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Fisheries management involves trade-offs among several and potentially conflicting objectives; single stock sustainability, economic viability, social welfare, and ecosystem health. Management traditionally focused on single-stock sustainability and economic objectives. However, in a mixed fishery, interdependencies often make it unfeasible to achieve maximum sustainable yield (MSY) for all target species simultaneously.

It was with great interest that I [and many other ecosystem modelers and scientists in the Northeast US (NEUS), NOAA Fisheries, and NOAA] anticipated reading Sivel et al. (2025). I appreciate the expression of different perspectives, coupled with debate and examination of science to advance the discipline and the application of its knowledge.

Sustainability in fisheries aims to ensure that fish populations are harvested at a rate that allows them to replenish, while maintaining the ecological balance and supporting the socio-economic well-being of fishing communities (Hilborn et al. 2004, FAO 2020). This approach recognizes that fisheries are not just about extracting resources but about maintaining a delicate balance between ecological integrity, economic viability, and social equity now and in the future (Worm et al. 2009, FAO 2015).