Exhausted Fish Stocks Could Recover Within A Decade, Study Says

(Photo : Getty Images/Francois Guillot) While fish populations across the global have been in decline for decades - a new study suggests that the next decade could see many populations enter a state of recovery.

While fish populations across the global have been in decline for decades - a new study suggests that the next decade could see many populations enter a state of recovery.

Researchers suggest that improved sustainable fishing practices could mean that up to 77 percent of global fisheries are able to return to a robust state within the next 10 years, writes Tech Times.

Study author Amanda Leland and Senior Vice president for Oceans at the Environmental Defense Fund, described the findings as surprising - as they demonstrate that humans "can have our fish and eat it too," she told the Huffington Post.

"It would be very hard to find another global, significant environmental challenge that could be solved so quickly," Leland told the Huffington Post.

The researchers, from the Environmental Defense Fund, University of Washington and University of California Santa Barbara, analyzed data taken from more than 4,700 fisheries globally. The data set was representative of 78 percent of all documented catches of fish worldwide.

They found that if fishing continues at the same levels it is now, it would lead to a "continued collapse" for many fisheries. However, if sustainable reforms such as science-aligned catch limits were implemented - we would see an annual increase in seafood measuring more 16 million metric tons. In dollar terms, this would lead to increased yearly profits totaling nearly $53 billion.

Despite common misconceptions about the effect of sustainable fishing practices - sustainable practices would increase economic returns in the long-term. Ocean fisheries do not need to be viewed as a number of trade-offs, lead author and UC Santa Barbara Professor Chris Costello said in a statement.

"In fact, we show that we can have more fish in the water, more food on the plate, and more prosperous fishing communities - and it can happen relatively quickly," he said in a press release.

Growing fish populations also means greater food security for 3 billion people worldwide that rely on seafood as the main source of protein in their diets.

According to Leland, the move is a triple-win as it provides fish, food security for humans and jobs.

Daniel Pauly, a fisheries expert who was not involved in the study, warned that global fisheries were in "bad shape" and heading towards collapse in coming years. He also backed the idea of a quota system for fishermen, which could serve as a way to better their prospects while also avoiding overfishing practices.

The method, known as the catch share system, entitles fisherman to a percentage of the total allocated fish haul, with scientists estimating the catch based on best current evidence. As fish populations recovered, catch limits could also be revised.

Some countries, including Australia, Denmark and the United States, have already implemented sustainable fishing practices with encouraging results, according to Leland.

The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.