The fish populations of the world have been on the decline for decades, including tuna and mackerel stocks that have plummeted 74 percent from 1970 to 2010.

But Earth's fisheries still have a good chance of bouncing back, according to new research published Monday.

Researchers found that improved fishing practices could lead global fisheries, particularly 77 percent of it, to return to a robust state within just 10 years. By 2050, these populations could even double and provide a 204 percent climb in profits for fisherfolk.

Study author Amanda Leland, also the Environmental Defense Fund's senior vice president for ocean, dubbed the findings surprising, showing that humans "can have our fish and eat it too."

"It would be very hard to find another global, significant environmental challenge that could be solved so quickly," she says in a Huffington Post report.

The team made up of researchers from the group as well as the University of Washington and University of California Santa Barbara probed data on more than 4,700 fisheries around the world, which represented 78 percent of global documented fish catch.

They discovered - rather unsurprisingly - that if things continue as they are now, there would be "continued collapse" for many of these fisheries. On the other hand, sustainable reforms including science-aligned catch limits could create annual increases in seafood of more than 16 million metric tons, with yearly profits reaching $53 billion.

Contrary to what may be assumed, sustainable fishing won't hurt economic returns but will, in fact, increase them long-term. Lead author and UC Santa Barbara Professor Chris Costello said that ocean fisheries should then no longer be viewed as a string of trade-offs.

"In fact, we show that we can have more fish in the water, more food on the plate, and more prosperous fishing communities - and it can happen relatively quickly," he explains.

More fish in the ocean translates to improved food security for 3 billion people globally who depend on seafood as a primary protein source.

Thus this predicted move is a triple win, according to Leland: fish, food security for humans and jobs.

Daniel Pauly, a fisheries expert who was not involved in the study, echoed the "bad shape" that the world's fisheries are currently in, believing it's hurtling toward collapse in a number of years. He echoed the benefits of a well-executed quota system for fishermen, which can prevent overfishing yet, can also serve their interests.

This so-called catch share system entitles a fisherman to a percentage of the total allocated fish haul, with the catch set by scientists based on best current evidence. Rising numbers of fish could mean a revised catch limit.

The results have been encouraging so far for those practicing this in countries such as Australia, Denmark and the United States, said Leland, who harped on institutional reforms and urgent action from those in leadership positions to make the recovery of the world's fisheries possible.

The findings were published March 29 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Photo: Derek Keats | Flickr

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