Sharks, skates and rays (Elasmobranchii) are taken in targeted and mixed commercial fisheries, an... more Sharks, skates and rays (Elasmobranchii) are taken in targeted and mixed commercial fisheries, and are also of interest to recreational fisheries and nature conservation groups. The life history characteristics of elasmobranchs (often typified by late age at maturity, slow growth, low fecundity and protracted gestation period) mean that many species can be overfished, and several species/stocks have undergone severe declines in abundance. Although the biological rationale behind their susceptibility to overexploitation was noted by Holden in the 1960s, elasmobranchs were generally overlooked by fisheries managers, despite the fisheries catching them (including pelagic and deep-water fisheries) expanding in the 1970s and 1980s. Interest in managing elasmobranchs has increased since the early 1990s, and although aspects of their life history and ecology are now better known, formal assessments have been undertaken for comparatively few stocks. Here, we provide an overview of the aspects of elasmobranch biology that are important to stock assessment and management, describe the fisheries in the North Atlantic and their management, and summarize relevant nature conservation initiatives.
We describe the career of Professor Niels Daan at the governmental Netherlands Institute for Fish... more We describe the career of Professor Niels Daan at the governmental Netherlands Institute for Fisheries Research (RIVO) and analyse his role in the development of fisheries science, in the Netherlands as well as in the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). Major contributions are (i) his research on the interactions between cod and its prey; (ii) the standardization, data base development and quality control of the ICES International Bottom Trawl Survey; (iii) his role as editorin-chief of the ICES Journal of Marine Science; (iv) his role in stimulating new approaches and critically questioning the science behind the advice; (v) his often silent support to a wide group of young fisheries scientists.
Sharks, skates and rays (Elasmobranchii) are taken in targeted and mixed commercial fisheries, an... more Sharks, skates and rays (Elasmobranchii) are taken in targeted and mixed commercial fisheries, and are also of interest to recreational fisheries and nature conservation groups. The life history characteristics of elasmobranchs (often typified by late age at maturity, slow growth, low fecundity and protracted gestation period) mean that many species can be overfished, and several species/stocks have undergone severe declines in abundance. Although the biological rationale behind their susceptibility to overexploitation was noted by Holden in the 1960s, elasmobranchs were generally overlooked by fisheries managers, despite the fisheries catching them (including pelagic and deep-water fisheries) expanding in the 1970s and 1980s. Interest in managing elasmobranchs has increased since the early 1990s, and although aspects of their life history and ecology are now better known, formal assessments have been undertaken for comparatively few stocks. Here, we provide an overview of the aspects of elasmobranch biology that are important to stock assessment and management, describe the fisheries in the North Atlantic and their management, and summarize relevant nature conservation initiatives.
We describe the career of Professor Niels Daan at the governmental Netherlands Institute for Fish... more We describe the career of Professor Niels Daan at the governmental Netherlands Institute for Fisheries Research (RIVO) and analyse his role in the development of fisheries science, in the Netherlands as well as in the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). Major contributions are (i) his research on the interactions between cod and its prey; (ii) the standardization, data base development and quality control of the ICES International Bottom Trawl Survey; (iii) his role as editorin-chief of the ICES Journal of Marine Science; (iv) his role in stimulating new approaches and critically questioning the science behind the advice; (v) his often silent support to a wide group of young fisheries scientists.
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Papers by H. Heessen