Reflections on 100 years of fisheries research

The origins of fisheries research as an organized and coherent scientific discipline in its own right can be traced back to the mid-1890s. Some of the highlights of progress, a few of which are well known and a few perhaps less well known, are recalled by the senior author (RJHB), a major researcher during the second half of this first century of fisheries science. The reflections are grouped into five time periods, with the major personalities and their contributions within the ICES arena noted for each. Of special interest are RJHB’s recollections of his days at Lowestoft working with Sidney Holt on their famous magnum opus published in 1957. Lastly, RJHB offers his opinion on a range of issues including deterioration of fisheries statistics; communication between scientists, administrators, and fishermen; management philosophy; uncertainty estimates and assessing risk; economics and politics of fisheries management; and multispecies assessment and management.