Small fish, big implications: Considerations for an ecosystem approach to capelin fisheries management

Warsha Singh; John T. Trochta; Hannah M. Hannah M. Murphy; David W. McGowan; Aaron T. Adamack; Mayumi L. Arimitsu; Birkir Barðarson; Höskuldur Björnsson; Bjarte Bogstad; Mathieu Boudreau; Catherine Chambers; Harald Gjøsæter; Teunis Jansen; Sigurður Þ. Jónsson; Sturla Kvamsdal; Ron S. Lewis; Nina Mikkelsen; Torstein Pedersen; Anna H. Olafsdottir; Maartje Oostdijk; Teresa Silva; Georg Skaret; Robert M. Suryan; Sam Subbey

doi:10.1007/s11160-025-09986-z

Small fish, big implications: Considerations for an ecosystem approach to capelin fisheries management

Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries

By: Warsha Singh, John T. Trochta, Hannah M. Hannah M. Murphy, David W. McGowan, Aaron T. Adamack, Mayumi L. Arimitsu, Birkir Barðarson, Höskuldur Björnsson, Bjarte Bogstad, Mathieu Boudreau, Catherine Chambers, Harald Gjøsæter, Teunis Jansen, Sigurður Þ. Jónsson, Sturla Kvamsdal, Ron S. Lewis, Nina Mikkelsen, Torstein Pedersen, Anna H. Olafsdottir, Maartje Oostdijk, Teresa Silva, Georg Skaret, Robert M. Suryan, and Sam Subbey

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-025-09986-z

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Abstract

Climate-driven changes in the Subarctic will directly impact capelin populations and the ecosystem they inhabit, including their predators, prey, and physical habitats. Consequently, incorporating ecosystem considerations in future capelin fisheries management is crucial. In this study, a multidisciplinary group of experts critically evaluated whether the current capelin stock assessment and management frameworks for the four main capelin stocks in the Barents Sea (BS), Iceland-East Greenland-Jan Mayen (IEGJM), Newfoundland and Labrador shelf (NL) and Alaska (AK) align with the principles of an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM). An evidence-based ranking of our knowledge on current capelin dynamics across ecological, economic, and social dimensions was conducted, using expert knowledge supported by literature. This exercise also identified data currently used for assessment and management, which highlighted that the existing capelin assessment frameworks include varying degrees of EAFM elements across stocks, such as considerations of trophic interactions, bottom-up processes, accounting for ecosystem uncertainty, and stakeholder engagement in the advisory process. Nonetheless, there is room for improvement where data and knowledge are lacking. We provide some key tactical (short-term) and strategic (long-term) recommendations from our perspective on what is required to ensure the sustainable management of capelin in the circumpolar region over the coming decades.

Suggested Citation

Singh, W., Trochta, J.T., Hannah M. Murphy, H.M., McGowan, D.W., Adamack, A.T., Arimitsu, M.L., Barðarson, B., Björnsson, H., Bogstad, B., Boudreau, M., Chambers, C., Gjøsæter, H., Jansen, T., Jónsson, S.Þ., Kvamsdal, S., Lewis, R.S., Mikkelsen, N., Pedersen, T., Olafsdottir, A.H., Oostdijk, M., Silva, T., Skaret, G., Suryan, R.M., and Subbey, S., 2025, Small fish, big implications: Considerations for an ecosystem approach to capelin fisheries management: Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, v. 35, p. 1899-1934, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-025-09986-z.

Additional publication details
Publication type	Article
Publication Subtype	Journal Article
Title	Small fish, big implications: Considerations for an ecosystem approach to capelin fisheries management
Series title	Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries
DOI	10.1007/s11160-025-09986-z
Volume	35
Publication Date	September 06, 2025
Year Published	2025
Language	English
Publisher	Springer Nature
Contributing office(s)	Alaska Science Center Ecosystems
Description	36 p.
First page	1899
Last page	1934