Abstract

The ability to discriminate between genetically independent stocks of commercially important species is essential for the development of sound fisheries management and conservation strategies. Traditional techniques, such as the use of morphological, physiological and behavioural characteristics, which may be strongly affected by environmental factors, have now been largely superceded by molecular biology techniques which use genetic markers (i.e. protein enzyme markers and DNA markers) to examine the genome. This paper reviews the latest developments in the use of DNA markers for fish stock discrimination; reports on their application to testing the hypothesis of a single, shared stock of the four-wing flying&h, Hirundichthys affinis, in the Caribbean; and discusses the management implications

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