The findings raise some interesting questions about preserving sustainable fisheries.

The study makes use of data from tagging programs, in which researchers tag fish and release them into the wild. When those fish are caught, and the tag information goes back to the researchers, it can give scientists information that informs fishery policies.

“Fisheries researchers who work in tagging programs have long noticed that certain fish seem to get caught repeatedly, and we set out to determine the implications of this phenomenon,” says Jeff Buckel, coauthor of the study and a professor of applied ecology at North Carolina State University.