A comparison of long-term trends and variability in populations of larvae of exploited and unexploited fishes in the Southern California region: A community approach

We did not find a systematic pattern indicating that fishing influenced population fluctuation of exploited species. Constrained comparisons of exploited to unexploited species living in the same habitat and reaching maturity at the same age revealed evidence of overexploitation for some species but not for all. Our results suggest that considering life history and ecological characteristics of fish species and applying a community approach are important in understanding fishing effects on fish populations in the context of a changing environment.