Sustainable Use of Populations and Overexploitation

Abstract Sustainable use refers to exploiting a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged. Sustainability is an internationally accepted minimal goal in managing biological resources. However, many populations are managed under more stringent goals, for example obtaining maximum sustainable biological or economic yield. Overexploitation refers to exploitation that is more intensive than such specific goals. While overexploitation is not sensible from societal point of view, in practice overexploitation often occurs because of the conflicting interests between individual exploiters and the public, and because individual exploiters often are maximizing short rather than long‐term benefits. When sustainable exploitation is attempted, significant practical challenges remain in determining particular exploitation levels that would guarantee chosen management goals. Good intentions may be ruined if uncertainty is not properly accounted for, and overexploitation may also result from lack of precaution.