Multispecies Fishery Management Research Articles

Surveillance Systems for Sustainable Fisheries: Perceptions on the Adoption of Electronic Monitoring in the Northeast US Multispecies Fishery

Amendment 23 (A23) to the Northeast Multispecies Fisheries Management Plan will remake monitoring systems for the Northeast US commercial groundfish fishery. In addition to substantially increasing monitoring coverage, A23 will provide fishers with the option to utilize electronic monitoring (EM) technologies in place of human at-sea observers. Based on twenty-six interviews with representatives of the fishing industry, nongovernmental organizations, regulatory agencies, EM service providers, and other stakeholder groups, this paper examines how the fishery is planning for the adoption of EM. We focus on the differing perspectives on the value of EM as an appropriate tool for protecting the fishery, and as a tool of surveillance that may transform the lives of fishers. We find that while most stakeholders support the use of EM in the future, mistrust within the industry—based on historical regulatory failures, perceived lack of information on technical feasibility, privacy and data ownership issues, and the unknown long-term costs to vessel owners—poses significant barriers to successful adoption of these technologies. We conclude that these barriers can be overcome by investing in co-management driven EM implementations that draw on the expertise of fishers and increase their autonomy over their vessels and their use of data. This study offers critical insights into the conflicting sociotechnical imaginaries that co-produce spaces of surveillance for natural resource management, as well as provides important findings for the fishery as A23 moves into implementation phases.

Harvest control rules of pelagic fisheries in the Bali Strait, Indonesia

Abstract. Harlyan LI, Badriyah L, Rahman MA, Sutjipto DO, Sari WK. 2021. Harvest control rules of pelagic fisheries in the Bali Strait, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 23: 947-953. Multispecies pelagic fisheries have contributed as the main fishery production for the Bali Strait fisheries. To maintain the sustainability of the fish stock, sets of harvest control rules (HCRs) have been introduced in terms of fishery management. Conventional single-species surplus production models have been used extensively to determine the future annual allowable biological catch (ABC). However, they may not technically apply to multispecies fishery management. The feedback harvest control rule HCR has been validated and applied to maintain the catch variability of the multispecies fishery. This study aims to technically compare the use of the surplus production model and the feedback HCR in the ABC estimation. The catch and effort data series of the three dominant species from 2010-2019, collected from Pengambengan and Muncar fishing port, were analyzed by two HCRs, the Schaefer surplus production model and the feedback HCR to obtain the ABC. As a result, the Schaefer model showed a higher estimation of ABC than the feedback HCR because the feedback HCR may reflect the recent historical catch consistent with precautionary principles. The feedback HCR showed an initial step toward sustainably managing multispecies fisheries while dealing with unavailability in species-specific data conditions.

Advancing multispecies fishery management in China: Lessons from international experience

China's 13th Five-Year Plan elevated the national mandate for environmental sustainability. Chinese fisheries are characterized by full retention of high diversity catch harvested using unselective gears, creating ecological risks. Therefore, China launched pilot projects in management by Total Allowable Catch (TAC) in five coastal provinces in 2017 and 2018 to build experience with output controls. Fujian province launched an important pilot in its swimming crab fishery, the first to adopt a multispecies approach. To guide Fujian and other provinces in multispecies management, a workshop in April 2018 shared international experience. The workshop considered 13 case studies spanning a wide range of underlying scientific models and types of harvest controls. Multispecies harvest controls based on simple survey- or index-based models that aggregate trends for many species are typically operationally easier for managers and fishers. However, inadequate management can cause declines of individual species, sometimes leading to adoption of species-specific models and then species-specific harvest controls. This transition often incurs economic costs through scientific and management demands, and constraints on harvest of co-occurring species. The lessons revealed by the case studies suggest multispecies TACs might be effective in the Fujian swimming crab fishery given the modest number of species with similar and productive life history traits, and the market demand for all species. Continued experimentation with different management approaches through pilot projects can enable China to maintain progress toward sustainable fisheries goals under the 14th Five-Year Plan.

