Using multi-criteria analysis the assess impacts of change in ecosystem-based fisheries management: The case of the Icelandic cod

Abstract

This paper presents the outcome of one of the case-studies of the EU-funded FP7 research project MareFrame. The project sought to remove the barriers preventing more widespread use of the ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management by developing integrated ecosystem-based assessment methods and a decision support framework for the management of marine resources. The findings are intended to support the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). The case study focused on the Icelandic cod fishery which is by far the most important fishery in Iceland, accounting for 43% of the country's total export values of seafood in 2016. Sound biological and economic management of the fishery is therefore essential for both the nation as a whole as well as individual fisheries-dependent communities. The analysis is done in two main steps. We first use the statistical multi-species model Gadget, developed by the Icelandic Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, to estimate the development of catches by fleet segments (trawl, net and longline) and stock size. Comparisons are made with two scenarios: a) adhering to the present harvest control rule or b) changing the effort to a level corresponding to fishing mortality associated with maximum sustainable yield (FMSY). In the second step, the two outcomes and their socio-economic effects are examined using a three-stage analytic hierarchy process. The case study has been developed in close cooperation with Icelandic stakeholders, and in this paper we describe how the co-creation approach was employed in an ecosystem-based fisheries management framework.