-limited fishery. Based on the guide, Science-Based Management of Data-Limited Fisheries, FISHE simplifies the intricate fishery assessment process by walking users through a structured step-by-step framework that combines multiple methods.