Managing Parrotfish Fisheries in the Caribbean

A March 2014 study in the journal Fish and Fisheries describes a new approach to ecosystem-based fisheries management of coral reefs in the Caribbean Sea. The study, written by Peter J. Mumby, Ph.D., Pew marine fellow and professor at the University of Queensland in Australia, focuses on parrotfish, the target of an important fishery. Parrotfish also contribute to healthy coral ecosystems by consuming algae on certain parts of the reef. Mumby recommends that if the fishery must exist, managers should consider regulations that prevent fishing for parrotfish on the part of the reef where they play this important role, though fishing for other species could still occur