Fish research and connecting fish, rivers and people

Fish research is a branch of zoology known as ichthyology. Scientists who specifically study fish are called ichthyologists.

Generally, a fishery is an entity engaged in raising or harvesting fish which is determined by some authority to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats, purpose of the activities or a combination of the foregoing features".The definition often includes a combination of fish and fishers in a region, the latter fishing for similar species with similar gear types

A fishery may involve the capture of wild fish or raising fish through fish farming or aquaculture.Directly or indirectly, the livelihood of over 500 million people in developing countries depends on fisheries and aquaculture. Overfishing, including the taking of fish beyond sustainable levels, is reducing fish stocks and employment in many world regions. The term fishing may be applied to catching other aquatic animals such as molluscs, cephalopods, crustaceans, and echinoderms.

Ichthyology has a long history that began with simple observations and descriptions of fish over 200 years. The first known recorded observations of fish were documented by Pierre Belon in the 1500’s. In the early 1700’s, Peter Artedi’s, who some consider to be the Father of Ichthyology, had his work “Ichthyologia” posthumously published by Karl Linnaeus.

Fish research has become an increasingly important study as fish populations decline throughout the world. The decline of fish has an immense impact on ocean ecosystems as well as a significant impact on one of the primary food sources for people around the world. Overfishing in the past 50 years has significantly reduced fish populations across a large number of species. Research in ichthyology helps policy makers determine what course of action to take in order to maintain fish populations throughout the world. National and international policies are determined based on the data provided by fish research.