Key terms

Is a concept hindering your understanding? This little fishing lexicon might just save the day!

• How do we determine the status of a population of fish? The status of a fish population is determined based on two criteria: fishing pressure and reproductive biomass.
• Fisheries: denotes everything related to fishing. Fisheries science covers all disciplines that have to do with fishing.
• Population: group of fish of a given species in a given geographical area.
• Fishing pressure: share of fish population mortality due to fishing activity.
• Reproductive biomass: volume of adult fish at the right age to reproduce.
• Maximum sustainable yield: the greatest quantity of fish that can be caught over the long term without altering the population’s capacity to replenish itself.