The Role of Food Web Interactions in Multispecies Fisheries Management: Bio-economic Analysis of Salmon, Herring and Grey Seal in the Northern Baltic Sea

Multispecies bio-economic models are useful tools to give insights into ecosystem thinking and ecosystem-based management. This paper developed an age-structured multispecies bio-economic model that includes the food web relations of the grey seal, salmon, and herring, along with salmon and herring fisheries in the Baltic Sea. The results show that the increasing seal population influences salmon fisheries and stock, but the impacts on the harvest are stronger than on the stock if the targeted management policies are obeyed. If seal population growth and a low herring stock occur simultaneously, the salmon harvest could face a serious threat. In addition, scenarios of the multispecies management approach in this paper reveal a benefit that our model can evaluate the performance of different fisheries with identical or different management strategies simultaneously. The results show the most profitable scenario is that both fisheries pursuit aggregated profits and reveal a trade-off between herring fisheries and salmon fisheries. Our model indicates that the herring harvest level and the approaches to managing herring fisheries can influence the performance of salmon fisheries. The study also demonstrates a way to develop a multispecies bio-economic model that includes both migratory fish and mammalian predators.

Estimating overall size-selection pattern in the bottom trawl fishery for four economically important fish species in the Mediterranean Sea

The management of multispecies fisheries, such as the Mediterranean bottom trawl fishery, is always a challenge. However, information on gear selectivity and discards has been studied separately so far. In this paper, the overall size-selection pattern by the trawl codend in the sea and by the fisher onboard the vessel is investigated for four commercially important fish species, Mullus barbatus, Mullus surmuletus, Pagellus erythrinus and Lophius budegassa, using different codends. For each species, the selection model used offered the possibility to simultaneously describe the escape, discard, and landing probability. The results, useful for fisheries management, showed that the codend made of 40 mm diamond meshes was always detrimental for the stocks. The 40 mm square meshes codend compared to that of 50 mm diamond meshes was more appropriate for the sustainability of both Mullus species, providing also a lawful catch along with greater compliance to the rules fisher behaviour, negligible discards and the lowest possible economic losses for the fisher. None of the codends was effective for P. erythrinus in achieving the minimum conservation reference size (MCRS) of the species. All codends were harmful to L. budegassa as the majority of juveniles were retained in the codend, resulting in negligible escapees, a high discard probability, and landings of a size much lower than the length at first maturity of the species. Further studies are needed to be conducted in the future for other species, since the trawl fishery in the Mediterranean is a multi-species fishery.

Elasmobranch bycatch in US West Coast groundfish fisheries

Effective management of multispecies fisheries in large marine ecosystems is challenging. To deal with these challenges, fisheries managers are moving toward ecosystem-based fishery management (EBFM). Despite this shift, many species remain outside protective legislation or fishery management plans. How do species that fall outside of formal management structures respond to changes in fisheries management strategies? In 2011, the US West Coast Groundfish Fishery (WCGF) shifted management to an Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) program. We used data collected by fisheries observers to examine the impact of this shift on elasmobranch catch (sharks, skates, rays). Historically, not all elasmobranchs were included in the WCGF Management Plan, making them vulnerable to fishing mortality. We grouped elasmobranchs into 8 groups based on 14 ecomorphotypes to examine relative catch within groundfish fishing sectors during the period 2002-2014. Of the 22 sharks and 18 skates and rays that these fisheries capture, 9 are listed as Near Threatened or greater on the IUCN Red List and 10 species are listed as Data Deficient by IUCN. The bycatch of 4 non-managed elasmobranch species was reduced under the IFQ program; IFQ management had no significant impact on the remaining 27 species caught by the IFQ fleet. Overall, catch of non-managed elasmobranchs was relatively low. We show that groups of ecomorphotypes co-occur within fisheries, suggesting natural management units for use in EBFM. This work helps identify gaps in monitoring and assessing the impact of management and policy on elasmobranch populations.

Fisheye Lens: Data Stewardship and Privacy Rights Under the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan's Amendment 23's Proposed Electronic Monitoring

