ITS ABOUT TIME - NEW BEGINNINGS AND OLD GOOD IDEAS IN FISHERIES SCIENCE

Views about aquatic resource management are changing, particularly now that resource yields from world fisheries have been shown to be not o nly unsustainable, but steadily declining under conventional managemen t practices. There is ample reason for re examination, and more pragma tic definitions of what is meant by sustainability. There have nearly always been clear, reasonable means for making appropriate decisions t hat would have safeguarded most of the ocean's living resources, but i n general greed and lack of societal will, as articulated at national governmental levels, have promoted the present resource deterioration. I also posit that the underlying science in support of sustainable fi sheries decision-making has been responsible for a great proportion of this deterioration. Revitalization of fisheries science, indeed rehab ilitating the affected fisheries, will be required to regain the losse s in credibility of the agencies and of the underlying science. This w ill depend upon resumption of integrated environmental monitoring, mor e enlightened application of what is already known, and reconnection o f the science to the several industries involved, i.e. fishing, proces sing and marketing. Management implemented at the market place may be one of the few remaining options to secure the sustainability of natur al resources.