Even once they recognized what was happening, they often botched the job of maintaining fish stocks and economically healthy fishing fleets. Scientists exist in a world of computer models of fish stocks and economic behavior, while the fishers who must ultimately cope with their decisions live in a completely different world. This is a recipe for conflict and political gridlock. You don't manage fish at all, you manage people. This situation has begun to change.
People have to get out on boats and into people's kitchens.
One example can be found in Japan, where a cooperative system of fishery management is centuries old. In Shichigahama, the gill net cooperative consists of 60 boats, most about 50 feet long, each with a narrow beam and a high cockpit. They operate within a tight regulatory structure overseen by the state and federal governments, but negotiate the details themselves. The gill netters compete with a bigger trawl fleet. Fifteen years ago, when landings dropped noticeably, conflicts began.