The Atlantic Cod, Gadus morhua, once held a prime ecological and economic presence in the North Atlantic Ocean, and European colonizers capitalized on this resource by establishing a cod fishery in Newfoundland as far back as 1517. In 1992, Newfoundland’s fishery nearly eliminated its cod stocks, and the Gulf of Maine’s stocks were dying three times as fast as managers predicted. The fishery became one of the world’s most concrete examples of the tragedy of the commons, where harvesters exhaust an open-access resource. Guiding the New England Fisheries Management Council (NEFMC) cod fishery rebuilding effort is a tremendous amount of fisheries modeling aimed at estimating a requisite fishery’s stock size, using landings, discards, and survey data. The Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) sources and verifies data partly through the Northeast Fisheries Observer Program (NEFOP). Among the observers’ duties is physically boarding industry vessels to record data. The observers’ physical bias, however, could produce inaccurate data, leading the NEFMC to make inaccurate decisions and hinder the northeastern U.S. cod fishery’s recovery. Inaccurate data would thus hinder managers’ ability to rebuild this historically profitable fishery and the lack of cod would continue to deprive the Northeast’s ecosystem of a key predator. In response to the concern over bias, the NEFMC is currently considering several alternatives to the traditional human observer program in Amendment 23 to the Northeast Multispecies Fisheries Management Plan. One such alternative is electronic monitoring (EM). EM is a system of cameras that captures video of fishing activities onboard vessels, a crucial tool to produce high-quality and low-cost fisheries data to better inform management decisions. However, Northeast fishers have several concerns about EM. EM is a seemingly simple solution to human observers but produces highly detailed video and image data instead of pure numbers, which could identify private individuals, business, or their trade secrets. EM thus presents uncertainty in fishers’ private information, leading to apprehension of EM systems. The opportunity to design a program that is amenable to fishers could speed up implementing EM and its benefits to the northeast’s ecological and economic marine communities. Amending the Magnuson Stevens Act, promulgating strong privacy regulations and internal rules, and ensuring privacy guarantees in third-party contracts would best protect fishers’ privacy, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration should consider in light of their broad authority to collect EM data. Strong fisheries management requires strong cooperation and mutual respect; guaranteeing strong privacy rights for EM data furthers everyone’s interests. The goal of this Note is to provide a framework to promote the recovery of New England’s marine environment through coastal stakeholder and federal management cooperation.

The interplay between fishery yield and top predator culling in a multispecies fishery context.

In food webs, fishery can play the role of top predator, competing thus with other top predators for valuable food resources. In this view, it has been claimed in fisheries management that culling of top predators can be a means to improve fishery yield. To investigate this hypothesis, we use theoretical population models to assess in a multispecies context how fishery yield from target species harvest responds to top predator cull. Defying crisp summary, the four analysed food web models show that this response may be either positive or negative or both, indicating that in terms of multispecies fishery management the harvest yield may not accrue as a consequence of predator removal. In addition, this multitude of behaviours points also to the fact that the response of fishery yield to top predator cull may be difficult to assess.

Analysis and management of multi-species fisheries: Small-scale finfish fishery at Bahía Magdalena- Almejas, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Fishing is an important activity contributing to countries’ economy and food security worldwide. Despite efforts towards sustainability, fisheries frequently face overexploitation situations, particularly small-scale fisheries (SSF) whose management needs to be improved, according to the United Nations 2030 agenda. SSF are characterised as complex and predominantly multi-species activities, with little information available regarding their past and current operation. In Mexico, finfish fishery has played a fundamental role in recent years, but there are only official norms for four species and basic precautionary measures have been established by national regulations without applying a multi-species management scheme to this group. The present study was conducted to generate information that facilitates understanding how the finfish fishery operates. The research, completed in the Magdalena-Almejas Bay region, included the integration of productive units, the fleet operation, and the relation between target and associated species. The methodology encompassed an analysis of official catch landing reports data, official statistics between 1998 and 2008, and local knowledge gathered through surveys of producer organizations. Among the results, 75 fish species from 23 families were considered of commercial importance; however, 94% of the catches only include 10 families and were geographically located at 140 fishing localities. An oscillatory catch pattern throughout years was found, with the main fishing season being from May to August. The operative unit of the finfish fleet was integrated by fiberglass measuring 24 ± 3 feet, equipped with a four-stroke gasoline engine of 86 ± 40 HP. The target species were identified and compared to the fishing gear in use, capture zones, and associated species, aspects that allow an understanding of how the fishing works and provide important input to enhance métier identification processes.

