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BOB HIRSHON (host):
Can we have our fish and eat them, too? I’m Bob Hirshon and this is Science Update.
Many of the world’s fisheries have been over-fished to the brink of collapse. But in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, fisheries experts from the University of California at Santa Barbara, University of Washington, and the Environmental Defense Fund report that with sound management, many fisheries could be restored and overall catch increased fairly quickly.
DOUGLAS RADER (Environmental Defense Fund):
In fact, on average, fisheries at the global scale can be reformed and successfully transitioned to this high value state in less than a decade. Sixteen million metric tons of additional harvest is possible while restoring the oceans.
HIRSHON:
That’s Douglas Rader of the Environmental Defense Fund. The study looked at data from over 4700 fisheries worldwide. Management practices modeled in the study include protection of marine reserves to maintain breeding stock and incentives to encourage sustainable practices. I’m Bob Hirshon, for AAAS, the science society.