The usefulness and relevance of size-based indicators (SBIs) to an ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) are assessed through a review of empirical and modelling studies. SBIs are tabulated along with their definitions, data requirements, potential biases, availability of time-series, and expected directions of change in response to fishing pressure. They include mean length in a population, mean length in a community, mean maximum length in a community, and the slope and intercept of size spectra. Most SBIs can be derived from fairly standard survey data on length frequencies, without the need for elaborate models. Possible fishing- and environment-induced effects are analysed to distinguish between the two causes, and hypothetical cases of reference directions of change are tabulated. We conclude that no single SBI can serve as an effective overall indicator of heavy fishing pressure. Rather, suites of SBI should be selected, and reference directions may be more useful than reference points. Further modelling and worldwide comparative studies are needed to provide better understanding of SBIs and the factors affecting them. The slow response to fishing pressure reflects the complexity of community interactions and ecosystem responses, and prohibits their application in the context of short-term (annual) tactical fisheries management. However, movement towards longer-term (5-10 years) strategic management in EAF should facilitate their use

The natural mortality of exploited fish populations is often assumed to be a speciesspecific constant independent of body size. This assumption has important implications for size-based fish population models and for predicting the outcome of sizedependent fisheries management measures such as mesh-size regulations. To test the assumption, we critically review the empirical estimates of the natural mortality, M (year )1 ), of marine and brackish water fish stocks and model them as a function of von Bertalanffy growth parameters, L ¥ (cm) and K (year )1 ), temperature (Kelvin) and length, L (cm). Using the Arrhenius equation to describe the relationship between M and temperature, we find M to be significantly related to length, L ¥ and K, but not to temperature (R 2 = 0.62, P < 0.0001, n = 168). Temperature and K are significantly correlated and when K is removed from the model the temperature term becomes significant, but the resulting model explains less of the total variance (R 2 = 0.42, P < 0.0001, n = 168). The relationships between M, L, L ¥ , K and temperature are shown to be in general accordance with previous theoretical and empirical investigations. We conclude that natural mortality is significantly related to length and growth characteristics and recommend to use the empirical formula: ln(M) = 0.55 ) 1.61ln(L) + 1.44ln(L ¥ ) + ln(K), for estimating the natural mortality of marine and brackish water fish.

We investigate changes in the North Sea fish community with particular reference to possible indirect effects of fishing, mediated through the ecosystem. In the past, long-term changes in the slope of size spectra of research vessel catches have been related to changes in fishing effort, but such changes may simply reflect the cumulative, direct effects of fishing through selective removal of large individuals. If there is resilience in a fish community towards fishing, we may expect increases in specific components, for instance as a consequence of an associated reduction in predation and/or competition. We show on the basis of three long-term trawl surveys that abundance of small fish (all species) as well as abundance of demersal species with a low maximum length (Lmax) have steadily and significantly increased in absolute numbers over large parts of the North Sea during the last 30 years. Taking average fishing mortality of assessed commercial species as an index of exploitation rate of the fish community, it appears that fishing effort reached its maximum in the mid-1980s and has declined slightly since. If the observed changes in the community are caused by indirect effects of fishing, there must be a considerable delay in response time, because the observed changes generally proceed up to recent years, although both size and Lmax spectra suggest some levelling off, or even recovery in one of the surveys. Indeed, significant correlations between all community metrics and exploitation rate were obtained only if time lags R 6 years were introduced.

We revisit the empirical equation of Gislason et al. (2010, Fish and Fisheries11:149–158) for predicting natural mortality (M, year−1) of marine fish. We show it to be equivalent to , where L∞ (cm) and K (year−1) are the von Bertalanffy growth equation (VBGE) parameters, and L (cm) is fish length along the growth trajectory within the species. We then interpret K in terms of the VBGE in mass , and show that the previous equation is itself equivalent to a −⅓ power function rule between M and the mass at first reproduction (Wα); this new −⅓ power function emerges directly from the life history that maximizes Darwinian fitness in non‐growing populations. We merge this M, Wα power function with other power functions to produce general across‐species scaling rules for yearly reproductive allocation, reproductive effort and age at first reproduction in fish. We then suggest a new way to classify habitats (or lifestyles) as to the life histories they should contain, and we contrast our scheme with the widely used Winemiller–Rose fish lifestyle classification.