In praise of Petersen

Abstract

C. G. J. Petersen distinguished between his “growth” theory and the then current “propagation” theory when accounting for the reduction in catches (and sizes) of flatfish in the Kattegat during the late eighties and early nineties of the last century. There is a current distinction between growth overfishing and recruitment overfishing, to which Petersen's earlier contribution is highly relevant. Therefore it was worth recalling how he came to this conclusion and what was the climate of opinion on these problems at that time. His methods are worth exposition in themselves and serve a strongly didactic purpose at the present time.