Response to Comments: "Impacts of Biodiversity loss on ocean ecosystem services"

Abstract

We show that globally declining fisheries catch trends cannot be explained by random processes and are consistent with declining stock abundance trends. Future projections are inherently uncertain but may provide a benchmark against which to assess the effectiveness of conservation measures. Marine reserves and fisheries closures are among those measures and can be equally effective in tropical and temperate areas-but must be combined with catch-, effort-, and gear restrictions to meet global conservation objectives.