Intertemporal quota arbitrage in multispecies fisheries

In the management of natural resources, regulation often induces behavioral responses by resource users that ultimately undermine stated policy objectives. Examples of these unintended consequences have been associated with regulations ranging from the Endangered Species Act to laws governing clean air. In this paper we investigate an unintended behavioral response that can be triggered by conservation measures in multispecies fishery management, which leads to increased targeting of the species the conservation measures are meant to protect. Harvest is subject to stochastic variation, with output partially determined by the probability of encountering species of interest, either due to targeting or avoidance. Given the right conditions, an intertemporal arbitrage opportunity arises due to the fact that by targeting a stock in the current period, the probability of encountering that stock in the next period, when announced conservation measures are implemented, decreases. We present an empirical case study that supports the findings of the theoretical model. The results indicate that, by targeting so called weak stocks, some New England fishermen are willing to trade off increased costs today for increased expected profits in the future. To prevent the potentially harmful effects of this behavioral response, a manager may adopt precautionary provisions at the time a quota reduction is announced, or alternatively allow the industry to bank part of its current season's quota in order to alleviate the consequences of the reduction in the ensuing period. These results highlight the challenge of developing effective conservation strategies.

Management strategy analysis for multispecies fisheries, including technical interactions and human behavior in modelling management decisions and fishing

A multispecies fishery management strategy evaluation (MSE) framework based on the example of the groundfish fishery in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands region of Alaska was used to examine the interplay between a bycatch species and three groundfish species. The study introduces a framework for a realistic multispecies fishery MSE by accounting for fleet dynamics, multispecies fishery quota allocation, and the temporal dynamics of technical interactions. The quota allocation and the fleet dynamics models were implemented using linear programming, and regression approaches were used to make a realistic projection of future users’ behavioral response to changes in the fishery. The models were calibrated and then validated using historical and out-of-sample data, respectively. The results highlight the importance of accounting for technical interactions and their interannual dynamics for both quota allocation and fleet dynamics to design a realistic multispecies fishery MSE (without them, the amount of lost yield increased). Therefore, particular attention should be paid to understanding human behavior as well as its uncertainty and to refining approaches to incorporate this information into a multispecies fishery management strategy analysis.

Inter-species quota flexibility – Exploring a new management tool in European Common Fisheries Policy

Inter-species quota flexibility (IQF) is a new management tool made available to fishery managers in the reformed European Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) launched in 2013. IQF regulates a limited transfer between stock-specific total allowable catches (TAC), the main measure of stock conservation in CFP set in accordance with precautionary or, where possible, analytically estimated levels of maximum sustainable yield (MSY). IQF is intended to mitigate the various potential conflicts in the management of multi-species fisheries resulting from stricter catch limitations, which, in turn, are due to the newly-introduced landing obligation for all catches of TAC-regulated stocks. In this paper, the management implications of inter-species flexibility are evaluated by modelling various scenarios of individual and multiple multi-species fisheries exploiting virtual stocks of different sizes and productivity. The results reveal that IQF is rather ineffectual if sustainable stock-specific management goals are similar in terms of exploitation rate. However, if these goals are modified in response to potential ecological conservation needs or market considerations – which would reflect reality more closely – IQF may offer a frequently applicable and effective tool. Simulations carried out in this study demonstrate that IQF may support the use of quotas by increasing fishing opportunities of by-catch species, which are then subtracted from the target stock allowances. However, multiple and jointly managed multi-species fisheries frequently appear limited due to reduced fishing opportunities of target stocks, which may prevent the progressive application of IQF. As such, IQF is helpful for certain specific fisheries management, rather than as a tool for broader management approaches jointly applied to different fishing strategies. It is concluded that the application of IQF may undermine the politically-agreed and fixed quota-sharing rule among European member states (i.e. the “relative stability”) and also lacks a reference to FMSY; i.e., it remains to be clarified whether the application of IQF would result in tolerable levels of short term overfishing of by-catch stocks with regard to MSY.

Changes in the diet of predatory ribbonfish Trichiurus lepturus Linnaeus, 1758 with increasing body size along Chennai coast

In recent years, it has been recognised that predatory fishes are rapidly declining in marine habitats. Hence, gathering information on biological characteristics such as dietary dynamics of predatory fishes has assumed importance. Considering this, the dietary dynamics of the predatory ribbonfish Trichiuruslepturusfrom Chennai coast was assessed by analysing the stomach condition and contents, with reference to body size. Representatives of the Order Clupeiformes (Index of relative importance, IRI 33.7%) comprising oilsardine, lesser sardines and anchovies were the major prey items of T. lepturus. Predation by T. lepturus was aided by morphological adaptations, such as dentition, hard and spinous gill rakers, short stomach, high body depth-total length ratio of 1: 17.1 and large mouth (gape area of 1534 mm2 in adult fish).With increasing body size, the capacity to predate upon relatively larger prey increased. The differences in diet composition between ribbonfish of small, medium and large size were well-represented byIRI, prey specific abundance and cluster analysis. The fish is a top predator (trophic level: 4.17) and a specialist feeder (niche breadth: 2.63). As specialist feeders have a narrow choice of food, they are more vulnerable to fishing. It is important that management of multispecies fisheries should focus more on the sensitive predatory species.

