There is growing awareness of the socio-economic benefits and ecological sustainability of exploitation by angling rather than commercial fishing. Recently, European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax L., an important commercial and recreational species, has been spreading north and increasing in the North Sea. Over the last 10–15 years, it has established in Norwegian coastal waters, providinga unique opportunity to examine whether co-management (of commercialand recreational fishing) of a marine species can work across international waters. We contrast the recent past and present management schemes for sea bass in Ireland (recreational angling only since 1992) with those in the United Kingdom (implemented in 1990, with no distinction between commercial and recreational use), and give special attention to the value of monitoring population trends inrelation to management goals. We argue that, for effective management of an invasive species, it is essential that information becomes available to evaluate whether the management measures implemented are appropriate and working. |
