A new study finds that a holistic, ecosystem-based approach to managing small prey species known as forage fish could have multiple economic and environmental benefits. California Focusing on offshore forage fisheries, this study modeled management strategies for two forage fish species, anchovies and sardines, while considering populations of halibut and brown pelicans that feed on forage fish. We found that the more species such as anchovies, halibut, etc. managed together, the more influence managers had to achieve conservation goals such as forage fish, thus a win-win situation. Could become,” said Essington. The once endangered Brown-her-Pelican was removed from the endangered species list in 2009. However, the recent depletion of sardine populations has raised new concerns about the status of brown pelicans off the west coast. Forage fish are small pelagic fish that have a significant impact on both marine food webs and coastal economies. They are an important food source for many predators, from commercially valuable fish species to seabirds. People also rely on them to make food and fishmeal, fish oil, and other products. Historically, a fishery manager focused on managing his one feed species at a time. but this does not reflect the role of species in food webs. However, there has been momentum to move towards ecosystem-based strategies, largely based on research showing that they can help protect biodiversity and promote long-term sustainable fisheries. The findings outlined in this paper also help managers optimize catch limits when forage fish populations fluctuate naturally. The model suggests that fishers can make better use of forage fish populations without harming ecosystems when stocks are at peak. However, managers should take stricter precautions to close fisheries before population cycles become low. If such a management approach is implemented, the sardine fishery could achieve economic gains of over 60% compared to the current management system, the study said. "Our study points to a growing body of literature highlighting the potential benefits of zooming out and taking a more holistic view, as well as the conditions under which those benefits are likely to be maximized. ”Forage fish management appears to be a straightforward achievement for incorporating ecosystem principles and approaches into management." A small pelagic fish hunted for food by humans. Predators include other large fish, seabirds and marine mammals. Typical marine forage fish eat plankton near the base of the food chain, often by filter feeding. These include, in particular, fish of the order Corvidae (herring, sardine, alice shad, hirsa, menhaden, anchovies, sprat), but also other smaller fish such as half-beak, silverside, smelt such as capelin. Some even swim in synchronized grids with their mouths open so that they can filter plankton efficiently. Marine primary producers, found primarily in plankton, produce food energy from the sun and are the raw material for the marine food web. Forage fish transfer this energy by eating plankton and becoming food for the higher predators themselves. As such, forage fish occupy a central position in the food web of oceans and lakes. Fisheries sometimes catch baitfish for commercial purposes, but primarily for use as baitfish for farmed animals that eat fish.