Fisheries Management under Ecological Interdependence: The Case of European Hake and Blue Whiting Fishery

In mixed fisheries where there is an increased ecological interdependence between two or more target species, the possibilities of fishing these species must be determined jointly, since catches of one species will impact the natural growth not only of that species but of the others, as well. The objective of this paper is to develop a predator-prey model for two major species caught by the EU fishing fleet on European Union fishing grounds. The predator and prey’s population dynamics follow the Lotka-Volterra equation and are assumed to be logic-based, and a lineal interaction between the predator and prey populations is assumed. Optimal single owner multispecies fishery management is analysed, and the applied model is solved, obtaining the equilibrium value of biomasses, catches, and net benefits of the mixed fishery. The results show that the MSY of the predator is higher than that estimated by ICES, while MSY for prey is lower. The sensitivity analysis of the results reveals that the biomass levels of both species decrease as the discount rate increases, while catches increase.

Nash equilibrium can resolve conflicting maximum sustainable yields in multi-species fisheries management

The current fisheries management goals set by the European Commission states that fish stocks should be harvested to deliver maximum sustainable yields (MSY) and simultaneously, management should take ecosystem considerations into account. This creates unsolved trade-offs for the management of the stocks. We suggest a definition of a multi-species-MSY (MS-MSY) where no alternative fishing mortality (F) can increase yield (long term) for any ecologically interacting stock, given that the other stocks are fished at constant efforts (Fs). Such a MS-MSY can be solved through the game theoretic concept of a Nash equilibrium and here we explore two solutions to this conflict in the Baltic Sea. We maximize the sustainable yield of each stock under two constraints: first, we harvest the other stocks at a fixed F (FNE); second, we keep the spawning stock biomasses of the other stocks fixed [biomass Nash equilibrium (BNE)]. As a case study, we have developed a multi-species interaction stochastic operative model (MSI-SOM), which contains a SOM for each of the three dominant species of the Baltic Sea, the predator cod (Gadus morhua), and its prey herring (Clupea harengus), and sprat (Sprattus sprattus). For our Baltic Sea case, MS-MSYs exist under both the FNE and the BNE, but there is no guarantee that point solutions exists. We found that the prey species’ spawning stock biomasses are additive in the cod growth function, which allowed for a point solution in BNE. In the FNE, the herring MSY was found to be relatively insensitive to the other species’ fishing mortalities (F), which facilitated a point solution. The MSY targets of the BNE and the FNE differ slightly where the BNE gives higher predator yields and lower prey yields.

Assessing social--ecological trade-offs to advance ecosystem-based fisheries management.

Modern resource management faces trade-offs in the provision of various ecosystem goods and services to humanity. For fisheries management to develop into an ecosystem-based approach, the goal is not only to maximize economic profits, but to consider equally important conservation and social equity goals. We introduce such a triple-bottom line approach to the management of multi-species fisheries using the Baltic Sea as a case study. We apply a coupled ecological-economic optimization model to address the actual fisheries management challenge of trading-off the recovery of collapsed cod stocks versus the health of ecologically important forage fish populations. Management strategies based on profit maximization would rebuild the cod stock to high levels but may cause the risk of stock collapse for forage species with low market value, such as Baltic sprat (Fig. 1A). Economically efficient conservation efforts to protect sprat would be borne almost exclusively by the forage fishery as sprat fishing effort and profits would strongly be reduced. Unless compensation is paid, this would challenge equity between fishing sectors (Fig. 1B). Optimizing equity while respecting sprat biomass precautionary levels would reduce potential profits of the overall Baltic fishery, but may offer an acceptable balance between overall profits, species conservation and social equity (Fig. 1C). Our case study shows a practical example of how an ecosystem-based fisheries management will be able to offer society options to solve common conflicts between different resource uses. Adding equity considerations to the traditional trade-off between economy and ecology will greatly enhance credibility and hence compliance to management decisions, a further footstep towards healthy fish stocks and sustainable fisheries in the world ocean.

