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WHAT ARE FORAGE FISH?







ABOUT US

The Lenfest Forage Fish Task Force is comprised of thirteen preeminent scientists from around the globe, who collectively have expertise in a wide range of disciplines, including marine ecology, small pelagic fishery populations, marine mammals, seabirds, oceanography, climate, quantitative methods, ecosystem modeling, and fishery management. This distinguished panel will be the first to undertake a comprehensive examination of the science and management of forage fish populations, and over the next two years will formulate recommendations to achieve sustainable and robust management of forage fish fisheries.

  
AN ECOSYSTEM-BASED APPROACH
The Lenfest Forage Fish Task Force will develop a more holistic, ecosystem-based approach to the management of forage fisheries globally. Because forage fish – which include anchovies, menhaden, and sardines – play an integral role in complex marine food webs, management plans must begin to take into account their predators, prey, and environment. Current management generally doesn’t take into account the distinctive ecological role these fish play in marine ecosystems, and methods to calculate sustainable fishing levels may be insufficient. An ecosystem-based management approach for forage fishes will require a more nuanced understanding and representation of food web dynamics and environmental factors. The goal of the Task Force is to incorporate this understanding into the management process, and recommend specific ways in which ecosystem-based management can be implemented.

The Task Force will examine the latest scientific research and key case studies to develop operational, ecosystem-based standards for global forage fish management. The Task Force was not created to advocate for or against any particular fishery, rather, it aims to address scientific questions that can lead to better management. Its goal is to advance the scientific discussion on forage fish, and provide credible guidance to policy makers, managers, and fishery council members.		  
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