An Examination of Progress Toward Ecosystem-Based Management of Living Marine Resources in the U.S.

2021 ◽  
pp. 611-650
Author(s):  
Jason S. Link ◽  
Anthony R. Marshak
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Ecosystem Processes ◽  
Marine Ecosystems ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Reference Points ◽  
Marine Fishery ◽  
Ecosystem Level ◽  
Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management ◽  
The U.S

This chapter presents a cumulative examination of socioeconomic, governance, ecological, and environmental indicators among the eight major United States (U.S.) marine fishery ecosystems, 26 U.S. subregions, and 14 U.S. participatory regional fisheries management organization (RFMO) jurisdictions. Based on these indicators and as one might expect, some regions are making greater progress toward ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) than others, but in all U.S. marine ecosystems there has been notable progress toward EBFM, albeit on different facets for different regions. Common areas of notable progress toward EBFM are observed around the nation in areas of implementing ecosystem-level planning and advancing understanding of ecosystem processes. Overall, it appears that more inherently productive marine ecosystems tend to have greater biomass, fisheries landings, proportional LMR-based employments, and fisheries revenue. More work remains in areas of ecosystem and community resilience, as well as broader consideration of more systematic measures for a fisheries ecosystem (especially ecosystem-level reference points). Several areas of common challenges and anticipated concerns are identified, with an eye toward focusing efforts on addressing these issues.

Marine ecosystem assessment in a fisheries management context

2002 ◽  
Vol 59 (9) ◽  
pp. 1429-1440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason S Link ◽  
Jon K.T Brodziak ◽  
Steve F Edwards ◽  
William J Overholtz ◽  
David Mountain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Reference Points ◽  
System Level ◽  
Multivariate Statistical Methods ◽  
Multivariate Statistical ◽  
Management Context ◽  
Ecosystem Level ◽  
Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management

We examined a suite of abiotic, biotic, and human metrics for the northeast U.S. continental shelf ecosystem at the aggregate, community, and system level (>30 different metrics) over three decades. Our primary goals were to describe ecosystem status, to improve understanding of the relationships between key ecosystem processes, and to evaluate potential reference points for ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM). To this end, empirical indicators of ecosystem status were examined and standard multivariate statistical methods were applied to describe changes in the system. We found that (i) a suite of metrics is required to accurately characterize ecosystem status and, conversely, that focusing on a few metrics may be misleading; (ii) assessment of ecosystem status is feasible for marine ecosystems; (iii) multivariate points of reference can be determined for EBFM; and (iv) the concept of reference directions could provide an ecosystem level analog to single-species reference points.

Benthic Habitats and the Effects of Fishing

2005 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Scale Effects ◽  
Ecosystem Processes ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Benthic Habitats ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Ecosystem Effects ◽  
Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management

<strong><em>Abstract. </em></strong>We review the impacts of towed gears on benthic habitats and communities and predict the consequences of these impacts for ecosystem processes. Our emphasis is on the additive and synergistic large-scale effects of fishing, and we assess how changes in the distribution of fishing activity following management action are likely to affect production, turnover time, and nutrient fluxes in ecosystems. Analyses of the large-scale effects of fishing disturbance show that the initial effects of fishing on a habitat have greater ecosystem consequences than repeated fishing in fished areas. As a result, patchy fishing effort distributions have lower total impacts on the ecosystem than random or uniform effort distributions. In most fisheries, the distribution of annual fishing effort within habitats is more patchy than random, and patterns of effort are maintained from year to year. Our analyses suggest that many vulnerable species and habitats have only persisted in heavily fished ecosystems because effort is patchy. Ecosystem-based fisheries management involves taking account of the ecosystem effects of fishing when setting management objectives. One step that can be taken toward ecosystem-based fisheries management is to make an a priori assessment of the ecosystem effects of proposed management actions such as catch controls, effort controls, and technical measures. We suggest a process for predicting the ecosystem consequences of management action. This requires information on habitat distributions, models to predict changes in the spatial distribution of fleets following management action, and models of the impacts of trawling disturbance on ecosystem processes. For each proposed management action, the change in disturbance affecting different habitat types would be predicted and used to forecast the consequences for the ecosystem. These simulations would be used to produce a decision table, quantifying the consequences of alternative management actions. Actions that minimize the ecosystem effects of fishing could then be identified. In data-poor situations, we suggest that management strategies that maintain or maximize the patchiness of effort within habitat types are more consistent with the precautionary approach than those that lead to more uniform fishing effort distributions.

