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Mar Ecol Prog Ser 274: 269–303, 2004 how severely depleted some fish stocks are, and on whether and how quickly they will recover, all agree that many stocks are overexploited. While there is some disagreement over just how much fishing must be reduced, all agree that current levels of overcapacity in the world’s fishing fleets are not sustainable. While there is disagreement over equating MPAs and EAF, all agree that MPAs will complement other management tools, within an EAF or not. Thus, for each and every major issue, while there might be disagreement on the details, there is unanimity over the pressing need for action to protect marine ecosystems. And that must be made the focus of public attention. Iles (1980) refers to ‘… a ‘Bio-Energetic Multi-Species Ecosystem Dynamics (BEMUSED)…’basis for setting catch quotas. This illustrates how the idea of taking an EAF is really nothing new, and it highlights …