Report of the Study Group on the History of Fish and Fisheries (SGHIST)

Most marine ecosystems have been exploited for many decades, centuries, or even millennia. Industrialised fisheries have developed during different decades in differ-ent parts of the world, and within much of the ICES region, date back to at least the 19th Century. Before that, many European countries already had large-scale fisheries, driven by either wind- or manpower, using a wide range of fishing techniques, and expanding or contracting as a result of natural stock fluctuations or from early signs of over-exploitation. However, detailed information collected specifically to deter-mine fish population sizes only exists for recent decades, and the time-series of most fish stock assessments worldwide are less than 30 years long. Still, information on the ‘virgin’ state of ecosystems (or at least on a state approaching this) is considered highly relevant to assess the current status of exploited marine ecosystems and to provide reference points for management.