Coastal habitat support to fish and fisheries in Sweden: Integrating ecosystem functions into fisheries management

This study adopts an interdisciplinary approach, where ecological data on habitat structure and fish populations are combined with results from economic valuation case studies to assess effects of habitat disturbance. The focus is on three major habitats (soft sediment bottoms, seagrass beds and rocky bottoms with macroalgae), five fish species (cod, plaice, eel, mackerel and sea trout) and three types of fisheries (commercial, subsistence and recreational fisheries). The results have important implications for coastal zone management, demonstrating both ecologically and economically how coastal habitats support fisheries. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.