Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Contributors
- Acknowledgements
- Preface
- Introduction
- Part I Evolution, Ecology and Conservation
- Part II Evolution and Food Production
- 3 Evolution in agriculture
- 4 The evolutionary ecology of pollination and the functional biology of agricultural plants
- 5 The dawn of Darwinian fishery management
- Part III Evolution and Medicine
- Part IV Evolution and Psychology
- Part V Evolution and Computing
- Part VI Evolution and Society
- Index
- Plate Section
- References
5 - The dawn of Darwinian fishery management
from Part II - Evolution and Food Production
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 April 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Contributors
- Acknowledgements
- Preface
- Introduction
- Part I Evolution, Ecology and Conservation
- Part II Evolution and Food Production
- 3 Evolution in agriculture
- 4 The evolutionary ecology of pollination and the functional biology of agricultural plants
- 5 The dawn of Darwinian fishery management
- Part III Evolution and Medicine
- Part IV Evolution and Psychology
- Part V Evolution and Computing
- Part VI Evolution and Society
- Index
- Plate Section
- References
Summary
Let us compare a livestock farmer and a fisher. The farmer selects and breeds individuals that exhibit the most desirable characteristics. This is good practice, because it increases the prevalence of these characteristics in the next generation of the stock. In contrast, the fisher catches large, fast-growing fish, so their desirable characteristics are less likely to be passed on to the next generation of the stock (Figure 5.1). Fish that grow quickly tend to be caught sooner and therefore may produce fewer offspring. Fish that delay maturation tend to be caught before they have the chance to reproduce, so the fish that are left to breed are those that mature at a younger age. Fish that limit their current investment in reproduction in order to increase future reproductive success will often be harvested before such savings have a chance to pay dividends. The mortality imposed by fishing can therefore act as a selective force that favours slower growth, earlier maturation and higher reproductive investment.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Pragmatic EvolutionApplications of Evolutionary Theory, pp. 81 - 104Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2011
References
- 1
- Cited by