Incorporating ecosystem objectives into management of sustainable marine fisheries, including 'best practice' reference points and use of marine protected areas.

Abstract

AbstractThe broadening of fisheries management to include ecosystem-related objectives raises a potentially confusing range of possible issues for consideration in management decisions, in reporting and in assessing management performance. However, there are methods available and approaches to addressing the issues that are practical, accessible to stakeholder participation and scientifically assessable. Three broad and interrelated elements are described that allow ecosystem objectives to be practically and operationally incorporated into marine fisheries management systems. Reporting and assessment of the whole management system against sustainability objectives Three major points are developed and emphasized: 1. Indicators and reference points - and consequently performance measures - must relate explicitly to the high-level objectives of management. 2. The structure and focus of reports on sustainability must be derived transparently from the high-level objectives. A methodology for this is described that can be used in meetings with stakeholders to elucidate the issues, indicators and reference points, management response and the justification for decisions. It can include risk-based methods to help identify the relative importance of different issues. 3. Performance assessment must be of the management system as a whole, rather than solely on the merits of particular parts in isolation. An established methodology (management strategy evaluation) is described that can be used to test quantitatively the likely performance of different management strategies in achieving ecosystem objectives. A management strategy in this context is a combination of monitoring, use of the monitoring data for assessment against reference points, identification of appropriate management measures and implementation of these measures. This methodology can be used to test any aspect of the strategy in the 'common currency' of the management objectives, and to identify the circumstances in which particular strategies are likely to perform well or fail. It has already been used in fisheries in relation to target species, important by-catch species, predator-prey dependencies and seabed habitats. Indicators, reference points and performance measures for fisheries ecosystem objectives There are many options available, and some recent summaries are identified. A set of target and limit reference points for fisheries ecosystem objectives are provided. These are based broadly on experience to date, and could be practically implemented in the short term. It is not claimed that these reference points are necessary or adequate to achieve sustainability for fisheries and marine ecosystems. Rather, they represent a practical and emerging 'best practice' means of operationally accommodating ecosystem-related objectives in fisheries management. Use of marine protected areas to achieve ecosystem objectives in fisheries management Fisheries have long used some forms of spatial management, such as closure of nursery areas to protect juvenile fish, but more recently there has been a focus on use of marine protected areas (MPAs) to achieve fishery objectives for the target species and for the ecosystem more generally. MPAs hold promise as a rational and practical way of managing ocean resources to achieve fishery ecosystem objectives, although this promise should not be overstated. MPAs are best seen as part of a collection of management tools and measures, with a combination of on-reserve and off-reserve measures being used together to achieve sustainable fisheries and marine ecosystems. Several new technological developments are making their design and management more practical. These recent developments are reviewed.