Fishing groupers towards extinction: a global assessment of threats and extinction risks in a billion dollar fishery

摘要: Groupers are a valuable fishery resource of reef ecosystems and among those species most vulnerable to fishing pressure because life history characteristics including longevity, late sexual maturation aggregation spawning. Despite their economic importance, few grouper fisheries regularly monitored or managed at the level, many reported be undergoing declines. To identify major threats groupers, International Union for Conservation Nature (IUCN) Red List criteria were applied all 163 species. assessments show that 20 (12%) risk extinction if current trends continue, an additional 22 (13%) considered Near Threatened. The Caribbean Sea, coastal Brazil Southeast Asia contain disproportionate number Threatened species, while numerous poorly documented occur in regions. In all, 30% Data Deficient. Given threat is overfishing, accompanied by general absence and/or poor application management, prognosis restoration successful conservation poor. We believe refuges remain recovery key biological processes (e.g. spawning aggregations) continue compromised uncontrolled fishing. Mariculture, through hatchery-rearing, increases production contributes satisfying high market demand, but such operations depend heavily on wild-caught juveniles with resultant growth recruitment overfishing. Better management other efforts urgently needed, we provide examples possible actions constraints.