ABSTRACT
In this chapter, ‘The Importance of Groupers and Threats to their Future’, Yvonne Sadovy and Liu Min provide a brief background on taxonomy, biology, and ecology followed by consideration of the importance of groupers in reef ecosystems and their benefits to humans. The chapter then examines the growing threats faced by groupers, particularly from overexploitation and the lack of effective management, and the difficulties associated with their monitoring, population status evaluation, conservation, and fishery management. In addition to the major problem of overexploitation, the chapter also briefly considers habitat degradation, climate change and the implications of covid-19, particularly highlighting the importance of groupers for small-scale fisheries and, hence, the need to maintain grouper populations in healthy condition for livelihoods and food supply. Recreational, aesthetic and biodiversity aspects of preserving groupers are also considered. The overview is not intended to be a comprehensive coverage of all the topics, many of which are addressed more fully in other chapters of the book, but seeks to identify and explore the importance and major uses of, and issues and challenges faced by, groupers and the implications for marine ecosystems, and fishing communities, should current trends continue. Possible solutions and future steps are considered.
