Professor Douglas Butterworth

Professor Emeritus Douglas Butterworth is an acknowledged world leader in fishery assessment, modelling and management, with over 20 Government/fishing industry organisations seeking his scientific advice over the last fifteen years.

He has had a major impact on the development and promotion of the “management procedure” approach to fisheries management, in particular in the IWC, CCSBT and for major SA fisheries, and more recently in NAFO, Canada, the USA and for the Tristan da Cunha rock lobster fishery. Together with members of the MARAM research group, he has developed the basis to provide scientific management advice for all the major SA fisheries (hake, sardine and anchovy, horse mackerel, west and south coast rock lobster, squid and abalone).

He also played a major role in the process of revision of the CITES criteria for classifying species as endangered, and in the formulation of a review procedure within FAO for CITES proposals related to marine species.

Prof Butterworth has received many accolades over the years, and it has been noted that it is rare for a scientist to receive major national orders for their contributions in more than one country – the Order of Mapungubwe (Silver) from South Africa and the Order of the Rising Sun (Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon) from Japan.