Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation

To investigate the forces driving fisheries, this research performs a survey of seafood markets. Seafood markets provide a window into revealed consumer preferences in real time, the driving economic force for global fisheries. Seafood markets lie at the intersection of fisheries management, marine conservation, and human consumption patterns. Many previous studies have focused on the effects of different fishery management strategies, and the implications of these strategies for the conservation of marine biodiversity. However, until now, these studies have not considered revealed human preferences as an element, which is ultimately the driver behind fishery production trends. As discussed, seafood supplies much needed dietary protein for over three billion people globally. Conservation and scientific management for optimal seafood harvest often come as secondary considerations in light of the need to supply protein for the exploding global population. In an ideal world, these three considerations should to be considered simultaneously. This study attempts to propose a balance between exploitation and conservation, between having enough fish to eat and leaving enough fish in the sea