Marine food web perspective to fisheries‐induced evolution

Abstract

The exploitation intensity has extensively amplified since, and the human population became much reliant on environmental, economic and social benefits sustained by marine ecosystems (Konar et al., 2019). Increased fishing pressure has been ensuring livelihood to a quarter of a billion people and has contributed substantially to the global economy (Teh & Sumaila, 2013). Yet, applied fishing methods have not been sustainable. A majority of commercially fished stocks are considered overfished (FAO, 2020), and effective catch per unit of effort is decreasing despite that the size of the fishing fleet has doubled since the 1950s (Rousseau et al., 2019). The future could still be optimistic as the status of global fish stocks is not homogenous but rather considerably varying among fisheries and locations, demonstrating the influence of successful management strategies (Hilborn et al., 2021). The general trend

Human‐induced evolution: Signatures, processes and mechanisms underneath anthropogenic footprints on natural systems

“…In contrast to translocations or anthropogenic hybridization, harvesting activities such as hunting, or fishing exert a predictable selection because its strong intensity and direction are largely dictated by specific harvesting strategies (Allendorf & Hard, 2009;Hočevar & Kuparinen, 2021;Van de Walle et al, 2021).…”

“…In contrast to translocations or anthropogenic hybridization, harvesting activities such as hunting, or fishing exert a predictable selection because its strong intensity and direction are largely dictated by specific harvesting strategies (Allendorf & Hard, 2009 ; Hočevar & Kuparinen, 2021 ; Van de Walle et al, 2021 ). Consequently, harvesting re‐shapes selection regimes that populations have adapted to and can result in antagonistic phenotypic responses of fitness‐related life history traits (Heino et al, 2015 ; LaSharr et al, 2019 ).…”

“…Impact of intense harvesting is expected to propagate not only within populations of exploited species but also to the ecosystem. Indeed, evolved responses to human‐induced selection affects ecosystem functionality, particularly if keystone species are those targeted by selection (Hočevar & Kuparinen, 2021 ). Fisheries‐induced evolution provide scenarios where the propagation of evolutionary responses can be traced across marine systems and Hočevar and Kuparinen ( 2021 ) offered us a perspective of such by exploring potential pathways in which size selection in fisheries might have eco‐evolutionary repercussions at ecosystem level.…”

“…Indeed, evolved responses to human‐induced selection affects ecosystem functionality, particularly if keystone species are those targeted by selection (Hočevar & Kuparinen, 2021 ). Fisheries‐induced evolution provide scenarios where the propagation of evolutionary responses can be traced across marine systems and Hočevar and Kuparinen ( 2021 ) offered us a perspective of such by exploring potential pathways in which size selection in fisheries might have eco‐evolutionary repercussions at ecosystem level. By screening our current knowledge on the impact of fisheries‐induced evolution in marine food webs, Hočevar and Kuparinen ( 2021 ) explored how size truncation may induce shifts in ecological niches of harvested species, how a changed maturation schedule might affect the spawning potential and biomass flow, how changes in life histories can initiate trophic cascades, how the role of apex predators may be shifting, and whether fisheries‐induced evolution could codrive species to depletion and biodiversity loss.…”

“…Observations that anthropogenic actions exert a selective pressure in the opposite direction of natural selection implies that management strategies undertaken to mitigate human‐induced evolution should consider possible trade‐offs in populations already adapted to human pressure (Hočevar & Kuparinen, 2021 ; Van de Walle et al, 2021 ). Given that the reversibility of evolutionary changes remains largely unknown, it is perhaps advisable to acknowledge factors such as the heterogeneity of selective pressures across spatial and temporal scales prior to the implementation of uniform measures.…”