Elvis Kamberi1*, Edmond Hala1
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1Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries, Agricultural University of Tirana, Tirana, Albania Abstract Fish populations are subject to multiple anthropogenic and environmental drivers that cause pronounced fluctuations in abundance. In certain cases, these fluctuations result in abrupt shifts that can disrupt fisheries, alter marine ecosystems, and affect ecosystem resilience and management. Therefore, distinguishing rapid changes from gradual trends is considered critical for understanding how exploited populations respond to cumulative pressures. While previous studies have documented abrupt changes at the community level in the Adriatic Sea, species-level evidence remains limited. In this study, we applied a systematic approach to classify Adriatic Sea fisheries landings (1970–2020). Time-series were categorized into four trajectory types: stable, linear, quadratic, and abrupt. Abrupt trajectories dominated the dataset, occurring in 11 taxa, while linear, quadratic, and stable dynamics were also observed, revealing pronounced heterogeneity in species-specific responses. Among taxa with abrupt trajectories, eight exhibited a single breakpoint, whereas three taxa showed two breakpoints, with the majority identified between the late 1980s and late 1990s. Characterizing these abrupt changes at taxa level provides critical insights into the resilience of exploited species and supports the development of flexible and adaptive fisheries management in the Adriatic Sea. Keywords: abrupt shift; landing dynamics; Adriatic Sea; fisheries |