The Northern Gulf of Mexico

2021 ◽  
pp. 283-342
Author(s):  
Jason S. Link ◽  
Anthony R. Marshak
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Human Population ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Penaeid Shrimp ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Eastern Oyster ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management ◽  
The U.S

This chapter describes the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) region and the major issues facing this marine fisheries ecosystem, and presents some summary statistics related to the 90 indicators of ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) criteria. The region contains high numbers of marine species comprising commercially and recreationally important invertebrate (e.g., penaeid shrimp, blue crab, eastern oyster) and finfish (e.g., red snapper, grouper, red drum, pelagic sportfishes) fisheries, which contribute heavily to national landings and seafood supply. The northern GOM contains one of the nation’s largest marine economies (among the eight U.S. regional marine ecosystems), which is dependent on offshore mineral extractions, tourism, marine transportation, living marine resources (LMRs), and other ocean uses. The GOM provides critical social and economic benefits to the region and the nation, is a region with high numbers of managed species, yet exploitation of these resources and an increasing human population makes the GOM an area subject to significant natural and human stressors, including the highest number of hurricanes in the U.S. Atlantic region, large expanses of hypoxic bottom water, overfishing, and major oil spills like the 2010 DWH event.

Methods for Characterizing and Examining Marine Fishery Ecosystems

2021 ◽  
pp. 35-46
Author(s):  
Jason S. Link ◽  
Anthony R. Marshak
Keyword(s):  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Data Sources ◽  
Marine Resources ◽  
Ranking Methods ◽  
Marine Fishery ◽  
Social Ecological Systems ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
Time Periods ◽  
Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management

There are many variables associated with assessing marine fishery ecosystems. These include exploring facets of the living marine resources (LMRs), habitats, oceans, economics, and social considerations associated with marine social-ecological systems. Yet which ones can help track progress toward ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) and, by extension, the efficacy of LMR management? This chapter provides a list of over 90 indicators we will use throughout the regional chapters, with documentation of data sources, time periods, and geographies covered, and the typical caveats associated with these data. This chapter also notes the methodology of how we synthesized all this information across all the regional chapters, noting the appropriate statistical and ranking methods we employed and the benchmarking criteria we considered to ascertain progress toward EBFM.

scholarly journals Assessing the State of Coupled Social-Ecological Modeling in Support of Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management in the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Kasperski ◽  
Geret S. DePiper ◽  
Alan C. Haynie ◽  
Suzana Blake ◽  
Lisa L. Colburn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Performance Metrics ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
The United States ◽  
Coupled Models ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
Resource Managers ◽  
Disciplinary Background ◽  
Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management

There has been a proliferation of coupled social-ecological systems (SES) models created and published in recent years. However, the degree of coupling between natural and social systems varies widely across the different coupled models and is often a function of the disciplinary background of the team conducting the research. This manuscript examines models developed for and used by NOAA Fisheries in support of Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) in the United States. It provides resource managers and interdisciplinary scientists insights on the strengths and weaknesses of the most commonly used SES models: end-to-end models, conceptual models, bioeconomic models, management strategy evaluations (MSEs), fisher behavior models, integrated social vulnerability models, and regional economic impact models. These model types are not unique to the literature, but allow us to differentiate between one-way coupled models – where outputs from one model are inputs into a second model of another discipline with no feedback to the first model, and two-way coupled models – where there are linkages between the natural and social system models. For a model to provide useful strategic or tactical advice, it should only be coupled to the degree necessary to understand the important dynamics/responses of the system and to create management-relevant performance metrics or potential risks from an (in)action. However, one key finding is to not wait to integrate! This paper highlights the importance of “when” the coupling happens, as timing affects the ability to fully address management questions and multi-sectoral usage conflicts that consider the full SES for EBFM or ecosystem based management (EBM) more generally.

Introduction

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-34
Author(s):  
Jason S. Link ◽  
Anthony R. Marshak
Keyword(s):  
Fisheries Management ◽  
The Past ◽  
Road Map ◽  
Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management ◽  
The U.S

The underlying concepts of ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) have been considered for over a century. This chapter discusses broad, disciplinary perspectives on EBFM, noting how the topic has advanced, morphed, and evolved from debates over “what and why” to “how.” Several definitions of EBFM are provided, with a discussion on the past couple of decades for how this concept has developed. A brief exploration of policies related to EBFM is undertaken, with particular emphasis on the U.S.’s EBFM Road Map. The rationale for and obstacles to EBFM are also discussed, with the aim to spur further discussion on how EBFM can be more fully implemented and the benefits from it realized.

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