Report on the design of an effective ecosystem-based fisheries management

SEAwise research

As part of this work, SEAwise researchers developed a typology for management interventions encompassing the social (e.g. policy landscape) and ecological system (e.g. management measures) relevant to an ecosystem-based approach to management. The main categories of management measures considered for the evaluation were as follows:

• Spatio-temporal distribution control (i.e. measures that seek to mitigate the extent and timing of fishing activity e.g. areas closures such as Marine Protected Areas or seasonal closures)
• Input control (i.e. measures that seek to mitigate fishing activity e.g. capacity reduction via decommissioning, effort controls via days-at-sea, or technical conservation measures such as modification of fishing gear)
• Output control (i.e. measures that seek to mitigate specific pressures e.g. on catch sizes via quotas, on bycatch via a landing obligation, on juvenile fish via Minimum Conservation Reference Sizes)

This typology was coupled with an evaluation of the performance of these interventions under different climate change scenarios across our Case Study regions with a range of models, assessing these scenarios through socio-economic and ecological indicators related to objectives set out across two key fisheries-related policies in Europe – the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD).

Adopting this approach facilitated development of testable ecosystem-based management measure categories, with comparison of future indicators to the present-day baseline (i.e. the current EBFM plan) utilised as a measure of effectiveness, based on specific objectives and regionally relevant management scenarios across our regional cases. 

As part of these efforts, a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) was developed to guide the design of regional SEAwise EBFM plans. In summary, the SOP is as follows: 

• • Identify objectives/ goals and prioritise those that need to be advanced through the regional plan
  • Identify the main types of fisheries and their pressures that need management
  • Identify the most effective management measure types to achieve objectives/ goals
  • Decide on the most effective operational management measures for the regional context
  • Identify the most effective policy instruments for implementation of those measures
  • Combine the final management measures and policy instruments to create an internally consistent EBFM plan
  • Discuss/ identify obstacles or best practices.