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Defining a Problem...
on July 2, 2012
Ray Hilborn's commonsensical 2012 book "Overfishing" is a necessary and carefully reasoned corrective to the apocalyptic rhetoric that sometimes accompanies environmentalist debates about the status and future of fishing. Hilborn, an experienced authority on fishing resource managemente and conservation, uses a highly readable question-and-answer format to define terms and provide context to the complex challenge of maintaining fish stocks and fisheries around the world.
In sixteen concise chapters and just one hundred forty pages, Hilborn addresses such topics as the different types of overfishing and why the definitions matter, some historical background, and the proven ways that fisheries can be better managed. In the process, he goes behind the headlines to look at feasible solutions to overfishing that must vary by geography, climate, species and human governance. He notes the current shortfalls and challenges in gathering accurate data on fish populations. He also addresses the additional challenge of illegal fishing and the impact of recreational fishing. His concluding chapters offer some key takeaways on the future of managed fisheries. "Overfishing" is highly recommeded to those interested in fisheries management.