When overfishing is the sustainable option

Climate change is driving species to colonize new ranges, sometimes causing uncontrollable damage. Here we present a remarkable scenario in which government-supported incentives have driven the establishment of a commercial fishery targeting a destructive urchin, intentionally encouraging overfishing to protect kelp ecosystems. This ecosystem management strategy is paradoxical in the objective to overfish sustainably. Due to consistent and increasing larval influx, the eradication of urchins in their extended range is implausible. Management, therefore, focuses on maintaining urchin density below a critical threshold while ensuring a viable commercial fishery for long-term species control. Our model dissects the fishery’s impact, offering practical strategies for controlling a destructive range extender given economic and spatial dynamics. Beyond the implications of subsidizing a commercial fishery to counteract the impacts of climate change, our study explores the conflict between exploitation and conservation, challenging traditional views and presenting practical pathways to sustainability. The long-spined sea urchin has colonized areas along the Tasmanian coast owing to climate-induced changes in ocean currents, forming barrens that threaten marine species. This study shows how a government-supported strategy of overfishing this sea urchin could help conservation and fisheries outcomes.