Ecosystem Approaches to Fisheries Management-Development of Operating Guidelines

Evolving the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF) Topics for Content Areas of Guidelines Status of some ongoing Ecosystem Projects Discussion on Strategies for Ecosystem Guidelines

Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee MeetingJune 7-10, Washington, DC

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DefinitionsDefinitionsAn An ecosystemecosystem is a geographically specified system of organisms is a geographically specified system of organisms (including humans), the environment, and the processes that control (including humans), the environment, and the processes that control its dynamics. its dynamics.

The The environmentenvironment is the biological, chemical, physical, and social is the biological, chemical, physical, and social conditions that surround organisms.conditions that surround organisms.

When appropriate, the term When appropriate, the term environment should be environment should be qualified as biological, qualified as biological, chemical, physical, and/or chemical, physical, and/or social.social.

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Fishery Management(council, state, state

Commissions,International agreements)

Protected Resource Management

(MMPA, ESA, BirdsEtc.)

Water QualityManagement

(EPA, states, etc.)

Other management authorities for navigation, sanctuaries,food quality/safety, international agreements, climate change, etc.

Coastal & EEZModifications

(COE, MMS, etc.)

Elements of Regional Ecosystem Governancefisheries are more dependent on decisions in other sectors

interaction

Incorporating Ecosystem Considerationsin Fisheries Management - questions

What are the important objectives of an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF)?

To what extent are they addressed now (e.g., in the MSFCMA)?

What ecosystem objectives would not be adequately addressed under conservative single-species or FMP-by-FMP approaches?

How could various strategies facilitate better and more consistent implementation of ecosystem approaches to fisheries or ecosystem approaches to management (EAM)?

Candidate Operational Objectives for EAF

Conserve and Manage Species- Target species, assemblages, non-target species, PET* species, biodiversity protection

Minimize Bycatch- target, non-target & PET species, and minimize waste

Manage Tradeoffs- among fisheries sectors, optimize fishery benefits,prevent sequential depletion/effort transfer, usemanagement processes that are fair, equitable and

transparent, consider cumulative impacts, evaluate impacts of non-fishery sectors, include diverse stakeholder views

* PET = Protected, Endangered or Threatened Species

Goal

Non-Resource Species: Barndoor Skate

Candidate Objectives for EAF, continued…

Account for Feedback Effects- predator-prey relationships, gear impacts on habitat

productivity, irreversibility of fishing impacts, harvesting-induced regime change

Establish Appropriate Ecosystem Boundaries- allows for interconnections between adjacent

ecosystems, allows for imports and exports, includes multiple spatial scales depending on issue

Maintain Ecosystem Productivity, Balance Ecosystem Structure

- evaluate ecosystem carrying capacity, maintain resilience/resistance to perturbations, attain

trophic balance

Phytoplankton

Zooplankton

Forage Fish

Piscivores

Apex Predators

Humans

The Trophic Pyramid and Energy Flow

1000 units

100 units

10 units

1 unit

0.1 unit

0.01 unit

If transfer efficiency is 10%-5-

Spatial Scales & Boundaries

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Scales and Observations

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Candidate Objectives for EAF, continued.

Account for Climate Variability- low-frequency variation (decadal scale

changes), High-frequency variation (year-to- year or more frequent), climate-based regime change

Use Adaptive Approaches to Management- consider multiple causes for observed

changes and sources of uncertainty in assessment & prediction, reverse burden of proof where consequences are great, imbed experiments in management approaches to increase ecosystem knowledge

Regional Climatology Affects Ecosystems

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Interactions Between Physical &Biological Components of Ecosystems

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Known

Unknown

Unknowable

Surface Production & Dynamics

Status of Major Species

Number of Species inthe Oceans

Structure of “pristine” ecosystems

3-D Structure of SelectedOcean Environments

Evolutionary effectsof human activitiesSynoptic Maps of the

Sea Floor

Food-web and particle size models

Valuing EcosystemGoods & Services

Climate Variation effects onspecies & ecosystems

Spatially-explicit models ofpredator-prey systems

Status of all “important” species

Mapping of Habitats

Predictive models ofmany-species interactions

NutrientEnrichment & Toxics

Reversibility ofHuman impacts

Adapting to Knowledge

In FY04, Congress allocated ~$2 million for NOAA-In FY04, Congress allocated ~$2 million for NOAA-Fisheries to conduct ecosystem management pilot Fisheries to conduct ecosystem management pilot projects in four regions:projects in four regions:

New England New England Mid-AtlanticMid-Atlantic South AtlanticSouth Atlantic Gulf of MexicoGulf of Mexico

Report language from the Senate further explains - Report language from the Senate further explains - ““The pilots purposely cover bodies of water that are contiguous, The pilots purposely cover bodies of water that are contiguous,

because the one influences the others. “because the one influences the others. “

““Ultimately, should the pilots prove successful, the Committee would Ultimately, should the pilots prove successful, the Committee would expect to fold more specific initiatives into the larger ecosystem approach.”expect to fold more specific initiatives into the larger ecosystem approach.”

““NMFS is directed to report to the Committees on Appropriations not NMFS is directed to report to the Committees on Appropriations not later than December 1, 2003 on its plans for implementing the pilots.”later than December 1, 2003 on its plans for implementing the pilots.”

Fisheries Ecosystem Pilot ProjectsFisheries Ecosystem Pilot Projects

National Research Council Study on Ecosystem Effects of Fishing

Terms of Reference• Evaluate the evidence for fishing-induced

ecosystem effects,

• Comment on the quality of data and models available to evaluate long-term ecosystem effects,

• Evaluate the implications of ecosystem effects of fishing for society & science, given uncertainty of information. Focus on characteristics of ecosystems providing sustainable production of goods and services in relation to those from pristine ecosystems,

• Propose appropriate research strategies to better evaluate ecosystem effects of fishing and the provision of policy guidance.

• Evidence for reversibility of fishing effects• Evidence for ecosystem change due to predator overfishing• Fishing Impacts on System-wide Productivity

- Sequential fishing down trophic levels- Trophic Cascades- Control hypotheses for fishery ecosystems - Fishing-Induced regime change

• Shifting Baselines – pristine, utilized, degraded ecosystems• Global syntheses (& generalities) regarding fishery effects• Effectiveness of MPAs for ecosystem objectives and fishery

management• Adequacy of data, indices & models

National Research Council Study

Proposed Ecosystem-Based Management Surveyfor the Fisheries Management Councils (Draft

Questions) (1) Is your FMC currently implementing an ecosystem approachto fisheries management? If so, describe how (include pilot projects).

(2) Describe recent management decisions that were based upon the ecosystem approach.

(3) Do existing statutes (e.g., MSFCMA, NEPA) provide sufficient authority for your FMC to implement fully an ecosystem approach to fisheries management?

(4) What other limitations or restrictions do the Councils have with regard to managing their fisheries using ecosystem principles? -10-

Proposed Ecosystem-Based Management Survey (cont.)

(5) What kinds of data or information are lacking that would be required for your FMC to implement an ecosystem approach?

(6) What steps should your FMC take next to fully implement an ecosystem approach to fisheries?

Why?

What?

How?

Who?

When?

Our Next Steps… Discussion on the Merits ofGuidelines/Guidance for EAF