Low Fish Stocks

[rov1200]

Currently fishermen have to use nets that allow the smaller fish to escape. According to this article to increase stocks we should kill the smaller fish. Does it make sense and would it work?

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/0 90317143155.htm

[LazyGun]

Rov, on first glance the article seems counterintuitive - How could catching/killing more young, smaller fish result in larger quantities?
Reading the hypothesis it seems it might be biologically plausible, I suppose.
I would be sceptical of the findings though for the moment. As it stands, we have one experimental model, and one trial that appears to confim some of the predictions of the model. This seems too small a body of work to be reliable for now.
I would also like to see other expert opinion on the model and the hypothesis before accepting this article and the hypothesis.

[rov1200]

Couldn't you apply the same reasoning to world overpopulation. The warning signs are already there. People in the third world will not have enough to eat or water to drink because of diminished resources. The solution put forward is for more birth control and China has already gone along this path.

If this argument is being aimed at fish stocks can we say for sure there are either too many fish in the sea or else they do not have enough to feed on as hinted by this experiment..

But personally I feel it is neither of these. The general line is that we have removed too much fish before they can grow to maturity or replentish themselves and I tend to agree with this.