Optimal Multi-species Harvesting in Ecologically and Economically Interdependent Fisheries

Single-species management of multi-species fisheries ignores ecological interactions in addition to important economic interactions to the detriment of the health of the ecosystem, the stocks of fish species, and fishery profits. This study maximizes the net present value from a multi-species fishery where species interact ecologically in the ecosystem, and economically through vessels’ multi-product harvesting technology, switching gear types, and interactions in output markets. Numerical optimization techniques are used to determine the optimal harvest quota of each species over time. This study highlights the need to incorporate both ecological and economic interactions that occur between species in an ecosystem.

Structure and dynamics of the shark assemblage off Recife, Northeastern Brazil.

Understanding the ecological factors that regulate elasmobranch abundance in nearshore waters is essential to effectively manage coastal ecosystems and promote conservation. However, little is known about elasmobranch populations in the western South Atlantic Ocean. An 8-year, standardized longline and drumline survey conducted in nearshore waters off Recife, northeastern Brazil, allowed us to describe the shark assemblage and to monitor abundance dynamics using zero-inflated generalized additive models. This region is mostly used by several carcharhinids and one ginglymostomid, but sphyrnids are also present. Blacknose sharks, Carcharhinus acronotus, were mostly mature individuals and declined in abundance throughout the survey, contrasting with nurse sharks, Ginglymostoma cirratum, which proliferated possibly due to this species being prohibited from all harvest since 2004 in this region. Tiger sharks, Galeocerdo cuvier, were mostly juveniles smaller than 200 cm and seem to use nearshore waters off Recife between January and September. No long-term trend in tiger shark abundance was discernible. Spatial distribution was similar in true coastal species (i.e. blacknose and nurse sharks) whereas tiger sharks were most abundant at the middle continental shelf. The sea surface temperature, tidal amplitude, wind direction, water turbidity, and pluviosity were all selected to predict shark abundance off Recife. Interspecific variability in abundance dynamics across spatiotemporal and environmental gradients suggest that the ecological processes regulating shark abundance are generally independent between species, which could add complexity to multi-species fisheries management frameworks. Yet, further research is warranted to ascertain trends at population levels in the South Atlantic Ocean.

Regional management of multi-species fisheries on the basis of shared stocks and property rights: a Mediterranean case

Fishery management is a complicated task that often results in overfishing, overcapacity, and low profits for the industry. The management of shared fish stocks is particularly problematic, especially if national authorities pursue different objectives. Multi-species fisheries add further complexity to the problem. It is no accident that management tools frequently used in Northern Europe, such as total allowable catches and individual quotas, are not applied in the Mediterranean Sea, where more target species are caught simultaneously. However, the European Commission intends to introduce a market-based driver for a strong, profitable fishing industry by phasing in transferable fishing concessions . This management approach is new for the Mediterranean, and it requires in-depth examination at institutional, legal, and economic levels. In this paper, after a review of the institutional setting, the economic perspective was analyzed by estimating the production function for the Italian small pelagic fishery in the Adriatic Sea. With the addition of Croatia to the European Union, the Adriatic Sea can become a Mediterranean communal exclusive fishing area. The results indicate that output measures such as total allowable catches and individual quotas should not cause serious discarding problems for this multi-species fishery.

Measuring the social and economic performance of catch share programs: Definition of metrics and application to the U.S. Northeast Region groundfish fishery

In May 2010 the New England Fishery Management Council introduced a catch share, program in the Northeast Multispecies (groundfish) Fishery. Amendment 16 of the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan allocated quota to 17 self organized groups of permit holders based on their collective catch history. These groups are commonly referred to as Sectors and are similar to harvest cooperatives. Sectors represented a significant shift from previous management approaches reliant on limits to days at sea and other input controls. Given the potential for significant social and economic effects of catch shares and other management programs, social and economic performance measures were developed from 2009 to 2010 by Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) social scientists. Previous social and economic monitoring of management outcomes had been ad hoc and provided minimal opportunity for inter-fishery comparison. This paper describes the process of identifying performance measures and associated indicators to serve as the foundation of monitoring social and economic outcomes for all federal fisheries in the U.S. Northeast Region, and for planning NEFSC social and economic research priorities. It then presents how these performance measures were applied to assess the first year of the Amendment 16 Sector program. Challenges and limitations of this process are presented along with a description of efforts underway to broaden the use of these social and economic metrics to other fisheries.