Sidney Holt on principles for the conservation of wild living resources, whaling in the Antarctic, and the Beverton–Holt stock–recruitment relationship

Abstract

Abstract I review my interactions with Sidney Holt concerning principles for the conservation of wild living resources, the whaling case between Australia and Japan in the International Court of Justice, and the Beverton–Holt stock–recruitment relationship (BH-SRR). Holt and Lee Talbot published a monograph on principles for conservation in 1977; I lead the publication of an update ∼20 years later. I compare the two versions and discuss Holt’s contributions. Holt was active in the world-wide campaign to cease whaling and in efforts to have the Japanese special permit whaling programme in the Antarctic recognized as violating the moratorium on commercial whaling. I describe my involvement in the case and my interactions with him during oral arguments in the case and when the International Court of Justice rendered its decision that the Japanese programme of special permit whaling contravened the international treaty for the regulation of whaling because it was not for purposes of scientific research. In response to a paper of mine concerning steepness, Holt wrote to me that the BH-SSR is a one-, not two-, parameter function. I explain my current understanding of his reasoning, which involves how we use the SRR in fishery management.