Fishery Management and Culling

Abstract

In their recent Policy Forum “Ecosystem-based fishery management” (16 July, p. [346][1]), E. K. Pikitch et al . review ecosystem-based fishery management (EBFM) as it is currently conceived. However, the conceptual boundaries of EBFM are being challenged. In May 2004, the Norwegian Parliament voted for a new policy regarding marine mammals, based on a white paper from the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries ([1][2]). The “central topic” of this paper is “the establishment of an ecosystem-based management regime for marine mammals in areas under Norwegian jurisdiction” ([1][2]). The policy includes proposals to increase hunt quotas for minke whales, “substantially” increase catches of harp seals, and “regulate population growth in coastal seals to reduce damage to the fisheries.” The policy also identifies the need to “introduce a set of general principles to be used as a basis for marine mammal management in Norway, and seek to achieve the widest possible international support for them.” The policy includes almost no mention of management approaches that constitute EBFM as described elsewhere (e.g., by Pikitch et al. ). The two views of EBFM overlap with regard to monitoring by-catch of marine mammals and protecting endangered species (blue and bowhead whales). The principle embodied in the new Norwegian policy is to reduce marine mammal populations, or prevent population increases, in the hopes of increased fisheries production. This is culling ([2][3]). International acceptance that culling predators is a primary component of EBFM will be a retrograde step in marine environmental management. 1. 1.[↵][4] Norsk sjopattedyrpolitikk [Stortingsmelding 27 (2003–04), available at ]. English quotations are from a translation of the white paper's summary chapter (available at [http://odin.dep.no/filarkiv/202967/marine\_mammal\_summary_final.pdf][5].). 2. 2.[↵][6] 1. P. Yodzis , Trends Ecol. Evol. 16, 78 (2001). [OpenUrl][7][CrossRef][8][PubMed][9][Web of Science][10] # Response {#article-title-2} In our opinion, culling is not “a primary component” of ecosystem-based fishery management (EBFM). The key point of our Policy Forum is that EBFM reverses the order of management priorities so that the objective of sustaining ecosystem structure and function supersedes the objective of maximizing fisheries yields. Achieving this might involve selectively harvesting and protecting different parts of the ecosystem at different times—for example, protecting depleted populations and habitats, harvesting target populations with an intensity related to their recent productivity, and targeted removal of invasive species or species greatly favored by anthropogenic activities such as fishing and pollution. Therefore, EBFM does not preclude culling to achieve the objective of healthy ecosystems, provided that it would not cause harm to the structure and function of the ecosystem and would be undertaken in an adaptive, precautionary manner. On the other hand, our interpretation of EBFM is not supportive of large reductions in the natural levels of native populations or ecosystem elements to enhance fisheries yields or with intentionally depleting predators to help compensate for fishery overharvesting of prey species. Furthermore, because marine ecosystems are highly complex, variable, and difficult to predict, attempts to manipulate the ecosystem to enhance commercial fishery yield might not produce the intended consequence and may further degrade the ecosystem. We believe EBFM is a new, better and all-encompassing way to manage marine fisheries, and it would be unhelpful if the debate were to be overshadowed by a tangential issue such as culling. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.1098222 [2]: #ref-1 [3]: #ref-2 [4]: #xref-ref-1-1 View reference 1. in text [5]: http://odin.dep.no/filarkiv/202967/marine_mammal_summary_final.pdf [6]: #xref-ref-2-1 View reference 2. in text [7]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DTrends%2Bin%2BEcology%2B%2526%2BEvolution%26rft.stitle%253DTrends%2Bin%2BEcology%2B%2526%2BEvolution%26rft.aulast%253DYodzis%26rft.auinit1%253DP.%26rft.volume%253D16%26rft.issue%253D2%26rft.spage%253D78%26rft.epage%253D84%26rft.atitle%253DMust%2Btop%2Bpredators%2Bbe%2Bculled%2Bfor%2Bthe%2Bsake%2Bof%2Bfisheries%253F%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1016%252FS0169-5347%252800%252902062-0%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F11165705%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [8]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1016/S0169-5347(00)02062-0&link_type=DOI [9]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=11165705&link_type=MED&atom=%2Fsci%2F306%2F5703%2F1891.4.atom [10]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000168453800017&link_type=ISI