ABSTRACT
Predatory fish populations have been depleted by overexploitation worldwide, and in many cases, their recovery has proven challenging. Multiple biological factors impeding the recovery of these populations include (1) changes in ecological interactions regulated by population density, (2) evolutionary changes induced by fishing mortality and (3) increased vulnerability of small populations to demographic and environmental stochasticity. These factors cause nonlinear effects that should be considered when rebuilding predatory fish populations. The rebuilding process can be speeded up by counterintuitive management measures beyond the mere reduction in fishing mortality.
