Fish and Fisheries is a refereed academic journal which exists to benefit all involved with the broad field of the biology of fish and their exploitation and conservation at a professional level whether in government university or international agency research the fisheries industry or the conservation movement. The purpose of the journal is to provide critical overviews of major physiological molecular ecological and evolutionary issues in the study of fish and to establish a forum for debate of issues of global concern in world fisheries by publishing cutting edge reviews and discussion of internationally important topics of relevance. Fish and Fisheries adopts a broad interdisciplinary approach to the subject of fish biology and fisheries. It draws contributions in the form of major review papers synthesis that lays out new approaches and methods discussion papers letters and commentaries from diverse areas including palaeontology molecular biology genetics biochemistry physiology ecology behaviour evolutionary studies conservation assessment population dynamics mathematical modelling ecosystem analysis and social economic and policy aspects of fisheries. Though Fish and Fisheries aims to enable the wider consideration of significant and sometimes controversial issues its ethos is one of impartiality and non-partisanship. It therefore strives to provide balance and in so doing encourages all sides of a debate to submit their views to the wider examination of the journal's readership.