Contact
Massimiliano Cardinale, Researcher
Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Marine Research, SLU
massimiliano.cardinale@slu.se, +46 10 478 40 14
Traditionally, as the number of fish in a stock increases the individual growth is expected to slow down due to increased competition for resources – an effect known as "negative density dependence". However, a recent large-scale analysis by researchers from SLU paints a different picture, challenging this assumption and highlightning new considerations for fish stock management.
"Reducing stock levels to boost growth – assuming that less competition will automatically increase growth rates – carries significant risks. Our research suggests that managing fish stocks at higher levels could be a safer and more sustainable approach”, says Massimiliano Cardinale, lead author of the study and a researcher at the department of Aquatic Resources at SLU.
Building on decades of observations on Northeast Atlantic fish stocks, the study explores how population density (the number of fish in a stock) affects fish growth in exploited fish stocks.
The study Occurrence and Strength of Instantaneous and Intracohort Density-Dependence in Northeast Atlantic Fish Stocks has been published in Ecology and Evolution
Massimiliano Cardinale, Researcher
Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Marine Research, SLU
massimiliano.cardinale@slu.se, +46 10 478 40 14